Chapter 6: Sexual Orientation
When was sodomy criminalized as a capital offense in Great Britain?
1860; could be executed for having same-sex relations
Kinsey's data on how many people are gay.
1940s, found that 2-4% of population was homosexual; created Kinsey scale: sexual orientation on a 6-point scale (assumes hetero and homo are separate things); data criticized even though more recent surveys yielded similar results
When was homosexuality no longer a mental disorder?
1973
Vivenne Cass's model of coming out
1979; 6 stages: identity confusion, identity comparison, identity tolerance, identity acceptance, identity pride, identity synthesis
Eli Coleman's model of coming out
1982; similar to Cass's; 5 stages: pre-coming out, coming out, exploration, first relationships, integration
When were LGBT right explicitly stated in the Constitution?
1995; Supreme Court ruled in case of Egan v Canada that sex orientation was implicitly included in section 15 of Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Federal Court has stated that sex orientation is "precise legal concept that deals specifically with an individual's preference in terms of gender" in sex relationships; Ontario Human Rights Commission: "Sexual orientation is more than simply a 'status' that an individual possesses; it is an immutable personal characteristic that forms part of an individual's core identity. Sexual orientation encompasses the range of human sexuality from gay and lesbian to bisexual and heterosexual orientations"
Percent of LGBTQ youth who feel unsafe in schools?
2/3
What is the range of the number of gay people from best data?
3-5%
What is the chance of being gay for the general population according to the National Geographic video? What is the chance if you have a fraternal twin? An identical twin?
5%; 25%; 50%; suggests some genetic component to sexuality but not all genes (otherwise every identical twin pair would be either gay or straight)
Percent of Canadians who believe that homosexuality is something people are born with
59%
What are the chances of being gay if you have an identical twin who is gay?
60-80%; means that the heritability ratio somewhere around 60-80%, which is higher than most things that people believe are beyond choice (example right or left handedness)
Percent of Canadians who support same-sex marriage? Percent of people born after 1980 who support same-sex marriage?
61%; 81%
How many LGBT older adults live alone in LA?
75%
How many countries is homosexuality considered a crime in?
86
Percent of gay men who believe they had no choice in their sexual orientation? Percent of gay women who believe they had no choice in their sexual orientation?
88% gay men; 68% gay women; indicates that women may have more sexual fluidity and choice in sex orientation
Canadian studies on how many people are gay
Compass survey (1998), Canada, attraction (not behaviours): 8% men, 10% women report same sex attractions; less than 2% of men and women report exclusive same-sex attraction; Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS): how people identified, 1.3% men, 0.7% women ID'ed as exclusively homo
When was same sex marriage legalized in Canada?
July 20, 2005
Who introduced the first model of coming out?
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs
Percent of men and women who identify as bisexual (CCHS)
M: 0.6%; F: 0.9%
Percent of men and women who are sexually attracted to mostly the same sex
M: 0.7%; F: 0.8%
Percent of men and women who are sexually attracted to both sexes
M: 1%; F: 1.9%
Percent of men and women who identify as homosexual (CCHS)
M: 1.3%; F: 0.7%
Percent of men and women who sexually attracted to only the same sex
M: 1.5%; F: 0.7%
Percent of men and women who had only same-sex partners in last 12 months
M: 1.6%; F: 1.3%
Percent of men and women who identify as bisexual (NSFG)
M: 1.8%; F: 2.8%
Percent of men and women who identify as homosexual (NSFG)
M: 2.3%; F: 1.3%
Percent of men and women who had same-sex partner in last 12 months (NSFG)
M: 2.9%; F: 4.4%
Percent of men and women who are sexually attracted to mostly the opposite sex.
M: 3.9%; F: 10.2%
Percent of men and women who identify as queer, questioning, etc. (NSFG)
M: 3.9%; F: 3.8%
Percent of men and women who have ever had sexual contact with same-sex partner (National Survey of Family Growth)
M: 6%; F: 11.2%
Percent of men and women who identify as heterosexual (NSFG)
M: 90.2%; F: 90.3%
Percent of men and women who are sexually attracted to only the opposite sex.
M: 92.2%; F: 85.7%
Percent of men and women who identify as heterosexual (Canadian Community Health Survey)
M: 97.1%; F: 98.4%
Karl-Maria Kertbeny
Ulrichs corresponded with about social and legal restrictions on sexuality in Prussia; they referred to diff sexualities as fixed and distinct; used word homosexuality in letter to Ulrichs in 1868 (?) for first time; scientific work not censored at this time, knowledge of sexuality makes its way into lives of ordinary people through growth of scientific journals; anti-sodomy law that the two are fighting against is notorious for its use Germany by 3rd Reich during WWII, results in people getting sent to concentration camps and ultimately dying for being gay during WWII
Where is the highest concentration of gay people in the US according to Gallup?
Washington DC, 10%
What is the region on the x chromosome that may be indicative of sexual orientation?
Xq28 region
Third stage of coming out
acceptance; greater self-acceptance; recognize that they are more enduring and prominent; build more LGBTQ friendship; realize how we have been discriminated against and oppressed; raise awareness and anger
Teenline "Understanding Orientation" Video
already challenging enough being a teen, more difficult to figure out sexual and romantic orientation; embarrassed, confused; empowering b/c diff identities, also overwhelming, where do I fit?; Gender journey starts at birth; see gender norms more when enter school; allies and outreach are really important to share the positives of the community; everyone has own process, journey, all are okay; supports: books, online communities, social media, youth groups, community centers, GSAs (need safe spaces); acceptance, tolerance not enough, need to embrace
Homophobia
antigay attitudes and behaviours including institutional biases and prejudices that remain in our society; may cause LGBT to internalize, cause them to hate and fear themselves
No romantic attraction to others
aromantic
Differences in brains of gay and straight men.
articular region of brain of gay men (INAH3: third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus) is actually smaller compared to straight men; also animal models of male homosexuality, this particular region is different in animals who are homosexual (smaller)
No sexual attraction to others
asexual
Heteronormativity
assumption or belief that heterosexuality is superior to other sexualities; society should function to support only heterosexual relationships, usually in social/institutional scripts that involve opposite-sex dating, relationship, marriage, divorce; society designed to accommodate heterosexual people
Pansexual
attraction toward persons of all gender identities and biological sexes
Fifth stage of coming out
authenticity; greater understanding and integration of all parts of ourselves; more compassion for ourselves and each other; live genuinely
Attracted romantically to same sex and other sexes
biromantic
Attracted sexually to same sex and other sexes
bisexual
Describe the connection between testosterone and finger digits.
can measure finger digits to measure prenatal levels of T; high level T: longer 4th digit compared to 2nd digit (ring finger larger than index finger); low level T: ring finger same size as index finger; in gay men and women see reverse trend; gay men: more equal sized fingers; gay women: more distance
Rat studies and homosexuality
can take male rat and make it behave like female for rest of life, just by altering hormones its exposed to right at birth: rats born underdeveloped, like impacting a third-trimester human fetus in the womb; male rats mount any rat that comes their way, female performs lordosis; gave female rat single shot of T at birth, never performs lordosis but male rat castrated at birth does (deprived of T)
Queer Theory with Dr. David Clark video
challenges heteronormative ideals of sexuality and gender; designed to give us robust and self-aware language to unsettle putatively solid bonds that join chromosomal sex to gender and sexuality; know that heteronormativity did come into force until the end of the 18th century and beginning of 19th century; queer theory helps everyone understand how complicated gay life is; Michel Foucault: live in age where we put unusual emphasis on answers to question about gender, sex, etc. (recent obsession), abstractions have an unusual power over us: regulatory ideals; gay marriage is the heterosexual colonization of queer life: marriage is heteronormative phenomenon; important to teach class and encourage everyone to realize that it isn't theoretical abstraction, talking about real people, fellow citizens
Fourth stage of coming out
confidence; come out to more people; don't need to judge or demean others in order to boost self-esteem; increased activism privately or more publicly
Hate crimes
crimes motivated by prejudice against social group
Describe affectional orientation.
current support for this term over sexual orientation b/c sexual orientation overemphasizes the sexual component of a relationship
Attracted romantically when strong emotional connection is established
demi-romantic
Attracted sexually when strong emotional connection is established
demi-sexual
List some myths about sexual orientation.
dichotomous model of sexual orientation exists: heterosexual to homosexual; gender is primary criterion for sexual partner selection; sexual orientation is immutable (unchanging)
Heterosexism
discrimination or prejudice demonstrated through assumption that all people are automatically heterosexual or straight until proven otherwise; ex: asking person if they have a girlfriend; causes non-heterosexual people to ID themselves within heterosexist society; belief system that denigrates and stigmatizes: can cause acts of violence and hatred b/c of homophobia, biphobia, queerphobia; minimizes LGBTTIQQ people and assumes heterosexuality is the gold standard of "normal" behaviour
Queer theory
emerged in early 1990s; gave attention to social construction of "normal" and "deviant" forms of behaviour, esp sexual activities and identities; suggests that all sexualities are constructs created by certain social forces and institutions, such as science, religion, politics; given changing nature of society, construct of sexuality and sex orientation is fluid and subject to change, shows how attitudes and beliefs are influenced by institutions; shows how identity categories or labels consistently fail b/c individually we cannot take on all attributes of identity for all time, at some point embody contradiction between who we are and what we do
What can be used to identify sexual orientation in children?
fetuses exposed to high levels of T in womb tend to enjoy more competitive types of play, higher levels of visuospatial ability, lower levels of verbal ability; fetuses exposed to low T, more imaginative, verbal play, less competitive behaviour; Reiger et al. 2008: got people to bring in videos of them playing as children, randomly selected 30 seconds of the video to show to a stranger, task was to say whether they thought the child would grow up gay or straight, able to with better than chance odds, participants ratings matched ratings of strangers; shows that m and f behaviour of children is indicative of later sex orientation and that oneself and others usually clue in; shows that prenatal T affects not only childhood behaviour but also later sex orientation
How does prenatal testosterone effect your basic build and height?
gay men tend to be shorter; lesbians tend to be taller and have more muscle mass
List the sexual neighbours from the pie chart shown in class.
gay, bisexual, intersex, lesbian, straight, transgendered/two-spirit
What are your chances of being gay if you have a sibling that is gay?
goes up 10-12%, odds go up 5-6 times
Almost never romantically attracted to others
grayromantic
Almost never sexually attracted to others
graysexual
Bailey's research with homosexuality
had gay and straight people sit in a chair and talk, reduced to silent black and white figures, asked strangers to determine their sexual orientation, idea was to see if stereotypes were real and observable, more often than not could tell who was gay and who wasn't; gay people move differently on average; reinforcing stereotypes?; childhood home movies:
What is one similarity between almost all LGBTQ people?
have a "story" about their coming out and life as a non-heterosexual person
Attracted romantically to sex(es) other than their own
heteroromantic
Attracted sexually to sex(es) other than their own
heterosexual
List the most common terms for sexual orientation
heterosexual, homosexual (lesbian, gay), bisexual
Attracted romantically to the same sex
homoromantic
Attracted sexually to the same sex
homosexual
What are the difficulties with estimating how many people are gay?
how gay is defined (identity or behaviour); what counts as sex; self-reporting
In the Womb: Identical Twins national geographic video
identical twins, lived together: raised by same parents in same house (shared environment); Selso is gay; differing sex orientations of twins allows researchers to examine question of whether people are born gay; T masculinizes body and brain (hypothalamus: partially controls who we find sexually attractive); some believe that more T on hypo = more sexual inclination to women; insufficient T or brain doesn't absorb enough = sexual inclination to men; epigenetics reveals that even if DNA code is same, way it functions can differ, 25,000 genes in human genome; not product of genes or environment: natural and nurture bound; epigenetics link between the 2
Side in favour of making Catholic schools allow GSAs and use the word gay
impossible to fight homophobia w/o using word gay; by refusing to use word gay, Catholic church is silencing historically marginalized population, silence is one method of oppression; religious rights should not supersede other rights; public funds should be used equally and fairly to all students
When was the term homosexuality coined?
in Germany in the 1800s; entered English language in 1869; before then everyone was automatically classified as heterosexual; value neutral term, appears in discussions of sexuality; development of term coincides with growth of urban communities formed around sexual identity in Europe
Asexual
individuals may fall in love romantically with another person without feeling sexual desire for her or him; may have masturbation frequency that falls in the normal range; may or may not acquire an asexual identity
MyGSA.ca
initiative by Egale Canada, link to community, interactive space for queer Canadian youth, educators, and allies, Safer Spaces, place to share and connect about safer schools and inclusive education
Labels and identity
labels are social constructions that include not only info about sexual preference, but also engender certain self perceptions (I am lesbian), as well as worldviews (political support for female solidarity, etc.); sexual identity labels that people give themselves can change over time; terms such as gay, queer, heterosexual are more accurately used as adjectives than nouns, as they refer to an identity and not an individual's "essence"; 1994 nationally rep US study found that most men reported same-sex XP at some point in lives, but didn't self-identify as gay; today same-sex practice can be strongly related to person's identity, rather than just activity in which people engage (many people still ID as straight but engage in homo activity)
What offers LGBTQ people most advanced forms of equality in North America?
laws and other Human Rights legislation but laws alone don't create equitable society, still much more needed from governments and communities to combat effects of homophobia and heterosexism
Karl Ulrichs
lawyer in Prussia, proponent of gay rights starting ~1860; campaigning against proposed law criminalizing sodomy in empire: 175 of criminal code in Prussia; wrote series of anonymous booklets about male sexuality where he posits third sex: urningen, have bodies of men, minds of women, choose to have sex with other men; condition is innate, shouldn't be criminalized
Benefits of coming out
live more authentic life, greater health and vitality, deepens our relationships, self-empowering, improves well-being for next generation, increases chances of equal rights and protections
Catholic schools and GSA debate
many Catholic schools have been allowing student groups to form in support of anti-homophobia but admin banned use of "gay" in name of club; Ontario government recently decided that Catholic schools can't ban the word gay and must allow GSAs; made to ensure laws focused on anti-bullying weren't violated; if fail to obey, could see funding cuts
Describe the gender abacus from the Teenline "Understanding Orientation" video
more complete way to explain what their experience is; rung for sex: birth based on anatomy; rung for gender identity; rung for gender expression: how want world to see themselves; rung for sexual attraction; opportunity to visually rep what their XP is
PFLAG Canada
national charitable organization, founded by parents who wished to help themselves and their family members understand and accept their non-heterosexual children; calls for more support, education and resources on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity
Egale Canada
national lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) human rights organization, advancing equality, diversity, education and justice; vision is a Canada free of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of discrimination so that every person can achieve their full potential, unencumbered by hatred and bias
Was there a gay identity before the 1800s?
no; gay identity created in resistance to discrimination; sodomy (anal or oral) condemned through religious doctrines, sometimes forbidding under law; brought about overt discrimination
Queer
non-heterosexual people who aren't heteronormative or gender binary
Describe the ways in which sexuality can be diverse.
orientations, motivations, roles, sexes, time, desire, behaviours, identity
Gay animals
over 250 show same sex; elephants, penguins, flamingos, rats, guinea pigs, chimps; proportion of gay animals about the same as the proportion in human populations (2-3%); 8% of rams are sexually attracted to other rams, not female sheep
What was homosexuality previously believed to be caused by?
overbearing mothers and distant fathers; theory has been disproved, now look at genes, environment, brain structure, hormones
Attracted romantically regardless of sex or gender identity
panromantic
Attracted sexually regardless of sex or gender identity
pansexual
Polyamorous
people in equality-based relationships with multiple partners
Who are most hate crimes committed by?
people under age of 25
Attracted romantically to other sexes (but not necessarily all)
polyromantic
Attracted sexually to other sexes (but not necessarily all)
polysexual
First stage of coming out
questioning; confusing, denial, ignore, repress, minimize; associated with shame, experimenting
Coming out
refers to lifelong process of revealing one's LGBTQ identity and often developing sense of who they are in relation to their gender identity or sex orientation; figure of speech for LGBTQ about self-disclosing their sexual orientation and/or gender identity; sometimes rite of passage, act of liberation from oppression; idea of becoming more visible as sexual minority in order to emancipate from societal stigma; exists b/c live in homophobic and heterosexist society where straight relationships are privileged and seen as superior to other kinds; process that happens over time, not signal event, disclosing to more and more people; usually circles of people: self, LGBTQ, friends, family, colleagues
Relationships and LGBT community
research reports that lesbian couples report greater relationship satisfaction than either gay or heterosexual couples; non-monogamous gay couples are as happy as monogamous gay couples; same-sex couples more likely to remain friends after a break-up and to look for partners outside their age, race, and socio-economic demographic; majority of gay couples wish to be married at some point; there has never been a society where the number of same-sex relationships equals mixed-sex relationships
Where is sexual orientation covered under in Canada's Hate Crimes legislation?
sections 318 and 319 criminal code; enacted in 1996 to reduce specific crimes motivated by various types of prejudice; 2010, Stats Canada report noted that crimes motivated by sex orientation were more likely than others to be physically violent and result in injury
Epigenome
series of chemicals that act like switches: activate or deactivate individual genes; DNA metholation process: enzymes attach compound to gene, can deactivate or activate the gene but gene itself remains; if sexual preference is associated with unidentified gene, may be that epigenetic activation or suppression of gene dictates sexual preference; genetic switches could be answer why twins absorbs T differently
What is GLBTI?
sexual orientations: gay, lesbian, bisexual; gender identity: transgender, intersex
LGBT families
show no difference in terms of outcomes for children; also no more likely to be LGBTQ than other children; some research indicates that children might be advantaged by non-heterosexual relationship b/c parents must go to diff measures to conceive or adopt; stares in public, asked personal questions about their life; who better to parent than people who have had to persevere their whole life
19th century changes that spurred the gay movement
sig change in Europe, higher populations, changes in structures; queer people moving into city, want to associate with like-minded people, Molly houses in Britain; start to agitate against laws
What are common protective factors for LGTBQ youth?
social support, low levels of religiosity and school connectedness
What can be used to differentiate between gay and straight men?
sports b/c they are a safe form of aggression (competitiveness: T creates more aggression); gay men about 1/2 as likely to have enjoyed sports as children compared to straight men; find reverse for lesbians: lesbians about twice as likely to have enjoyed sports, compared to female counterparts
Side NOT in favour of making Catholic schools allow GSAs and use the word gay
state shouldn't mandate what can and cannot be said within religious institutions; gay is offensive to Catholics and in direct violation of church teachings; anti-bullying measures shouldn't take precedence over religious freedoms which is constitutional right; schools should have right to decide which clubs are allowed; Catholic schools were allowing clubs to meet, which should suffice
What kind of parenting is common with LGBT?
step-parenting: have children from previous heterosexual relationship; Canadian study found that lesbian step-families were perceived to have higher satisfaction/security than others by undergrads
Older brothers and homosexuality connection
studies have repeatedly shown that the likelihood of being gay increases with the number of older brothers; 28-48%; fraternal birth order effect accounts for ~1/7 of prevalence of homosexuality in men; only true for males and those that are right-handed; oldest brother has 2% chance of being gay, numbers rise from there; for every older brother, chances of being gay increases by 1/3; theory that it happens in the womb, mother builds antibodies against boys
Gallup data on how many people are gay in the world.
surveyed 200,000 people in all 50 states: 3.5% of population; previous estimate: probably 10% (too high); issues: self-reporting; sexuality complex (spectrum, bisexual people not included, don't identify as gay); asked "Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?"
Seniors experience with being LGBT
thought they were alone; could be arrested so had to be secretive; had no civil or legal rights; cops would come to homes and drag people out to send them to jail; had to live 2 lives; Stonewall was incredibly important
Second stage of coming out
tolerance; recognize our desires, come out to ourselves; meet new LGBTQ people; educate yourself on what it means to be LGB
Queer as a label
transcendence of gender and sex binaries; illustrates the fluidity of sexual categorizations; begins to offer space for the intersection of gender identity and sexual orientation in relationships; offers an alternative; can be liberating
60 Minutes Gay/Straight Video
twin boys Adam (feminine/non-conforming) and Jared (masculine); identical twins Steve (masculine) and Greg (feminine); proves that not completely genetic
Gay bashing
verbal and/or emotional denigration or physical violence against gays and lesbians
How is the personal political?
wearing or performing non-normative sexual identities has moved from the political to personal identity... The 2 were never separable
Gender bending
when asked to reflect on their childhood, many LGBTQ report engaging in a variety of types of play that often crossed traditional gender lines; cross-gender play measure of people that are out and live openly as lesbian or gay = no causal link: no evidence to suggest that cross-gender play causes someone to be gay or transgender; in later life, many LGBTQ people express a sense of freedom and liberation from gender roles that order how many people live their lives in Western cultures
Gender performance video
when we say gender is performed, we mean that we have taken on a role, acting in some way; acting/role playing is crucial to gender that we are; gender is performative: produces series of effects, act in ways that consolidate an impression of being a man or being a woman; act as if that being of man or woman is internal reality or simply true about us when it is actually phenomenon that is being produced and reproduced all the time; there are institutional powers (psych normalization) and informal practices (bullying) that try to keep us in our gendered place; question of how gender norms get established and policed; how to disrupt and over come police function; gender is culturally formed and domain of agency or freedom; most important to resist the violence that is imposed by ideal gender norms esp against non-conforming gender individuals
Define sexual orientation.
who we are romantically and sexually attracted to, can include specific bodies or specific genders or both/neither
Were the queer athletes in the Buzzfeed video positive of their involvement in sports while coming out?
yes: teammates were welcoming, not treated differently
Risks of coming out
youth kicked out of home, housing/job discrimination, social isolation, financial loss, violence, arrest, incarceration, capital punishment; staying in closet can be act of self-preservation; needs to be individual choice, not always safe to
