Comments on: GENDER AND POWER – A TUTORIAL, PART 1 – Compulsory Heterosexuality http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/09/08/gender-and-power-a-tutorial-part-1-compulsory-heterosexuality/ Making the Connections Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:52:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Stan http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/09/08/gender-and-power-a-tutorial-part-1-compulsory-heterosexuality/#comment-2404 Stan Wed, 14 Sep 2005 01:37:37 +0000 http://feralscholar.org/blog/?p=185#comment-2404 I think the tricky (and important) thing about Rich's thesis is that she DOESN'T focus her discussion of heterosexuality on the sex act(s) -- as many of us have been socialized to do in thinking about distinctions between hetero, homo, bi, trans, et al. "What do those people DO in BED?" The taboos associated with HOW we fuck are not definitive of compulsory heterosexuality, but simply policing mechanisms to force women and men together in a complete system of unequal complimentarity, that men dominate. The male role here is far more than a sexual top (even when he's on bottom)... it also has a protector, provider, decision-maker, disciplinarian etc. dimension that is a social top. Men often find staged acts of lesbian sex (with very "fem" women) very titillating in pornography, though they dislike real lesbians. The issue is not what they DO, but whether or not lesbians (here defined as woman-identified and woman-loving) display the proper dependency on men. The idea of a "political lesbian" is immensely threatening. I think the tricky (and important) thing about Rich’s thesis is that she DOESN’T focus her discussion of heterosexuality on the sex act(s) — as many of us have been socialized to do in thinking about distinctions between hetero, homo, bi, trans, et al.

“What do those people DO in BED?”

The taboos associated with HOW we fuck are not definitive of compulsory heterosexuality, but simply policing mechanisms to force women and men together in a complete system of unequal complimentarity, that men dominate. The male role here is far more than a sexual top (even when he’s on bottom)… it also has a protector, provider, decision-maker, disciplinarian etc. dimension that is a social top.

Men often find staged acts of lesbian sex (with very “fem” women) very titillating in pornography, though they dislike real lesbians. The issue is not what they DO, but whether or not lesbians (here defined as woman-identified and woman-loving) display the proper dependency on men. The idea of a “political lesbian” is immensely threatening.

]]> By: saed http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/09/08/gender-and-power-a-tutorial-part-1-compulsory-heterosexuality/#comment-2307 saed Thu, 08 Sep 2005 22:43:45 +0000 http://feralscholar.org/blog/?p=185#comment-2307 It's been a long time since I did do an english assignment. I'm kinda rusty. I'll give it a shot. ...saed It’s been a long time since I did do an english assignment. I’m kinda rusty.
I’ll give it a shot.
…saed

]]> By: EBS http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/09/08/gender-and-power-a-tutorial-part-1-compulsory-heterosexuality/#comment-2302 EBS Thu, 08 Sep 2005 18:02:08 +0000 http://feralscholar.org/blog/?p=185#comment-2302 Rich calls “heterosexuality itself… a beachhead for male dominance.” Is she saying that sexual activity between men and women is the problem? This accusation is frequently aimed at her. Heterosexuality can be considered to be the system that says the sex of your partner must not match you own and that their are two specific, different roles expected of the participants. Viewed in this light, there can be relationships between people of different sexes that are not heterosexula because the participants are not committed to hetersexuality and the related roles. And veiwed in this light, heterosexuality is certainly a beachhead for male dominance. Is this what she meant? I don't know. Another version might be that relationships between two people where only one of them may become pregnant inherently involves involves different levels of need and thus inversely power within the relationship. Rich calls “heterosexuality itself… a beachhead for male dominance.” Is she saying that sexual activity between men and women is the problem? This accusation is frequently aimed at her.

Heterosexuality can be considered to be the system that says the sex of your partner must not match you own and that their are two specific, different roles expected of the participants. Viewed in this light, there can be relationships between people of different sexes that are not heterosexula because the participants are not committed to hetersexuality and the related roles. And veiwed in this light, heterosexuality is certainly a beachhead for male dominance.

Is this what she meant? I don’t know. Another version might be that relationships between two people where only one of them may become pregnant inherently involves involves different levels of need and thus inversely power within the relationship.

]]> By: steve http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/09/08/gender-and-power-a-tutorial-part-1-compulsory-heterosexuality/#comment-2301 steve Thu, 08 Sep 2005 16:07:34 +0000 http://feralscholar.org/blog/?p=185#comment-2301 hey stan, i don't know if the new white type/black background is a temporary result of the hack, but wile it looks snazzy at a glance, it's pretty hard on the eyes for long articles. so here's my vote to return to a more legible dark-type/light background format. keep it coming! -steve hey stan,

i don’t know if the new white type/black background is a temporary result of the hack, but wile it looks snazzy at a glance, it’s pretty hard on the eyes for long articles. so here’s my vote to return to a more legible dark-type/light background format.

keep it coming!
-steve

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