Week 10

Sexual Orientation and Gender/Sex are the topics of articles I will discuss in this blog. Last week we read the articles on sexual orientation and then listened to our guest speaker on the topic, Ed. The first article we read is authored by Krutzsch and titled "The Gayest One". In it he thoughtfully talks about his life as an "out-of-the-closet", practicing, monogamous homosexual man. His reason for writing the piece is due to his co-workers label of him as "the gayest one" of all the openly gay men in his department (11). I thought the article was incredibly well-written and so funny that I shared it with a friend of mine. The topic, however, is a serious one. I think it would be difficult to be in Krutzsch's place, wondering whether or not or even how to accept the title of "the gayest one". For me, it brings up a lot of questions like "Why can't it be as innocuous as being the tallest one, or the shortest one?" But then I think to myself "What if people labeled me "the most religious one"? How would you feel then? I believe it would definitely raise a lot of self affirmation, as well as self-doubt about myself. Not to mention call into question my feelings and perceptions regarding the word "religious". Ultimately, I think this article brought me to a closer understanding about being "the most-est one".

I honestly can't even go into the second article by Michaelson. I started reading it and thought "Oh, this is OK." Until I got to one point he made and I couldn't read anymore it was so wrong to me. But until then he had great statements that I agree with about accepting homosexuality as another condition of humanity. No less or no great than any other and I do agree, everyone deserves the same civil rights.

Reading about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy upset me. I hadn't really given it two thoughts before. I never really considered who it may be hurting, I just figured it was meant to protect people. But as I read this article I realized that it was protecting people: the judgmental, ignorant bigots. It kept protecting them from coming to a way of acceptance and understanding. Instead, preserving their homophobic perspectives and perpetuating the idea that it will continue into the future. I think that's what makes the most angry. People get mad at homosexuals or any other culture that has a different perspective, but they don't stop to consider that their own opinions and perspectives are the ones that must be demolished.

The Ferriss article seemed incredibly unjustified to me. I guess I have incredibly little pity when it comes to people simply finding new ways to complain. It seems obvious to me that the reason that the United States cannot allow same-sex partnership sponsoring for visas and citizenship is that we're already incredibly overcrowded with millions of people trying to get into our country. Allowing same-sex partnership would just give another opportunity for a rule to be abused. I'm not OK with that in any way.

Sailer's article was more interesting. As I read it the thought came to me that maybe lesbian women, a majority of the time, don't want to be anything in particular? They don't fit in with women, and they don't fit in with guys straight or gay. Talk about breaking gender stereotypes.

Setoodeh's article about the young, gay boy in high school described his life before his murder. I don't like thinking about these things, obviously, who does? They're ugly and depressing. However, I like to speculate about them even less. But here's what I will say. I know the question was brought up about whether or not we thought there was any way to save this boy. What if I answered that question with "Make him a girl." A lot of his behavior most likely would have been handled differently had he been a young woman instead. However, I don't think that's really a path I want to walk down, speculation-wise. I'm just saying that no, I don't think his life would have been spared due to any one thing, or even any combination of things. All we can do now is consider what we can learn in the unfortunate and tragic event of his death and hope that we will prevent it in the future.

The article titled "Your Life" was really just some facts and figures. Food for thought but nothing I can really comment on. "Chaplains Worry" was a little more controversial to me. I doubt they worry as much about whether or not the straight soldiers have had anal sex with their girlfriends at home. The reason I bring this up is that it falls into the same "career-ending" categories as homosexuality. But you don't hear them making any policies about that. So, I guess that just makes me a little angry. And by a little I mean a lot.

Now we move into the Gender/Sex articles. The first, Eppinga, is an interview with Nonie Darwish who grew up in the Islam faith in Cairo, Egypt. Next, Ladin shares her experience as a transgender woman teaching college classes at a traditional Jewish university. Julia O'Malley writes about her experience teaching a class in Alaska containing a male student from Samoa living as a woman there. Finally, Rosenberg writes about rethinking gender.

I won't go into this articles individually, but I will say that the over-all effect of these articles on me made me very thankful to be who I am and not have to deal with such difficult issues in my life. Instead I get to worry about what degree to graduate with and what classes will get me there the fastest. It gave me a new appreciation for where I am with my life. It also gave me motivation to be more compassionate toward everyone, because we are all dealing with our own issues and it isn't anyone's place to judge them.