Welcome to our course blog—“Justice, Gender,
Sexuality”! In this space, you’ll have
the chance to reflect on our course reading, ask questions, interact with each
other and build a virtual community to complement our classroom space. For this
first post, I invite you to do two things: First, tell us more about yourself. If you like, you can recount one of the
stories from your “First Impressions” worksheet, or share something else about
yourself that you think is significant or that you’d like us to know about
you. You might also consider telling us
more about why you decided to take this course, and what you hope to learn from
it.
Then, please reflect on the reading assigned for class. Given the first two chapters of Queer Theory: An Introduction, tell us more about what you think the main point is that our author, Annamarie Jagose is trying to make. What key point do you think is essential from this reading? Why? Also, since it is fairly complicated, you are welcome to share any confusions or questions you’re having. We can do our best as a class to respond to each other and help in whatever way make sense.
Aim for at least 250 words in your comment to this post. Make sure to take time to edit it for clarity and correctness. I look forward to reading what you have to say!
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ReplyDeleteOkay, hello. My name is Gabe. I’m in my final year studying English, Philosophy, and Gender. Here at school, I’m the RUSGA director of Social Justice & Spirituality, and I also lead the Sexuality and Spirituality CURA group, which I refer to as “CURA for the Body.” I also work in the office for the Honors Program. Off campus, I am a supervisor at Starbucks (come see me, I will buy your latte and draw a heart in your foam) and I take a lot of naps. I hail from Yuma, Colorado, which is a place much worse than it sounds. I like Emily Dickinson, picking my nose, reading books, eating breakfast, the color green and the letter R, ignoring the severity of the situation, and the skin I’m in. Sometimes I wear dresses. I am taking this class because I want to learn – generally – about people, but more specifically about individuals who appear as reflections of myself. I am interested hearing stories, and also in experiencing deep, complicated histories surrounding gender and sexuality. I want to know how the past informs me right now.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s smart that Annamarie Jagose introduces her book by discussing the complex history behind words like “homosexual” and “heterosexual,” particularly after highlighting that “queer” theory is the most recent transformation out of gender/gay and lesbian studies inside universities (4-5). The two ideas I find most impactful are of essentialism and constructionism, as well as the naturalization. The first has to deal with homosexual identities, whether they are strict and possibly genetic, or fluid and created. This is particularly confusing for me, because I am persuaded by arguments on both sides. And, from a justice-oriented perspective, it is hard to be an activist while being unsure, especially when both trains of thought lend themselves to the possibility of discrimination (9). I also thought it was important that Jagose brought up movements to “naturalize” homosexuality and queerness, even though so much of the cultures and identities would be restricted by such a naturalization (1).
Welcome to our course, Gabe! I love the details in your introduction. It's also good in this moment, I think, to be confused about the essentialist vs. constructionist debate. As we continue to explore this tension, I hope we'll find ways for this tension to help us be better activists, rather than inhibiting our activism.
DeleteAlthough I gave a rather lengthy introduction to my relationship with the word “queer” and my experiences with the queer community in class today, I feel as if I did not sufficiently introduce myself as an individual. I am merely a social body fabricated by manmade constructs and power structures. In terms of the identities I have adopted for myself (to the dismay of my southern black Baptist family), however, I am a post-leftist, a nihilist, and a non-binary (genderless) individual. Furthermore, I am also spiritual; due to my beliefs, I view nonhuman animals as holy and refrain from eating them/consuming their products.
ReplyDeleteIn the first two chapters of Queer Theory, Jagose places much emphasis on/makes a key point out of the vague and elusive nature of non-heterosexual relations(hips). In Chapter One, Jagose tackles queerness from an academic angle by analyzing the arguments of those who reject scholarly conceptualizations of LGBTQ culture and those who embrace them (1). In Chapter Two, however, Jagose builds upon her previous analysis by approaching queerness from a societal perspective, bringing attention to the various definitions of homosexuality (which often insinuate that queer identity differs from queer sex) (7). Moreover, she further elaborates upon the obscurity of queerness by examining the diverse theories behind the history and liberation of homosexuals—more specifically, gay men as compared to lesbian women/assimilation as compared to rebellion—as a social class of individuals (Jagose 10, 13, 31).
I have a few questions about the assigned reading:
1. Jagose begins the book by discussing the viewpoints of those who oppose the queering of academia and the viewpoints of those who defend it. In your opinion, does queer theory establish a hierarchy by hiding revolutionary ideas within inaccessible language, or does it establish yet another platform for queer liberation?
2. On page 5, Jagose mentions Eve Kosofsky’s defense of the relationship between the words “gay” and “queer.” In your opinion, are these two identities synonymous? How might Kosofsky’s analysis be problematic?
These are great questions, Tristian, and especially the first one will be one we can return to again and again as we think through the relationship between queer activism and intellectual work within the academy and that in other spheres. In terms of the connection between gay and queer--for me, I think it remains somewhat or sometimes important for queer to continue to retain some connection to gay sexualities, or at least marginalized sexualities, at some level, but I would agree that they aren't synonymous, nor should be. I'd be curious to hear more about your sense of the potential problems with this association.
DeleteHi. My name is Annie and I am a junior at Regis studying Peace & Justice and English. One of the questions I shared with my partner on the first day of class was “who has been a person in your life who has most influenced your sense of morality and justice?” That person for me is my father. While the two of us don’t see eye to eye on everything, I developed my sense of morality and justice from his views and the way he lives his life. He raised me to believe that the most marginalized and the most vulnerable in our society are the ones that people and the government should support and protect the most, whether that be the poor, the unborn and children, people of color, or LGBTQ people. I feel so blessed to have been raised by parents that never indirectly taught me to judge or mistrust people who are different from me, especially anyone of a different sexual or gender identification than me.
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter, Annamarie Jagose talks in length about the word and discourse behind the word “queer.”I think that her main point is that this word is both purposefully wide and inclusive in its definition and that because of this it is a naturally unstable term. The term has evolved and has played a role in evolving gay and lesbian studies to something that can include any “incoherencies in the allegedly stable relations between chromosomal sex, gender, and sexual desire” (Jagose 3). The second chapter deals with the word “homosexual” and “homosexuality” in its origins, definition, and who it describes. Jagose makes it clear that there is an important distinction between homosexual actions and homosexuality as identification. In fact, homosexuality and heterosexuality as sexual identifications both have fairly recent histories. Which lead me to the question, if sexuality as a concept has a fairly recent history, is it a social construct or is it merely a definition of something that has always existed, even before it had a word? Is sexuality invention or discovery?
It sounds like your father laid a great foundation for you and your evolving sense of social justice work, Annie, especially with regard to LGBTQ issues. Your final questions are really important ones, and it continues to be a robust debate for many. As our reading suggests (and I could point you to other sources that could provide more background here), sexuality very much has a history and we can how the discourses of sexual orientation, homosexuality, even heterosexuality came into being in the mid- to late-nineteenth century and turned into a socio-cultural institution that shapes us to this day. But at the very same time, this approach doesn't seem to fully account for the materiality of our bodies, desires--the ways we feel what we now describe as our sexuality. A great tension to continue exploring!
DeleteHi, I'm Kirsten. I am a part student at Regis, and at senior status. I am a WGS major PJ minor. When I was studying gen. ed. I always leaned towards women's issues and since have expanded into gender and sexuality topics. I really enjoy classes and hearing all the individual ideas. I am married and have a four month old son, a rescued Staffordshire terrier/Vizsla mix named Teddy, and a handicap brother that lives with me. So I am a very busy person. Oh yeah I also work part time as support staff in a counseling office, which I think really helps me to see everyone in an unbiased way. I guess I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise. I am taking this class hoping to develop knowledge in areas of gender and sexuality justice. I was especially excited to be taking the class after the Supreme Court ruling.
ReplyDeleteIn the intro chapter Jagose delves into the language and history surrounding the word "queer." She states that she does not want to represent the word in fixed states, but rather as new and evolving terminology and/or ideas (5). I thought this was helpful in keeping an open mind and perspective surrounding the use of the term. In the second chapter I feel that she is combing through the notions of the binary terminology and especially found her exploration of the term “desire” interesting. I thought her explanation of the history of hetero and homo sexual desire helpful. How individuals identify with the words is important, because there was a history that didn’t actively label acts or desire and that there are varying levels of how individuals identify with their desires. Citing that Foucault believed that medical factions created the category of what we would likely consider modern definition of homosexuality (11). This helped me to see the creation of the culture and identity with what I see today.
Welcome to our course, Kirsten--and here's to finding balance in the midst of busy lives. (I hope you're adjusting well to parenthood!) You raise some good points about the reading, especially how Foucault's work has helped us see how we've gotten to the place we are right now in terms of our "system" of sexuality. And your interest in "desire" is important. I'll be curious to see what you and others think about this term and its relation to queerness over the course of the semester.
DeleteHi everyone. I am Brittany and this is my final year at Regis. (My how time flies). I am 22 years old and am excited for what the future holds.I study Peace and Justice and my minor is Pre-Law. Right now I work at Starbucks as barista. But in the future after I graduate from law school I hope to work for human rights both in this country as well as outside of this country. When I am not at work or at school I will be watching Netflix or reading a good book. I also run a book club that if anyone wants to join let me know! Always room for new people. My favorite author is John Green and if you haven't read him yet you should. He is amazing. I identify as a bisexual female. I am taking this class because with history we can better understand what we can do in the future. I wanted to be informed so that I can understand and make change.
ReplyDeleteI think that Annamarie Jagose is trying to lay a foundation in the introduction to what this book is going to be about. She makes it clear that it won't be, "attempt to stabilize the mobile field of queer identification" (2). Instead it is about looking at the categories that have been forming for hundred years (2). She does this through academic views. It seems mildly confusing because in looking at what it is she tends to go to what it is not. It confusing me to what homosexuality is; I am not sure homosexuality is to her. I understand that she says it creates a community but then earlier she said that some people just have relations with the same sex because of the propaganda. If anyone can help clarify what she means in this chapter that would be great.
Thanks, Brittany, for bringing forth questions/confusions you had while reading. I think we might have answered some of these in our discussion, but let me know if you need more on this. I would say that you're right to notice that for Jagose and for many queer theorists (and certainly activists, writers, and thinkers), homosexuality (nor heterosexuality) isn't as self-evident as we often assume. A queer perspective is interested in exploring how our desires, identities, and actions don't always match up. In this way, queer is about the mismatches between them.
DeleteSo back to your point: Homosexuality (and really any sexual identity) can absolutely be a rallying point for community. People do form groups based on a shared sense of experience and identification. At the same time, there are also people who might experience same-sex desire or engage in same-sex relationships for various social/cultural reasons. (Same-sex relationships in prisons are perhaps a good example. Are all the men in a prison setting who have sex with other men necessarily gay or homosexual? Many would say no.)
I hope this helps to continue to clarify. Keep posting questions and thoughts! Thanks!
My name is Carolyn Dorricott and I am from San Francisco, California. I am a majoring in psychology and criminology with a minor in women and gender studies. I have been raised in a very accepting community and thought this class would go well with my interests in the LGBTQ community. I grew up going to Catholic school in the bay area and had nuns that were very accepting of everything and everyone. They would tell us to love everyone equally and that everyone deserved to be treated equal. Growing up with this in mind, going into high school and experiencing different people was an easy task.
ReplyDeleteHowever, moving to Colorado opened my eyes and showed me that not everywhere around the country was the same way. With this move, I have become more aware of the different types of homophobic bullying and I have tried my hardest to make sure the people I surround myself with know that I do not tolerate that.
I took this course because it is something that is near to my heart and because it goes well with my psychology of gender class that I am taking this semester too and I hope to pull from each class to further my learning. Unfortunely, I don’t have the book yet so I cannot reflect on the first reading.
Thanks, Carolyn, for the introduction! Please follow up on some additional thoughts on the reading once you have a chance to get caught up. Thanks!
DeleteHi, my name Mait Baldwin and I am a junior majoring in communication at Regis University. My current job is dog walking and I greatly enjoy it. I also enjoy exercising, camping, and watching movies. As I shared with my partner on the first day, I attended a military boarding school in southern Virginia. While attending I was placed with a gay roommate during my junior year. It was very hard to watch him struggle through school and be constantly picked on. As his roommate I felt that I should stick up for him and I did. This made my time there much more difficult, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. This is part of the reason I am taking this class, in order to learn more and better understand, and in turn be able to be more supportive and helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe first two chapters were slightly difficult to completely understand and I had to reread it to get a better understanding. What stuck out to me the most was the difference between essentialism and constructionism. I also had no idea about the history of the words homosexual and heterosexual. Another thing that really stuck out to me was some men would take part in homosexual activity but when asked if they were homosexual they would say, no. I am not really sure what to make of this and overall the two chapters were insightful to the point where it became confusing at times.
Thanks, Mait, for sharing more about what brings you to this course. It sounds like you had a powerful experience at your boarding school and your perspective on our course material will be very important. As you continue reflecting on our reading, please don't hesitate to ask even more specific questions about specific terms that don't make sense to you. Your sense of being a bit baffled by the example about the man who has sex with men but doesn't identify as gay or homosexual illustrates well part of the queer project. Keep trying to articulate why this is confusing to you--what assumptions about sex, identity, and behavior does this reveal?
DeleteMy name is Megan; I’m a second year student from Denver. I really like plants, rocks, genuine people, and heart-shaped sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteThe story from class I shared had to do with my sister—she’s a big influence on my life. She’s always keeping me up to date on current events and she keeps me socially aware. She taught me a lot about what it means to be a transgender and about the importance of respecting a person’s pronouns. She also taught me at a young age that it’s okay to be unsure of what you identify as, and from there I’d decided that there’s no “conventional” or standard way to experience life.
I decided to take this course because I'm very passionate about social issues involving gender roles and sexuality. I'm also in a constantly shifting identity of my own, and many of my friends and family are part of the LGBTQ community, so this course resonates well with my personal life.
If there’s something you want to know about me, feel free to ask. I’m pretty easygoing and I don’t mind sharing.
While I was reading the first two chapters of queer theory, I did a lot of underlining. I think the main point of this section of the book is to establish that queer studies are a newer addition to the world of academia, and there are mixed theories on what it truly means to be homosexual. She mentions multiple ideas about the word queer, various perspectives of what makes a person a homosexual (such as essentialism and constructionism) and she also goes as far to talk about how although some people may partake in homosexual sexual activity, they may consider themselves heterosexual. To me, this reinforced my idea that while no one is obligated to prescribing to any identity or label, everyone else is obligated to accept whatever someone decides they are, or what they’d like to be referred to as, for the sake of respect and sanity.
Lastly, I’d like to mention a quote from the book about the word queer and people’s inability to directly define it; “indeterminacy being one of its widely promoted charms,” (3). Previously, I was uncomfortable with the word, but I’m trashing the negative connotations;. I’m still figuring out my identity, and the word queer’s become almost comforting.
Thanks, Meagan, for your introduction and for your initial thoughts here. I think its so important to give voice to your (and others) ongoing shifting sense of self. One of the things that queer still (I think) provides us is a kind of elastic sense of who we are, who/what we desire, and who and what we can become. So I hope you and others feel like our classroom can be a space to try on these different ideas and explore the right fit for you. Your final comment about indeterminacy is so important to this entire conversation. And for me the question that seems important is: What do we gain (and/or possibly lose) by embracing indeterminacy?
DeleteHello everyone, I am Hayley. Growing up in the family that I did I was always exposed to the importance of different social justice issues and my religion was something that highly shaped my morality. However, with my religion being an integral part of my identity at a young age I started to realize that topics, specifically involving LGBTQ issues, were never acknowledged even though they existed and I learned that they existed through outside influences such as media and my education. I started to feel a disconnect then in my religion and my morality understanding that there were aspects of my faith that I did not agree with on a personal level. I struggled to identify with my religion as I continued to grow and learn as well as disagree with what my religion was teaching about these issues. My immediate response to combat that was to gain as much knowledge and education as I could which has led me to this class and journey this semester.
ReplyDeleteAfter reflecting on the assigned reading I feel that Annamarie Jagose in Queer Theory is at first trying to establish the complicated history that follows the word “queer” and bring forward what it consists of at its essence. What really struck me as her main point was that she is trying to define a word in which, “Its elasticity is one of its constituent characteristics” (Jagose 1). In other words, Jagose is defining a key term for social and educational purposes that has changed throughout history and that change is at the center of understanding what it means. In both the introduction and the chapter that follows she is trying to unpack what constitutes as queer and provides a background into homosexuality and how there is a, “distinction between homosexual behavior, which is ubiquitous, and homosexual identity, which evolves under specific historical conditions” (15) to analyze what has created the form of modern homosexuality. Ultimately, Jagose is trying to draw on the importance of the definition of these terms that individuals can use as a way of claiming a form of identification and culture for themselves.
Thank you, Hayley, for giving voice to the religious/faith-based tensions that also accompany this work. I hope we'll have many opportunities for us all to talk more about how we respond to these tensions and reconcile them into something transformative. As well, your sense of queer's elasticity and malleability is important, and we'll continue to probe what we gain from embracing this kind of purposeful uncertainty.
DeleteHere's Koe's response:
ReplyDeleteThroughout Queer Theory by Annamarie Jagose, the claim is that “It is not simply that queer has yet to solidify and take on a more consistent profile, but rather that its definitional indeterminacy, its elasticity, is one of its constituent characteristics” (Jagose 1). Basically, homosexuality according to the author is argued to have no consistent definition. While it is agreeable that it can be defined as being attracted to the same sex, the debate is really how to classify someone as a homosexual. The example is stated when a man with a wife and kids, occasionally has sexual relations with another man. Despite this, the man with his wife and kids could claim a heterosexual identity. The best way to understand queer theory was the stated definitions of Constructionists and Essentialists. Essentialists claim “that homosexuality exists across time as a universal phenomenon which has a marginalized but continuous and coherent history of its own” (Jagose 9). “Constructionists, by contrast, assume that because same-sex sex acts have different cultural meanings in different historical contexts, they are not identical across time and space” (Jagose 9). In other words, liking of the same sex is evolutionary and natural according to an Essentialist. The Constructionist belief would be that homosexual acts are entirely unique, containing different meanings depending on culture. Therefore, same sex relations are debated and not consistently defined. It is either claimed to be generic or unnatural with no type of evolutionary consistency. Depending on its definition throughout world cultures would be the defining factor.
My name is Tobi Korth, I go by Tobi or Tobes (like Toads, but with a b). I am a Junior here at Regis, trying to finish my majors in PJ and Politics! One of the main reasons I decided to take this course was my realization that though I acted like I knew a lot about the movement for LGBTQ rights, in all reality I know very little. I wanted to take this course to take the time to back up my opinions on equal rights for all, in every aspect of life. Also, I took this course because Geoffrey’s course dynamic is always great and I felt as though the discussions this class would generate would be ones that I would love to be involved in (I find that though I am normally an extrovert, I have MAJOR class anxiety).
ReplyDeleteMoving on, though this was not my favorite reading, there were several ideas I picked up on along the way. I believe that the main points Jagose is trying to make would be to analyze the word “queer” from several different perspectives. She begins to look at the movements and the shaping of queer theory and movements throughout history as well as “theorizing” same-sex relationships in general. In these first couple chapters, I am immediately interested in what Jagose would say about “theorizing same-sex relationships” given the changes these relationships have seen in the last twenty years since the books publication.
Looking forward, I am hoping to learn more about the actual history of the movement to where it is now. I am curious to go more in depth into the “labels” (would I be correct in using that term?) such as “gay”, “lesbian”, “bisexual”, “transgender”, and so many more that I am not even aware of!
Super excited to get to know y’all and have a great semester!
My name is Lizbeth. I am originally from Denver and I have always lived in Colorado. I think Colorado is beautiful except that Denver is getting too crowded from all the people moving here. I am an English major and I am minoring in Peace and Justice.
ReplyDeleteMy mother has always taught me to do the right thing. She is has taught me how to use my moral compass even when our extended family refuses to do the right thing. We unfortunately have family who is involved in some shady business. My mom who is a kind person maybe not be involved with these people but she still considers them family and helps them when they ask for help.
I believe that Jagose is attempting to clarify what Queer means for people and for society. Although, I am not one hundred percent certain, I think she is attempting to help clarify what queer means and how it has changed in society. “Queer describes those gestures or analytical models which dramatize incoherencies in the allegedly stable relations between chromosomal sex, gender and sexual desire” (3). In this instance, Jagose defines queer has being a word to define sex, gender and sexuality all in one. However, she continues on to make the point that queer has not always been accepted in history. In some cases less than other times in history. Jagoes takes the time to explain that heterosexuals and homosexuals have existed for various decades. Having difficulty defining owns sexual orientation is a part of life. For some it is more difficult than others.
I have grown up in the Denver area my whole life and I have developed a great appreciation for the Denver community. I have had the privilege to work alongside a lot of amazing people who are improving the conditions of their community in a society that marginalizes them and depreciates them. It is my hope to continue on a life path that allows me to continue working alongside those who are doing this work. The immigrant and working class in my community have taught me all that I know about justice. While I greatly appreciate the opportunities that I have been granted in my life, I recognize that these opportunities are only available to me because of those who have sacrificed and those who are involuntarily denied opportunities that have been granted to others. My appreciation has always motivated me, but I am also often motivated by rage at the injustices those I love and communities that I care about have to face.
ReplyDeleteMy interpretation of Jagose’s book was that it is very general. To me it seemed that her intended audience was academics who are being introduced to the issue with little to no background in it. This relates to the issue that she brought up in the first page in making queer theory into a “normative academic discipline (1). While if found her fundamental definitions and descriptions of terms such as queer, essentialist, and contructionalist to be very helpful, I can also see how they can seem redundant or even frustrating for those who already have lived experience with the subject. It seems as if Jagose is intending for this book to serve as a starting point for academics to begin exploring this subject and it is definitely not intended to provide resolutions for the issues that the book will present.