The author speaks about a lot of psychoanalytical analysis that was placed on the topic of lesbian existence, and compulsory heterosexuality but seems she doesn't clearly define what the terms are. She dances around the topic by writing about a lot of books written as examples to illustrate the oppression that have been placed on women in general. This reading was hard to distinguish what was meant by the terminology that she chose her writing to pertain to. How many women still oppress each other by placing the a divide on heterosexuality vs. lesbianism?
Compulsory heterosexuality by the reading that was given after trying to find the actual meaning. Compulsory heterosexuality was put into place by an institution. The institution was started by men, Catholic Church, and society as a learned behavior. Compulsory heterosexuality is mandatory or even required that women should be with men. Society has adapted this learned behavior, and to step out of the learned behavior is not socially exceptable. This institution has requirements or guidelines that set the common grounds for society to follow. It is normal and excepted with no question, or ever being looked down upon by society.
Lesbian existence for the author definition is the history of lesbianism through the "lesbian continuum". To see the hatred, and the resistance of lesbianism was a notion that was encouraged. Lesbianism has been hated and diminished by the pure fact of "male supremacy". Going back through history where the Catholic Church concept is to procreate, and the male influence is to have sexual intimacy with women. This socialital view of homophobia has been put into place as a tolerable behavior.
The author goes to equate many things like heterosexuality and rape is considered one. So then that caused a confusion in my head. So when a man and a woman engage in a heterosexual intimacy then she is being raped and oppressed? So this raise many questions and concerns with this article. Here I decided to look up the topic and I found a summary of article and related articles.
Compulsory heterosexuality by the reading that was given after trying to find the actual meaning. Compulsory heterosexuality was put into place by an institution. The institution was started by men, Catholic Church, and society as a learned behavior. Compulsory heterosexuality is mandatory or even required that women should be with men. Society has adapted this learned behavior, and to step out of the learned behavior is not socially exceptable. This institution has requirements or guidelines that set the common grounds for society to follow. It is normal and excepted with no question, or ever being looked down upon by society.
Lesbian existence for the author definition is the history of lesbianism through the "lesbian continuum". To see the hatred, and the resistance of lesbianism was a notion that was encouraged. Lesbianism has been hated and diminished by the pure fact of "male supremacy". Going back through history where the Catholic Church concept is to procreate, and the male influence is to have sexual intimacy with women. This socialital view of homophobia has been put into place as a tolerable behavior.
The author goes to equate many things like heterosexuality and rape is considered one. So then that caused a confusion in my head. So when a man and a woman engage in a heterosexual intimacy then she is being raped and oppressed? So this raise many questions and concerns with this article. Here I decided to look up the topic and I found a summary of article and related articles.
Interesting points and good start here. Ill be interested to see how class helps work this out this week!
ReplyDeleteChris
after reading this, this opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn't see or understand before.
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