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Nicholas Adams

Dana Ogrodowski

Intermediate Composition: Images of Men and Women

6 November 2007

Heterosexuality Trumps Homosexuality

The dominant heterosexual roles in the United States’ cultural society affect the

public’s view of homosexual stereotypes and how they are expected to behave. This

heterosexual partisanship is undeniably present in Archana Mechta’s Society’s Need for a

Queer Solution: The Media’s Reinforcement of Homophobia Through Traditional

Gender Roles, where the TV series, Will and Grace, is exemplified. There are many areas

in which homosexuality is controlled by heterosexual ideals. History provides some basic

reasons of how homosexuality has grown into what it is today. It is the Unites State's

culture that influences many of the prejudices that are associated with homosexuals. One

group that helps further homosexual persecution is Christianity. On the other hand, it is

the laws made by the United State's judiciary system that seem to have the most

devastating effects (US CODE). The court system reflects the culture. All of these make

up the atmosphere of socially created heterosexual dominance. In respect to these

concerns, one should first educate their self to the history of homosexuality.

The history of homosexuality has been assimilated many times due to the

authoritative social views since 1870, when homosexuality was first thought to have

existed. In Mechta's essay, Michel Foucault is said have been the original author of this

idea (Mehta 146). Graham Robb confirms this notion about Foucault in Strangers:
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Homosexual Love in the Nineteenth Century, where a homosexual, “…was a creature

invented by Victorian doctors” (Robb 43). One such influential consequence of the past

can be found in the socially accepted idea that homosexuality needed to be "cured" as

stated by psychologists like Sigmund Freud. They considered homosexuality as a mental

illness. Homosexuality was seen as scientifically and biologically unnatural (Mehta 146).

Even to today, persecution is generated from this deceitful bias assumption on

homosexuality. In Homosexuality and Psychotherapy: a practitioner’s handbook of

affirmative models, John Gonsiorek states that, “Freud regarded homosexuality as a form

of arrested development, and much psychoanalytic thought has continued in that vein…

[which] is a form of ego-syntonic pathology that definitely needs treatment” (Gonsiorek

179). As a result, the homosexual patient has to either fall into a masculine or feminine

role of sex to cure their gender identity. However, the majority of the “cures” were not

successful and the ones that were, were at risk of relapse (Gonsiorek 179). This provides

evidence that homosexuality is a human attribute that is naturally ingrained in some

individuals. An issue in the newspaper about homosexuality recalls the notion of this

“cure”. This article debated the controversy of whether or not homosexuals could donate

sperm for infertile couples or not. One gentleman replies to the issue of concern by

saying, “…this sort of thing could signal a return to the time when being gay was

regarded as a disease which needed to be treated to find a so-called cure” (Gray). This

concludes that there is still the potential for reviving past social constructs of such

homosexual stereotypes. The conclusion was made that homosexuality has no impact on

the outcome of the child through sperm banks (Gray). Yet more positive events, like the

Stonewall riots of 1969, gave new beginnings for gender liberation and organization,
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which to some, is considered to be the beginning of gay liberation. The history of the

United States was changed significantly during the Stonewall riots of 1969. This change

was done through physical work. Stonewall occurred on the Friday evening, June 27,

1969 in New York City at a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. There, police officers were

closing down the bar for having possession of alcohol without a license. However, chaos

broke out when those being arrested at the bar retaliated. Since a large portion of the

group at the bar was homosexual, other homosexuals began to unit and fight back. There

came a strong voice of a newly found gay power that was not seen before (Lisker). This

event influenced the Gay Liberation Movement, which worked to free homosexuals from

societal oppression. In Gay Power Circa 1970, Richard Meyer states, “the gay liberation

movement proposed male homosexuality as the opposite or undoing of warfare.” During

this time the Vietnam War was being fought overseas. Sayings like, “Send the troops to

bed together,” “Suck cock to beat the draft,” and “Soldiers: Make each other, not war”

were used as slogans (Meyer 454). Homosexuals were now willing to be open about

themselves, despite the criticism from the media. Another group was formed, called the

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network also known as GLSEN. Their goal is to,

“…promote awareness of the issues, develop policies to address them, and build the

leadership to create change…” in the allied unity of gays, lesbians and straights in

education. They have gained help from many other groups in, "...leading education

organizations, including the National Education Association and the National Middle

School Association..." to ensure that no person is discriminated against because of

gender, more importantly, in academic settings (GLSEN).

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The description of homosexuality falls under the branches of the peremptory of

sex verses the ever changing distinction of gender and specifically how the public defines

it. There is a significant division. Dictionary.com defines sex as, “...either the male or

female division of a species, esp. as differentiated with reference to the reproductive

functions.” It also defines gender, with much larger results, as, “Sexual identity,

especially in relation to society or culture.” Sex is a physical, inborn attribute where

gender is typically chosen. In this sense, gender can also be defined as a belief or

personal conception. Despite the American ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of

happiness, homosexuality is not always in a position to have this luxury. With this

combination of anti-homosexual influences and heterosexual preponderance, the

recurring result is persecution and prejudice. Homosexuals come to the conclusion that

there are consequences and deprivation of privileges for being gay, which are also

connected to many socially accepted parodies there of. Some of these include, talking in a

lisp, submissive hand gestures and body communication, great shopping skills, wearing

pink for males, cutting their hair short for females and so on (Mehta 144). The

conventional life of those who identify with same sex values is the life of being

significantly restricted and judged. The homosexual community is locked into

heterosexual dominance. They are conditioned into masculine or feminine roles. These

roles are truly the only socially accepted sexual roles. Many impediments, like the U.S.

military, marriage, laws, popular culture and homophobia, discourages the homosexual

community through abnegation. Due to a lack of formal education in homosexual history,

clarification, and basic interaction, these oppressive social barriers have gained the ability

to freely stereotype homosexuals while also forming social injustice and regression.
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Mechta also talks about some consequences that homosexuals face. The popular term

“coming out” is commonly used, which in itself is demeaning, to express the idea of

announcing that an individual is gay. “Coming out” rings a tone of coming out from

hiding, as if an individual has done something reprehensible. In Will and Grace, Jack

comes out by attempting to let his mother know that he is gay. After he accomplishes

this, his mother recalls childhood memories that, “…mentions his past in such a

humorous manner that once again he feels restrained” (Mehta 150). The gibe from his

mother's remarks makes Jack feel insecure, which in turn, also reflects the social parodies

of homosexuals. Another related TV series that creates this feeling is Drawn Together.

This cartoon TV series is about “dysfunctional cartoon archetypes." In it, there are many

homosexual stereotypes. The archetype cast represents some well-known cartoon

characters such as Porky Pig, Superman, and Links, the elf hero who saves princess Zelda

(Drawn). This provides a large amount of stereotypes to an easily manipulated group, the

youth. Since the youth can relate to these cartoon characters, they might try to acquire the

demeaning humor that goes along with it. The humor is tasteless. For example, one scene

shows a white female clearly speaking racial slurs to a black female, ending in a result of

them making out to a Disney-like singing duet (Drawn}. One reviewer states that, “…

Drawn Together makes fun of reality shows that peddle sensationalism..." while calling it

"‘educational’” (Edwards). However there has been a breakthrough to help boost the

social scale of homosexuals. It is know that sodomy is commonly categorized to a

specific group: homosexuals. According to Mechta’s research, one word was used to

counter such history. Since homosexuals were now being categorized, the word queer

was fashioned to group together all “sexual practices” to “encompass” all persons, which
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produced a word that had “non-specificity” as gay, lesbian and other such names had

(Mehta 152-153). Nevertheless, the queer theorists have not significantly change the

binding laws that discriminate against them. The socially created moral found in

Christianity is one major participant of this discrimination.

The dominating religion in the U.S. today, Christianity, is the main historical

influence on homosexual issues. Because of mainstream interpretation of Christianity, the

dominant majority created prejudice in the public media against homosexual "sins"

(Mehta 146). The normal overall intent of this group in actuality is the focus on salvation

and the act of Holy love. However, they also have helped introduce the idea that

homosexuality itself is abnormal and should be rid of all together. Christianity and

homosexuality relations are connected by the interpretation of scriptures in the Bible. For

example, 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the New King James Version states, “...the unrighteous will

not inherit the kingdom... Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor

homosexuals, nor sodomites...” Homosexuals are directly stated in the NKJV Bible and

the commonly used New International Version (Bible). This clearly states that

homosexuality is a sin. However, there is a catch. Heterosexual bias may have altered the

original translation of this particular verse. In the older King James Version Bible, the

verse says, "...nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind..." (Bible).

Effeminacy can mean cowardice, intemperance or weakness (Effeminacy). In Greek the

translation of, " nor homosexuals, nor sodomites" or "nor effeminate, nor abusers of

themselves with mankind" is malakos arsenokoitai, respectfully (Homosexuality).

Malakos is rooted back to the meaning of literally "soft" or as relating to a soft man (Blue

Letter). In this case, most scholars accept it as the meaning of male or boy prostitution.
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During this time, boy prostitution in Rome was very common. Then there is arsenokoitai.

Arsenokoitai is made of, "...two parts: 'arsen' means 'man'; 'koitai' means 'beds.'"

However no one really knows the true translation of this word since it has no previous

references. Paul who was preaching in Roman at the time made it up. Homosexual is said

to not be the accurate translation because Paul would have used "paiderasste" which

relates to the, "...sexual behavior between males." There would have been no reason to

introduce a new word such as arsenokoitai. Another fact is that Jesus Himself never

directly mentions homosexuality (Homosexuality). There is one thing for certain. There

is a good possibility that translators may have taken on assumed heterosexual

interpretation. If a homosexual had translated it, there may have been only strict

interpretations of socially degrading pedophiles. Archana Mechta highlights plausible

reasons why homosexuality is persecuted today. One reason, related to Christianity, is the

fact that historically, society got involved in, “… discovering the truth about sex and

regulating it.” This was a result of clergymen who were teaching followers to confess

their sins, such as immoral sexual acts (Mechta 146). Since Christianity is rooted deeply

into the culture, so would homosexual prejudice, to counter this sin. Christianity's true

interpretation is found outside of the dominant heterosexual influences and persecution is

found within it. The U.S. law system, which is controlled mainly by the mainstream

culture, exemplifies this persecution.

The United States is one of the longest lasting countries where homosexuality was

legally discriminated. It was not unconstitutional to have anti-sodomy laws until the

Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court ruling on June 23, 2003. While places like Sweden,

had sodomy legalized in 1978. Ironically, some U.S. states still try to enforce their
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previously legal sodomy laws (Ed. Summersgill). Yet there is still one true service that

excludes homosexuals. The U.S military forbids homosexuals from being in military

services unless it is ambiguous and not acted upon (US CODE). The main reason for such

exclusions really pertains to the common notions of homophobia (Mechta 148). To

understand the United State's homophobia, judicial actions and law must be critically

looked into. In Ohio, a bill was introduced to, “To amend sections 3107.03 and

5103.03…” which would forbid homosexuals from adopting children altogether (Laws).

If this bill were to ever pass, Ohio would be accepting unjust discrimination against

homosexuals. Marriage is another issues to consider. In the Bible, sex is a sin, outside of

marriage. Today, U.S. popular culture believes that homosexuality is gaining social

equality. However, court rulings show otherwise. Though sodomy is now legal in all

states, despite the persistent discrimination, same sex marriage is not. Ohio is one

example. The reality of this statement is that sex outside of marriage is considered a sin,

yet that is the freedom that homosexuals gained in the U.S., not marriage. The court

system does not protect homosexuals from the controlling heterosexual ideas that are

abundant in the U.S.

There is evidence everywhere that heterosexuality dominates homosexuality in

the American public. There are also many consequences of such prejudice against this

group. Historical roots started some of the most fundamental ideas of the present day

homosexual. One instance of historical bias against homosexuals is the idea of curing

them from what seemed to be an unnatural illness. In response to this prejudice, many

groups were formed from the dramatic event of the Stonewall riots such as GLM and

GLSEN. Christianity is easily seen as one tool where heterosexual bias is largely
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expressed. As it has been explained, interpretation of the Bible can quit effortlessly be

misread and altered. Laws in the U.S. interpret justice, but unfairly to the homosexual

sinners. With work and time, homosexuality may become more socially accepted into the

dominant culture like black Americans were, many years ago.