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LGBT News Meta: Interesting Pattern on Plantiffs

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by Pret Allez, Nov 25, 2014.

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  1. Pret Allez

    Pret Allez
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    I am thinking of going back to some of these decisions.

    I think one of the things that's been kind of interesting is how many women couples are the plantiffs in these cases. I wondered if some of the gendered assumptions viz. homophobia and "women as caretakers" are influencing the decisions.

    In the Mississippi case, for example, both of the couples seeking Equal Protection review under the Fourteenth Amendment were lesbian/bisexual couples. Both have children. One of the questions specifically addressed in the opinion was the degree to which the dignity of children is affected by marriage exclusion.

    What I wonder is, it seems like homophobia works in an oddly sexist way, and sexism in American society is very complicated. Homophobia directed at men revolves around shaming men for sexual acts which purportedly emasculate them or "make them women." In an effort to seem "principled," people call this hatred "supporting tradition," but I believe this explanation is insincere. We already know, for example, that a large number of straight men, even many homophobic men, think that lesbians are sexy. They find the idea of joint female sexuality fascinating and erotic. They might even watch "lesbian porn," thought they would go to the ballot box and vote "yes" on a state constitutional amendment to codify marriage exclusion. What I think operates is that political homophobia is largely anti-gay male homophobia transmuted to affect all groups.

    But what now is happening? I think that marriage equality groups recognize this dynamic and are behaving in a very strategic, but at the same time very gendered way. And in fact, I think it serves to stabilize, not destabilize, gender norms. Namely, they are fronting a whole lot of lesbians, and in particular, mothers with children.

    Now, I'm certainly not complaining about this. I'm just noticing how interesting it is that the public seems to hate camp and/or feminine gay men and certain sexual acts that some gay and bisexual men perform (to their perceptions), but at the same time eroticize and even objectify lesbian and bisexual women. And our access to justice, collectively, is seemingly turning on the state's "compelling interest" in women raising children.

    In other words, at the risk of being an overly analytical killjoy, the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same, right?

    ~ Adrienne
     
    #1 Pret Allez, Nov 25, 2014
  2. Aldrick

    Aldrick
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    I just finished writing something to this exact effect elsewhere on the forums.

    It boils down to sexism and the need to uphold the patriarchal culture. Whether our opponents (or our allies or we ourselves) understand it or not, the entire LGBT community is a threat to the patriarchy.

    Men and transwomen (who are viewed, unfortunately, as men) receive much of the negative attention because men are the ones with power in a patriarchal culture. In such a culture, things that are culturally considered masculine are valued and things considered feminine are devalued. A female can strive toward the masculine, because she is striving to better herself. A man striving toward what is considered feminine is actively (in the eyes of the culture) devaluing himself. If men are allowed to do this, then it is a threat to the entire patriarchal system. Therefore, men who transgress against it are the primary targets.

    A little girl who is considered a tomboy is less likely to be punished than a little boy who has feminine tastes and qualities. A transwoman is more likely to be attacked and killed than a transman. Gay men receive more public vitriol than lesbians.

    It is the entire reason that straight culture attempts to paint all gay men as "not real men" or as feminine. It all boils down to an attempt to uphold a patriarchal culture and society.

    LGBT people are the biggest threat to the patriarchy because, not only do we transgress against the gender boundary, we actively seek to break down the gender binary.

    It is no accident, either, that if you look out across the world, and observe where women are the most equal to men (both legally and socially) that you see growing support for LGBT people. Honestly, it is my belief that equality for women must come before equality for LGBT people in the countries that hate us the most. The more power and influence that women have, the more power and influence we have by extension.
     
    #2 Aldrick, Nov 26, 2014
  3. Hexagon

    Hexagon
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    That's very interesting. I hadn't noticed, but I believe you may be right.
     
    #3 Hexagon, Nov 26, 2014
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