Queer Design Examples: Jan. 30th, 2024
From the syllabus: "Each student should come to class with three examples of “queer design” that relate to these readings with 100-word discussions of them in relationship to mainstream, queer, and/or design cultures of the period under discussion in your readings."
Part 1 of 3
Around this time, society was going through the hardships of The Cold War right after having to go through World War II. “Freedom” and “Freedom of choice” were popular ideologies around this time because of war. This idea was linked to family stereotypes, as the ideology was that men (husbands) make money for the family, while women (wives) took care of the family. You couldn’t have one without the other and “deviants”, as queer people were called, were pushed aside for these views. The “goal” among families was to reproduce and with queer couples, this was not achievable. Beyond this, femininity and masculinity were heavily pushed in society based on your assigned gender from birth. Straying away was seen as subversive and not “normal”.
Part 2 of 3
World War II was a time when people were screened and determined if they were fit to fight in the war. Sex and gender variation behaviors and identities among queer folks caused people to see this idea as a mental illness, in turn making them ‘unfit’ for military service. Studies were designed by Dr. Evelyn Hooker to test whether gay men were any less “adjusted” than straight men. Her studies helped prove that homosexuality was not a mental illness. Today, some people still see homosexuality and queerness as a mental illness, and has become a political opinion among many of what queer people should and shouldn't be able to do.
Part 3 of 3
In the 60s, peace and love were big in hippie culture. Along with this, sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, were popular in this alternative counterculture. Men and women who were part of this political culture opposed the mainstream and advocated for "free love". Men especially in hippie culture violated gender roles/rules by having long hair, wearing "feminine" jewelry, etc. Music was a big part of this subculture, as certain bands aligned with these viewpoints and advocated for peace, nonviolence, and civil disobedience. Most famously, the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in upstate New York is known for popular rock performers who celebrate the values of peace and harmony among people. The Summer of Love in 1969 drew in hundreds of thousands of people to see rock artists perform at events.
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