SEMINAR DESCRIPTION

This course will surface the ways in which LGBTQ+ people and communities have impacted the ways in which mainstream American culture has been shaped by cultural production derived from thinking that challenges heteronormativity in post-World War II America until the validation of same sex marriage in 2014 Through the lenses of queer theory, evolving queer history, Since the emergence of “homosexuality” and “transsexuality” as identities in the late 19th century, queer culture has been presumed to develop in the margins of American life, ancillary to and shaped by heterosexual norms. Yet, the vast majority of queer people in the last hundred years have lived (to at least some degree) in the closet, allowing them to exist in the mainstream while maintaining a distinctly non-normative identity. Thus, to quote bell hooks, allowing them "to bring the margin into the center." In 15 meetings over the course of the semester, through lectures, discussions, texts, slides, films and video, we will explore the ways in which transformative integration of queer designs for living have occurred. Highlighting pivotal events and shifts in American cultural, political, and creative history this course will provide food for thought about the ways in queerness is integral to American notions of progress and freedom.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Sam U. March 22, 2024 "The Legal Battle for Trans Health Availability"

Most transphobic people nowadays have a fear that people coming out as trans more than ever now is simply a fad that will corrupt the minds of their children, turning a blind eye to all the years of research done on how trans health support systems have rather saved lives than corrupt it. People, especially towards kids, deny what they have to say as they believe that they are too young and naive to know anything to make decisions that involve their sexuality. Rather than taking the time to educate their children on the world of gender and sexuality to avoid them from becoming confused, they refuse to teach them about it and shun them from ever learning about it, confusing them even more than before. 

With so many people denying the existence of trans people and believing it is a sort of mechanism to corrupt their children, they deny a safe support system for their own children, the new generation, to learn about who they are as a person and finding their own place in the world. This creates further turmoil within the child who may be interested in learning more about this development, as all children will eventually grow up and face the world of gender and sexuality. Parents will be blocking their children from ever being properly informed and could even create a sense of fear within the child, as the chance that they do identify with the queer community, fear the possibility of being disowned by their own family as they know they don’t have a stable support system.


Research has shown countless times that with supportive family access, regulated hormone therapy/surgical care, and a stable communal support system all actually decrease the risk of suicidal ideationa and attempts from those of the trans community. Even the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has stated that “withholding puberty suppression and subsequent feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy is not a neutral option for adolescents” as it may increase further harmful risks to themselves. 


Studies have also shown how trans children show responses in finding their own gender identity indistinguishable from that of a cisgender child. The developments, sex assigned at birth, and socializations and expectations of being who they are corresponding to their sex does not necessarily define or alter how a child later identifies themselves in life. Rather, it is best to better educate your children on the existence of queer people and the different aspects of gender identity at an appropriate age as they mature so that they can avoid facing any walls of confusion and denial. That way, they can choose when to communicate about how they feel with their guardians in a safe environment and understand what decisions they choose to make. Ultimately, the fear of rejection and having a negative support group in your life will lead to negative outcomes compared to a supportive family that promotes positive outcomes. 


https://daily.jstor.org/transgender-legal-battles-a-timeline/


Trans Rights Activists Triumph Over Protest Ban, Police Respond With Force




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Erika Bauer - Final Project

 Link to my final project https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10M3X31MtgSnCAicMzf6pDhINFAjSNRaGX8BJnh3_9Eg/edit