Fear and Self-Loathing

Jeremy's Journey Continues

This might be another example of me trying to fit something into the discussion of homophobia and heterosexism that might not be applicable, but I feel up to the challenge. So the link goes to a rather grisly story about Jeremy Gillitzer, a gay man in Minnesota who has been committed (by social workers) to an eating disorders hospital. There is no mention of any overt homophobia he has experienced, but the article got me thinking about the pervasiveness of eating disorders and body image distortions among in the gay (male) community.

Jeremy’s words about his disorder being a form of comfort really resonate with me. I think that maybe an eating disorder could be a way to provide comfort for a gay man’s feelings of self-hatred. Internalized homophobia is one area I haven’t really discussed here, but I don’t think that it just comes in the classic example of the “straight” guy who acts homophobic on the outside to hide his disapproval of his actual orientation. In terms of these serious body image disorders, maybe this internalized homophobia comes from a place of, “I accept that I’m gay, but I hate myself for being gay and not fitting in to the strict physical requirements of the community.” Maybe?

As a culture, I think there is a certain discomfort around seeing men with eating disorders. It goes against much of our notions of proper masculinity to see men obsess about their appearance to the point of losing weight and muscle mass. There’s a specter of sexism, too, hovering around this issue. I guess looking at my own very visceral reaction of horror to seeing the pictures of Jeremy, part of it is that I have an assumption of eating disorders as being a women’s disease. It’s like, a story about a (non-celebrity) woman with an eating disorder wouldn’t faze me because it’s such a gendered affliction. I think that even the cultural omnipresence of the word manorexic illustrates how we don’t take the issue all that seriously. Clearly, it’s a serious issue in the gay male community, so treating it with such a combination of levity and contempt tells me that this issue is not worth discussing, which smacks of heterosexism.

It seems like it would be really difficult to discuss any of these issues without giving due exploration into the role of sexism. Eating disorders among heterosexual women can be viewed in one way as the coercion of women into male-sanctioned perceptions of beauty and worth. I wonder if there are similar aspects at work among gay men. If eating disorders are indeed a way of wresting control from otherwise adverse circumstances, what is it about those circumstances that make them so unmanageable? I think this internalized homophobia has something to do with it, and really, where is there to turn when you hold an ism against yourself?

She Bothered Me With Science (Beep Boop Beep)

Study: Gay men more likely to be right-handed

The link goes to an Edge Boston article describing a recent Canadian study on sexuality and manual dexterity. Specifically, the researchers found that gay men had higher rates of both left-handedness and extreme right-handedness. The implications of the study would potentially corroborate theories of homosexuality being related to developmental stressors during pregnancy. Having few or no older brothers also moderates the relationship between homosexuality and both left- and extreme right-handedness. All in all, it helps give more credence to the innateness of homosexuality.

So why include this in a portfolio about homophobia and heterosexism? For one, it seems like we as a culture should be questioning why we need scientific studies to prove that homosexuality is biologically determined. What would it mean if it wasn’t linked to genes or developmental stressors? What are the messages inherent in the cultural circulation of these research studies? Clearly, we (meaning Western culture) to be some sort of explanation as to why people would be gay, and the discursive value that our culture places on science and medicine illustrates the need for an official sanction for such deviant behavior.

I’m giving my very personal opinion, and although I value these scientific studies and find them interesting, I think that there is an assumption of biological essentialism. That is, this research maintains the notion that sexuality is inexorably linked to biology. And, undoubtedly, this is true to a considerable degree when looking at hormones, reproduction, et cetera. Yet, I think so much of our sexuality is socially constructed that focusing so intently on biology only serves to overlook these social meanings. For example, would these findings on handedness and homosexuality be applicable to other cultures or historical time periods? Homosexuality is a relatively recent and Western-centric identity, so I question just how applicable these findings are outside of the population studies. Not that it was the intent of the researchers to have universally applicable results, but I think that is how sexuality is often viewed; as unchanging no matter what the context.

So back to those pesky issues in the byline of the blog. Certainly, results like those of this study can help engender a greater acceptance of homosexuality by proving it does have a biological basis and is not merely some regrettable choice ten-ish percent of the population decided to make. Nonetheless, by giving so much clout to science and medicine on issues of homosexuality, we are basically reinforcing the normative status of heterosexuality. The converse of questioning the scientific basis for homosexuality is that the basis for heterosexuality goes unquestioned and accepted as normal. It’s kind of like disguising heterosexism in a white lab coat.

(Not So Cont-)Rite Aid

"Animus in the Aisles"

The link goes to an article from the D.C. based Metro Weekly. They report an incident where two men were kicked out of a Rite Aid Pharmacy after displaying some affection and receiving a look from the store manager. The corporate offices (which are near my hometown in central Pennsylvania) declined to comment, and there has not been any further comment from the Rite Aid employees involved.

Clearly the motive for the security guard asking the couple to leave cannot be one hundred percent ascertained from the article, but it seems safe to say that he and/or the manager acted out of some discomfort over the couple’s public affection. Additionally, the couple’s friend was in the store and he was not asked to leave with them, so it’s not like the store was closing or anything. It seems like this is an instance of overt, individual level homophobia. I think that the public reaction would be limited, and I certainly have not heard a lot of press about this story. The couple is black, too, but there is no mention of possible racist motives in their ejection from the store. There is no doubt in my mind that if the couple was white and wealthy and lived somewhere other than Silver Spring, Maryland that there would be (slightly) more press on the subject. Even with these acts of seemingly explicit homophobia, race is a huge factor in how widely the story is promulgated. I think of the differences in reactions following the hate-motivated murder of Matthew Shepard, who was white and from Wyoming, than the more recent hate-motivated murder of Michael Sandy, who was black and from Brooklyn. Not that this particular instance of homophobia is comparable to either of these examples, but it seems that the significance attached to certain hate crimes is inexorably linked to race.

With all of that said, to be completely honest, I don’t have a strong reaction to the posted article. I’m not surprised that it happened mostly because I think it could happen (and does happen) anywhere. I typically feel myself more incensed by stories of either more harmful acts of individual homophobia or by instances of institutional homophobia that operate through more discursive means. Getting kicked out of a Rite Aid is, I can’t help but feel, par for the course. Until positive change is made on a cultural level, these instances of homophobia will keep happening and it's difficult to get outraged over each one. If the victims were more similar to me in terms of location or race, I might have a stronger identification and a stronger reaction to it. I suppose I'm only implicating myself in bemoaning the lack of outrage over acts like this. I think, though, that there is room for dialogue on the role of race and class in homophobic actions and how these social identities interact with community and cultural (non)reactions to discrimination.

Younger Than Springtime

Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight

The linked Times article was actually published earlier in the month, but seeing how it is so relevant to emerging issues of homophobia and how it was the partly impetus for me choosing this topic area, I thought it should be included. In addition, I’m currently completing my field placement at SAGE, an organization for gay elders, many of whom are facing difficulties like those mentioned in the article. In brief, Gross gives a picture of gay and lesbian individuals living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Many of these elders experience a “re-closeting” of sorts, meaning that they hide their sexuality in order to avoid derision from staff and other residents.

What makes the issue so affecting, outside of my personal work in this area, is that it really covers so many aspects of homophobia and heterosexism. These elders receive discrimination at a micro-level, in the form of insults from other residents and staff members wearing gloves at inappropriate times. Moreover, there is institutional discrimination within the homes, as evidenced by the moving of gay residents to dementia units so in order to assuage the anxieties of the other residents. There is also an enormous cultural devaluing of the elderly, and gay elders have little or no representation in any media. I know that the (front page!) publication of this article helped to increase visibility, and I spoke with about a dozen friends and family members who read the article and were outraged at the treatment received by these individuals.

I think, or at least I would hope, that the overall public reaction to these sorts of issues would be that of anger or shock. It’s surprising because, even though agencies like SAGE have been around for several years, sexuality among the elderly just does not get discussed on a cultural level. Particularly regarding nursing homes, there are already so many issues of overlooking the needs of the elderly that such a consideration almost seems superfluous. I think that continued press on the experiences of gay elders can only result in augmented efforts and increased understanding of their needs.

Especially because many of the instances of homophobia mentioned are overt and based on unambiguous discrimination, it is easier to document and report such experiences in the media. Without a doubt, much of the press on gay issues goes to same-gender marriage, politics, and issues relevant to youth, which I think reflects what we consider worthwhile under the spectrum of “gay issues”. Hence, being able to affect widespread positive change in the daily interactions of and microagressions against these gay residents may take a long time. Until then, I think we can do our job to increase awareness and give support to LGBT aging projects that are already working against homophobia and heterosexism.