Counseling 20: Sex & Gender

SARA MALMQUIST-WEST SPRING 2021 Sexuality COUNSELING 20: SEX & GENDER WEEK 5 Agenda Week 5

➢Video Lecture: Sexuality (this PowerPoint/video) ➢ What is Sexuality? ➢ Historical Attitudes about Sexuality in U.S. ➢ Intersectionality & Sexuality ➢Topics this week: ➢ Sexual Orientation ➢ Coming Out ➢ LGBTQ+ History ➢ Important Terms ➢ Discussion ➢ Participation ➢ Reflection Paper #1 Due ➢ Quiz Let’s Talk About Sex(uality)! WHAT IS IT ANYWAY? Sexuality As I mentioned in the overview video this week, sexuality is such a complex topic to cram into one week! We will barely scratch the surface of the phenomena that is human sexuality. However, if you are interested in learning more, SRJC has an entire course dedicated to human sexuality: PSYCH 3: Human Sexuality This course examines the biological, psychological, and social science of human sexuality. Major areas of examination will include the history and science of sexology; male and female anatomy and physiology; sexual arousal and response; relationships, intimacy and communication; conception and contraception; sexually transmitted infections; and coercive sexuality and exploitation (SRJC Catalog Description). What is Sexuality? • How do we define sexuality? • How do we define sex? • How do we know if we are attracted to someone? • What is attraction anyway? • Romantic? • Physical? • Emotional? • Intellectual? • Spiritual? • Other? • I want you to start thinking about how you would answer these questions. Where did your ideas around sexuality, sex, and attraction come from? • The answer to these questions can differ greatly and there is not “right” or “wrong” answer What is Sexuality? Simply put: • Sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings • Variation throughout history • Variation across cultures • Variation between individuals •Sexuality includes: • Sexual Orientation (who we are attracted to): refers to the desire one has for emotional, romantic, and/or sexual relationships with others based on their gender expression, gender identity, and/or sex. Many people choose to label their sexual orientation, while others do no. • Sexual Behavior (what we do sexually) • Identity (gender identity and expression) Sexual Orientation

Gender Identity!!! Sexual Orientation • According to the article “Sexuality in the 21st Century: Sexual Fluidity,” one’s sexual orientation does not always match one’s sexual behavior. • Sexual Orientation has four components: 1. Self-identified labels (What people call themselves such as: , Gay, Heterosexual, Pansexual, Asexual, etc.) 2. Actual sexual behavior (What activities and behaviors people participate in. Research shows that sexual behavior does not always align with self-identified labels—Men who have sex with men p. 112 of textbook) 3. Self-reported sexual feelings (Fantasies and desires—these can be things private or public and are not always acted upon) 4. Genital or brain responses (Physiological responses to sexual stimuli—this is where biology comes into play!) What constitutes Sexual Behavior? • To make things even more complicated, people do not share the same definition of “sex” or what is considered “sexual behavior” • Sex Behavior can include: • Hugging • Kissing • Masturbating • Manually stimulating your partner • Vaginal penetration • Anal penetration • Vaginal or anal penetration with objects • Oral-genital stimulation • Sexual excitement while looking at or reading pornography • Telephone or “cyber” sex • Other? • Your textbook points out the challenges of gather data on “dating” and “hooking up” today since individual definitions of what it means to “hook up” includes a wide variety of behaviors. Purpose of Sex/Sexual Behavior • Procreation • Pleasure • Love & Commitment • Duty • Power & Control • What else? What About Emotions? • Physiological component of sexual orientation • Hormonal reactions and attraction to another person • Lust, desire, infatuation, excitement, yearning, passion • Romantic component of sexual orientation • Love, attachment & security • Caring, intimacy, and tenderness • Companionship, friendship, compatibility • Happiness

What role do emotions play in sexuality and sexual orientation? Sexual Scripts • Sexuality is complex. How do we learn to navigate such strong emotional and physical reactions to another person(s)? • Like gender roles and expectations, we learn about appropriate sexual behavior and expression through socialization. • We must first recognize sexual feelings and desires, and then learn how to translate them into socially validated actions. • To whom are we supposed to be attracted? • What sexual ques must we learn and interpret? • Where and when are we supposed to have sex? • Sociologists use the term Sexual Scripts to describe our shared cultural instructions for “normal” sexual behaviors. These sexual scripts teach us: • Sexual acts to deploy • Situations in which sexuality is expected and appropriate • Limits and boundaries of sex and responses. Sexual Scripts • Think back to the clip from SNL about Zillow. It is only funny (if you thought it was funny) because it followed a sexual script. It used our shared, cultural understanding of how people behave in a sexual manner. • What were their body positions like? Facial expressions? Clothing? What did their voices sound like? What words were they using? What was the music like? What else? • Where do these sexual scripts come from? Historical Attitudes Attitudes of the Early 20th Century • Sex, sexuality, and sexual behavior have existed in human history since the beginning of time as both a form of pleasure as well as a means to procreate. We will start by looking at more recent history of sexuality in the U.S. • In the early 1900 American, sexuality was strongly linked with morality • Premarital sex was wrong • Extramarital sex was wrong • Homosexual sex was wrong • Masturbation was wrong • Interracial sex was wrong • Men and women were expected to marry and have children. Anything outside of this “normal” heterosexual sexual behavior was labeled as sinful or perversive. • Sex was not talked about—especially relating to pleasure • Medical science was used to justify the “morality” of sex. • Example: Masturbation can cause blindness, hairy palms, impotence later in life, erectile dysfunction, penis shrinkage, penis curvature, low sperm count, and infertility. Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956) • American Biologist who studied Biology @ Harvard • Thesis on Gall Wasps (methodical approach to research) • Very little was known about “normal” sexual behavior because sexual behavior was intrinsically linked to morality (a “good” woman would never do that!) • Kinsey approached sexuality as a scientist despite social stigma around topic • Conducted detailed sexual histories (Kinsey Reports) • Recorded physiological sexual responses (what happens when a woman has an orgasm?) • Controversial topics: homosexuality, premarital sex, extra-martial sex, oral sex, masturbation, sex for pleasure, etc. • Recognized sexual fluidity (Kinsey Scale) • Began to question the role of social constraints in human sexuality. He found that individuals suppressed desires because they could not express them in a socially sanctioned manner. • Kinsey Institute still exists today • https://kinseyinstitute.org/about/history/alfred-kinsey.php Kinsey Reports REVOLUTIONARY AND CONTROVERSIAL FOR THE TIME PERIOD! Kinsey (2004) If you are interested in getting a better feel for the significance of his work, I recommend you watch the film Kinsey (2004) • Demonstrates the interconnection of politics, education, science, religion, gender identity, sexuality and sexual orientation • Illustrates beliefs and attitudes about sex, sexuality and sexual orientation in the 1940’s-50’s (especially shame, stigma, and secrecy) “Sexual Revolution” of 1960’s-70’s • People started to reject traditional values of post WWII America • Strict gender roles (stay-at-home wife, breadwinner husband) • Heterosexuality • Sexual behavior (no premarital sex, acceptable sexual acts—oral sex) • In response to the Playboy revolution of 1950’s • Depicted lifestyle of carefree sex • “Real” men could be successful and unmarried • “Make Love Not War” culture of political and moral changes in U.S. • Introduction of oral contraceptive pill for women • Increase in sex without • Increase in sex for pleasure • Increased access to legal and safe abortions Women’s Liberation Movement •1960’s-1980’s Women started to challenge ideas about sex and gender • Demanded an increase in women’s rights • Control over bodies • Right to pleasure • Right to say no to sex • Increase in sexual options— lesbian & bisexual Women’s Liberation Movement • Women started to talk about sex • Faked orgasms • Fear of being “frigid” • Pressure to please one’s man • Realized that women’s experiences were very different from the expert’s discourse which was centered around heterosexuality and women’s relationships with men (similar to the Kinsey Reports). • Scientific discourse on “vaginal orgasms” was based on men’s sexual needs, not women’s • At the same time, feminist theories were rejecting patriarchal institutions of heterosexuality and marriage • Adrienne Rich (1996) introduced concept of compulsory heterosexuality arguing that social institutions and popular culture assume heterosexuality, and this maintains subordination of women Birth Control & Gender • Revolutionized sex in America • After the “Birth Control Pill” was released in 1960’s • More women stayed in school • Women were able to control # of children • Higher incomes • Women are “responsible” for pregnancy prevention • Intersection of race and class: • Some of the first birth control pills were tested in 1950’s in Puerto Rico. Subjects were poor and wanted to be able to control # of children. They were not informed that they were part of clinical trial! Male Birth Control •Permanent solutions: • Vasectomy—“simple procedure” that blocks sperm from getting into semen before ejaculation. • Female sterilization (“getting your tubes tied”)—surgically blocking the fallopian tubes. More complex than vasectomy. • Worldwide, female sterilization is more common than vasectomy for preventing pregnancy • For the last 50 years, science has declared that a male birth control pill is “this close”! • How long did it take to get an approved COVID-19 vaccine? • Why don’t we have a male birth control pill? • #1 sited reason for stopping clinical trials is “side-effects” • Men dropped out of study • Some men did not follow instructions—resulted in pregnancy in partners • Critics also argue that “We are messing with the hormones of young men!” • Double Standard! Side Effects

MALE BIRTH CONTROL FEMALE BIRTH CONTROL

Non-Severe Severe •Acne Depression • Headaches High Blood Pressure • Erectile dysfunction Low Testosterone Levels • Reduced sex drive • Tiredness • Muscle aches • Weight gain of 5 lbs. or less Birth Control • Perpetuates the ideology that women are responsible for preventing pregnancy. • Ultimately, it is women who are at risk of becoming pregnant and enduring the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. • What role does society play in creating expectations around paternal responsibility? • What does this tell us about fatherhood? Motherhood? • Possible research topic? • If any of you have Netflix, I highly recommend the series Sex, Explained. They have an episode on birth control and one on attraction Premarital Sex

• According to the textbook: • 1937-1959—22% Americans approved sex before marriage • 1973—43% • 1985—52% • 2010—59% • 2020— What do you think the rate is today?

• This data demonstrates that views are not always a reflection of behavior. • Americans have higher rates of teen pregnancy, abortion, and STDs (including HIV) than European countries despite more conservative views • This is important because attitudes result policy changes. In this case decrease government spending on sex education and increase in abstinence only programs. & Purity •Despite the changes in attitudes and beliefs about sexuality in the United States there is still an emphasis on the importance of virginity for both men an women. • However, virginity is often associated with purity and morality for women • Boys are also expected to be virgins but the responsibility to maintain it fall on women based on the assumption that women are “naturally” less interested in sex. • Cosmetic surgeons offer “hymen reconstruction” despite warnings from med community that it can be dangerous • This is not unique to the United States—Virginity “testing” occurs around the world! • Perhaps, this could be an interesting research topic? Abstinence-only Programs • Throughout the United States, Abstinence-only sex education has been prevalent despite zero evidence that these programs work. • 80% of abstinence-only curricula funded by government include false, mis-leading or distorted information • Young people who took a vow of abstinence were less knowledgeable about sex, less likely to use condoms and had same rates of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). • Think to the slide about what constitutes sexual behavior? If society narrowly defines “virginity” as vaginal penetration, then what sexual behavior is still considered “pure?” • Results in riskier behavior Purity Balls •A Purity Ball is a dance, usually hosted by conservative Christian churches, attended by fathers and daughters to promote virginity until marriage. • In 2006, there were 1,400 purity balls held in the United States • Demonstrates the double standard for women to be pure— there are no purity ball rituals for young boys. Intersectionality & Sexuality Intersectionality & Sexuality • We have seen that different standards, expectations, and experiences exist for men and women in the United States • This is also the case for other forms of identity. Standards, expectations and experiences differ by race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age, nationality, etc. • The connection between sexuality and gender is also shaped by systems of inequality by race, nation, sexual orientation and globalization (we will talk more about this later) • What sexual stereotypes come to mind when I say: • Young, Brazilian woman vs. young, Chinese woman? • Older, African American woman vs. White, British man? • I will focus on the following topic: Sexualized image of the black male • Think about intersectionality and possible topics for a research paper! Race & Sexuality • Race and gender are intertwined, creating variations of stereotypes • Black men and women are often hypersexualized • “animal-like” in their sexual appetites & expression • “generally excessive, deviant, diseased, and predatory” (textbook p. 105) • Until 1960’s anti-miscegenation laws existed which prevented interracial marriage and sexual encounters in Southern U.S. • However, throughout history the rape of black women by white men was common and rarely punished • Example: Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings • Even so, black men are still stereotyped as being violent and “animal-like” Sexualized Images of Black Men • Myth of the black rapist • Women (especially white women) in US are socialized to fear black men • Despite 90% of rapes are intra-racial (within own race) and often by someone known to the victim • Portrayal of black men is moves and TV as brutish, aggressive, rapists, pimps, gangsters, drug dealers or wife abusers. (more in media chapter?) • Differential treatment of black and white men in criminal justice system reflects a double standard. • 1930-1967—455 men executed because they were accused of rape, 405 were black. • This is significant because of the violent history that shapes these racialized views of gender. This history was based in a system that is designed to benefit whites. Brock Turner vs. Corey Batey Sexualized images of BIPOC • BIPOC: acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color • Racialized sexuality not only occurs for black men, but also occurs for women. Think about the images we see in the media. What images come to mind thinking about sexuality and… • Black/African American women? • Latina women? • First Nation/Native American women? • Asian women? •As we continue through this course pay attention to the ways in which media perpetuates stereotypes of gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, age, nationality, and sexual orientation. Sexuality & Intersectionality • Who do you think about as being NOT sexual? • Age? • Disability?

Also, possible research topic! Up Next… This week: • Sexual Orientation & Coming Out • Brief LGBTQ+ History • Discussion: Research Topic Ideas • Participation Question: Dating Today • Quiz: Video Lecture, material on Sexual Orientation & LGBTQ+ History • Reflection Paper #1: Due February 21st! Next Week: • Education