DOCSLIB.ORG

Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: the Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: the Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education Lesley University DigitalCommons@Lesley Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences Counseling and Psychology Dissertations (GSASS) Spring 5-21-2021 Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education Carla Rosinski Lesley University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/counseling_dissertations Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation Rosinski, Carla, "Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education" (2021). Counseling and Psychology Dissertations. 9. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/counseling_dissertations/9 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS) at DigitalCommons@Lesley. It has been accepted for inclusion in Counseling and Psychology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Lesley. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education A Dissertation submitted by Carla R. Rosinski, LMHC, CST In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy LESLEY UNIVERSITY May 2021 DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY i © 2021 Carla R. Rosinski All rights reserved. DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY ii Dissertation Final Approval Form Division of Counseling and Psychology Lesley University This dissertation, titled: Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity and Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education as submitted for final approval by Carla R. Rosinski under the direction of the chair of the dissertation committee listed below. It was submitted to the Counseling and Psychology Division and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree at Lesley University. Approved: Peiwei Li, PhD Rakhshanda Saleem, PhD Shanna K. Kattari, PhD, MEd, CSE, ACS ______ Susan Gere, PhD Sandra Walker, MBA March 30, 2021_______________ Date of Final Approval DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to the amazing sex educators who were sampled in this dissertation. I have deeply benefited from engaging with the small examples of their work which are present in the podcast episodes analyzed here. These educators are just a few of the many who are doing extraordinary work in critical sex education and collective liberation. I will continue to be a dedicated listener and student of their work far beyond the scope of this project. Sunny Megatron and Ken Melvion-Berg of the American Sex Podcast @sexologybae and her interview with Sunny and Ken Sara and Jay of the Queer Sex Ed podcast Jimanekia Eborn of Trauma Queen Podcast Ericka Hart and their interview with Jimanekia Andrew Gurza of Disability after Dark podcast Dalychia Saah of Afrosexology and her interview on Sexology Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. To my dissertation committee: Dr. Peiwei Li, Dr. Rakhshanda Saleem and Dr. Shanna K. Kattari I have been incredibly honored to have the three of you with me on this journey. Thank you for your wisdom, guidance, and generosity throughout this process. I am eternally grateful to you three. To my ‘Critical Friends’- Your friendships are more valuable than this degree could ever be. I am profoundly grateful for the support, collaboration and growth we have experienced together. Thank you for challenging me, encouraging me and celebrating me when I needed it most. I cannot over emphasis the love and gratitude I have for my partner and husband, Eddie Sanford: There are so many ways in which I would not be where I am if not for you. Thank you for being on this journey with me. Thank you for always believing in me and for the daily nourishment you provide - through your support, wisdom, and laughter. It is not easy to be a partner to a doctoral student, and I can’t thank you enough for the sacrifices you have made so that I could pursue this goal. In countless ways I am a better person because of you. I wish my parents were here for this. I miss you both daily. DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY iv Dedication In gratitude and solidarity with the generations of activists and community organizers who fight daily for equity and justice DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY v Abstract This dissertation provides a critical analysis of how cis/heteronormativity is reproduced and/or challenged in sexuality and gender discourses. Additionally, this research aims for critical consciousness raising and serves as further evidence of the need to integrate critical human sexuality training in counselor education. The meta theoretical orientation of this research combines liberation psychology, queer and Crip theories, and critiques of settler colonialism. These theories combine to illustrate the “wheel of domination” created by colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy. Critical discourse analysis is utilized with naturalistic occurring data in the form of Podcast episodes on the topics of ‘sex ed’ and ‘sex and/or relationship advice’. The results of the analysis are presented in three parts: sex mis/education, discourse that lacks a structural/power analysis and discourse that contains a structural/power analysis. Ultimately, the critical analysis of cis/heteronormativity illuminates its function in preserving the cultural/sexual ideology that supports the creation and maintenance of systems of oppression including racism and ableism. DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY vi Table of Contents Acknowledgment ……………………………………………………………………………… iii Dedication ……………………………………………………………………………………… iv Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………. v Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………………….vi List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………...…. xiv List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………...xv Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Sexuality and Wellbeing ................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of Research ........................................................................................................................ 6 Research Question .......................................................................................................................... 7 Researcher Positionality.................................................................................................................. 7 On Interrogating Whiteness ...................................................................................................... 10 On Settler Colonialism .............................................................................................................. 11 Significance of Study .................................................................................................................... 12 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................. 15 Language and Definition of Terms ........................................................................................... 16 Summary of Design ...................................................................................................................... 20 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................................... 21 Overview of Dissertation .............................................................................................................. 23 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 25 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................. 27 Liberation Psychology .............................................................................................................. 27 DISRUPTING CIS/HETERONORMATIVITY vii Commitment Statement of Collective Liberation .................................................................. 31 Queer Theory ............................................................................................................................ 32 Crip Theory ............................................................................................................................... 33 Settler Colonialism and Heteropatriarchy ................................................................................. 34 The Wheel of Domination: White Supremacy, Capitalism and Colonialism ........................... 37 Conceptual Analysis of Sexuality and Power ............................................................................... 40 Biopower ................................................................................................................................... 41 The Deployment of Power through Settler Sexuality and the Creation of Citizenry ............... 45 Capitalism and Anti-Blackness as “Science” ........................................................................... 48 Regulatory Practices at the Social Level .....................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 297489300-Oa
    Research Report What affective processes in school impede and support students to choose and sustain a (STEM) trajectory of study? 2020 Research Report of Phase 1: Student Survey Blue-Sky Science School (BSS)* conducted 2017 Author: Dr Melissa Joy Wolfe Email: [email protected] Faculty of Education, Monash University DET Ethics approval: 2017_003349 MUHREC ethics approval: Project Number: 8363 Funding: Monash University, Faculty of Education Dean’s ECR Project Award 2017 Monash University | Faculty of Education Project: ‘What affective processes in school impede and support students to choose and sustain a (STEM) trajectory of study?’ (Phase 1 Report: Survey) 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Aims and background: .................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Method ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Introduction (Situated Research) .................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Methodology (Survey) .................................................................................................................... 6 2. DEMOGRAPHIC (SELF-REPORTED) ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • STRENGTHENING PARENT and CHILD INTERACTIONS (13-18 Years)
    STRENGTHENING PARENT AND CHILD INTERACTIONS (13-18 years) A Blue Dot indicates agencies that are a member of the Maternal Mental Health Collaborative and/or have attended the Postpartum Support International training. Being a parent can be very rewarding, but it can also be very challenging. Because your child is always growing, the information you need to know about parenting and child development changes constantly, too. Learning what behaviors are appropriate for your child’s age and how to handle them can help you better respond to your child. “WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT MY CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT?” If you are concerned about your child’s development or need more help, contact your child’s pediatrician, teacher, or school counselor. EMPOWERINGPARENTS.COM Articles from the experts at Empowering Parents to help you manage your teen’s behavior more effectively. Is your adolescent breaking curfew, behaving defiantly or engaging in risky behavior? We offer concrete help for teen behavior problems. www.empoweringparents.com AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Adolescence can be a rough time for parents. At times, your teen may be a source of frustration and exasperation, not to mention financial stress. But these years also bring many, many moments of joy, pride, laughter and closeness. Find information about privacy, stress, mental health, and other health-related topics. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen INFOABOUTKIDS.ORG This website has links to well-established, trustworthy websites with common parenting concerns related to your child’s body, mind, emotions, and relationships. infoaboutkids.org AHA! PARENTING Provides lots of great, useful advice on how to handle parenting challenges at all ages.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019-03-16 5C8d88baaba5e Oren-Gozlan-Current-Critical-Debates-In-The-Field-Of
    CURRENT CRITICAL DEBATES IN THE FIELD OF TRANSSEXUAL STUDIES Current Critical Debates in the Field of Transsexual Studies introduces new thinking on non-conforming gender representation, addressing transsexuality as a subjective experience that highlights universal dilemmas related to how we conceive identity and exploring universal questions related to gender: its objects, objections, and obstacles. This book seeks to disassemble prejudicial orientations to the challenges and the everydayness of transsexuality and build new understanding and responses to issues including: medical biases, the problem of authenticity, and the agency of the child. Oren Gozlen leads an examination of three central pressures: transformation of a medical model, the social experience of becoming transgender, and the ques- tion of self-representation through popular culture. The chapters reframe several contemporary dilemmas, such as: authenticity, pathology, normativity, creativity, the place of the clinic as a problem of authority, the unpredictability of sexual- ity, the struggle with limits of knowledge, a demand for intelligibility, and desire for certainty. The contributors consider sociocultural, theoretical, therapeutic, and legal approaches to transsexuality that reveal its inherent instability and fluidity both as concept and as experience. They place transsexuality in tension and transition as a concept, as a subject position, and as a subjectivity. The book also reflects the way in which political and cultural change affects self and other representations of the transsexual person and their others, asking: how does the subject metabolize the anxieties that relate to these transformations and facilitations? How can the subject respond in contexts of hostility and prohibition? Offering a much-needed interdisciplinary exploration, Current Critical Debates in the Field of Transsexual Studies will appeal to psychoanalysts and psychotherapists as well as psychologists and scholars of gender studies, cultural studies and sociology.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychological Study of Sex & Gender
    Updated last on October 9, 2020 Psychological Study of Sex & Gender PSY 2240 [4-credits] Fall 2020 Özge Savaş (she/her) || [email protected] || Barn 214A Class meets online Every Monday and Thursday, 2-4:30pm Student (office) hours online Every Wednesday, 1:30-3:30pm (and by appointment) COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES Why is the first thing people want to know about a baby is their gender/sex? How are children socialized into gender/sex binaries? How do dominant social and cultural formations actually produce men and women? How is gender/sex related to sexuality? What is it that we are attracted to in another person? Body frames? Masculinity/femininity? Having a penis or a vagina/vulva? How does gender/sex depend on other categories such as race/ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, and ability? How do interlocking systems of oppression (e.g. sexism, racism, classism, xenophobia, ableism) influence people’s lives? In this class, we will learn to make evidence-based arguments about gender and sex while situating lived experiences of women and sexual minorities in context, gain media literacy in examining examples from pop culture, understand the role of heteropatriarchal and racist ideologies and institutions in social inequity, and learn to think and write critically about gender in its social, cultural, historical and political context. LEARNING GOALS § Explain how dominant social and cultural formations of gender actually produce women and men, girls and boys. § Identify interlocking systems of oppression (i.e. heteropatriarchy, transphobia, racism, classism, xenophobia, ableism) and analyze the relationship of gender other categories (i.e. race, ethnicity, nationality, ability, class, sexuality).
    [Show full text]
  • Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy Rethinking Women of Color Organizing
    Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy Rethinking Women of Color Organizing Andrea Smith Scenario #1 A group of women of color come together to organize. An argu- ment ensues about whether or not Arab women should be included. Some argue that Arab women are "white" since they have been classified as such in the US census. Another argument erupts over whether or not Latinas qualify as "women of color," since some may be classified as "white" in their Latin American countries of origin and/or "pass" as white in the United States. Scenario #2 In a discussion on racism, some people argue that Native peoples suffer from less racism than other people of color because they gen- erally do not reside in segregated neighborhoods within the United States. In addition, some argue that since tribes now have gaming, Native peoples are no longer "oppressed." Scenario #3 A multiracial campaign develops involving diverse conpunities of color in which some participants charge that we must stop the blacklwhite binary, and end Black hegemony over people of color politics to develop a more "multicultural" framework. However, this campaign continues to rely on strategies and cultural motifs developed by the Black Civil Rights struggle in the United States. These incidents, which happen quite frequently in "women of color" or "pee;' of color" political organizing struggles, are often explained as a consequenii. "oppression olympics." That is to say, one problem we have is that we are too b::- fighting over who is more oppressed. In this essay, I want to argue that thescir- dents are not so much the result of "oppression olympics" but are more abour t-, we have inadequately framed "women of color" or "people of color" politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Queer Baroque: Sarduy, Perlongher, Lemebel
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 6-2020 Queer Baroque: Sarduy, Perlongher, Lemebel Huber David Jaramillo Gil The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3862 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] QUEER BAROQUE: SARDUY, PERLONGHER, LEMEBEL by HUBER DAVID JARAMILLO GIL A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Latin American, Iberian and Latino Cultures in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2020 © 2020 HUBER DAVID JARAMILLO GIL All Rights Reserved ii Queer Baroque: Sarduy, Perlongher, Lemebel by Huber David Jaramillo Gil This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Latin American, Iberian and Latino Cultures in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date Carlos Riobó Chair of Examining Committee Date Carlos Riobó Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Paul Julian Smith Magdalena Perkowska THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Queer Baroque: Sarduy, Perlongher, Lemebel by Huber David Jaramillo Gil Advisor: Carlos Riobó Abstract: This dissertation analyzes the ways in which queer and trans people have been understood through verbal and visual baroque forms of representation in the social and cultural imaginary of Latin America, despite the various structural forces that have attempted to make them invisible and exclude them from the national narrative.
    [Show full text]
  • INTERRUPTING HETERONORMATIVITY Copyright 2004, the Graduate School of Syracuse University
    >>>>>> >>>>>> INTERRUPTING HETERONORMATIVITY Copyright 2004, The Graduate School of Syracuse University. Portions of this publication may be reproduced with acknowledgment for educational purposes. For more information about this publication, contact the Graduate School at Syracuse University, 423 Bowne Hall, Syracuse, New York 13244. >> contents Acknowledgments................................................................................... i Vice Chancellor’s Preface DEBORAH A. FREUND...................................................................... iii Editors’ Introduction MARY QUEEN, KATHLEEN FARRELL, AND NISHA GUPTA ............................ 1 PART ONE: INTERRUPTING HETERONORMATIVITY FRAMING THE ISSUES Heteronormativity and Teaching at Syracuse University SUSAN ADAMS.............................................................................. 13 Cartography of (Un)Intelligibility: A Migrant Intellectual’s Tale of the Field HUEI-HSUAN LIN............................................................................ 21 The Invisible Presence of Sexuality in the Classroom AHOURA AFSHAR........................................................................... 33 LISTENING TO STUDENTS (Un)Straightening the Syracuse University Landscape AMAN LUTHRA............................................................................... 45 Echoes of Silence: Experiences of LGBT College Students at SU RACHEL MORAN AND BRIAN STOUT..................................................... 55 The Importance of LGBT Allies CAMILLE BAKER............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Men Is a Largely Unrecognized and Forgotten Perspective in Both Research and International Policies
    Bachelor Thesis Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Men A thematic analysis of the phenomenon in mass media Author: Mikaela Eriksson Supervisor: Susanne Alldén Examiner: Manuela Nilsson Term: HT20 Subject: Peace and Development Level: Bachelor Course code: 2FU33E Abstract Conflict-related sexual violence against men is a largely unrecognized and forgotten perspective in both research and international policies. Reports document that conflict-related sexual violence affects men, yet detailed consideration of the issue remains missing due to the lack of comprehensive research. The existing research is scarce and focuses primarily on the policy perspective or call for increased attention towards recognizing the subject. This study has sought to increase the understanding of the phenomenon through the perspective of mass media. The objective of the study has been to examine how the subject is portrayed by the media, including how male survivors in media describe their own experiences of sexual violence regarding masculine norms and stigma. The study has been conducted as a qualitative desk study by using empirical data from news articles in online newspapers. The study has followed an abductive approach and applied an analytical framework consisting of the two theories Social Stigma and Hegemonic Masculinity. A thematic analysis was used to interpret the empirical data and three main themes were identified. The findings suggest that the subject tends to be portrayed as unusual or as an exceptional phenomenon. The news articles use similar words to describe the subject, such as hidden, silent, ignored, and underreported. The subject is also deeply associated with stigma and masculine norms, both by the survivors and in the articles.
    [Show full text]
  • Safe Zone Training Special
    Safe Zone Training School of Social Work Lunch & Learn Series Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. Interim Director - LGBTQ+ Center West Virginia University Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Outline • Policy • Gender 101: Basic definitions • Specific issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community • Institutional obstacles • Ways to assess your current work and organization • Inclusive language and solutions to positively impact your organizational climate • Learning to be a better ally and advocate Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Policy Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Gender 101: Basic Definitions Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Definitions • “LGBTQ+” is just a start. • Gender: humans have at least 5 chromosomal genders. Other genome and hormonal diversities mean there are many more possibilities for gender than two. Children begin to think about their gender identity around ages 2-4. • Cisgender people identify as the same gender attributed to them at birth. Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Definitions • Transgender may be an umbrella term to cover people whose gender identity does not match the sex assigned to them at birth. • Nonbinary people do not identify as male or female, finding the gender binary inadequate. • Intersex people are born with variations in gender beyond binary.1.7% of population. Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D. WVU LGBTQ+ CENTER Legal recognition of non-binary gender Multiple countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender classifications. Argentina Austria Australia Canada Denmark Germany Iceland India The Netherlands Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Thailand United Kingdom United States Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Terrorizing Gender: Transgender Visibility and the Surveillance Practices of the U.S
    Terrorizing Gender: Transgender Visibility and the Surveillance Practices of the U.S. Security State A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Mia Louisa Fischer IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Dr. Mary Douglas Vavrus, Co-Adviser Dr. Jigna Desai, Co-Adviser June 2016 © Mia Louisa Fischer 2016 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my family back home in Germany for their unconditional support of my academic endeavors. Thanks and love especially to my Mom who always encouraged me to be creative and queer – far before I knew what that really meant. If I have any talent for teaching it undoubtedly comes from seeing her as a passionate elementary school teacher growing up. I am very thankful that my 92-year-old grandma still gets to see her youngest grandchild graduate and finally get a “real job.” I know it’s taking a big worry off of her. There are already several medical doctors in the family, now you can add a Doctor of Philosophy to the list. I promise I will come home to visit again soon. Thanks also to my sister, Kim who has been there through the ups and downs, and made sure I stayed on track when things were falling apart. To my dad, thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams even if I chased them some 3,000 miles across the ocean. To my Minneapolis ersatz family, the Kasellas – thank you for giving me a home away from home over the past five years.
    [Show full text]
  • LGBTQ Policy Journal at the John F
    LGBTQ Policy Journal at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Volume 11 Spring 2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENT & APPRECIATION Editorial Staff Kamille Washington, Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Zwart, Editor-in-Chief Marty Amaya, Managing Editor Morgan Benson, Associate Editor Ben Demers, Associate Editor Craig Johnson, Associate Editor Rachel Rostad, Associate Editor Jacob Waggoner, Associate Editor Individual Supporters Tim McCarthy, Faculty Advisor Richard Parker, Faculty Advisor Martha Foley, Publisher Nicole Lewis, Copyeditor Cerise Steel, Designer A Note of Gratitude Thank you to Open Gate, without whose support we would not have been able to produce as inclusive and meaningful a journal. Your generosity and commitment to justice were crucial in making this journal what is it. 2 LGBTQ Policy Journal 66 Taking off the ‘Masc’ Contents How Gay-Identifying Men Perceive and Navigate Hyper-Masculinity and “Mascing” 4 Letter from the Editor Culture Online By Alexander Löwstedt Granath 5 Absolute Sovereignty Exceptions as well as Legal 77 The United States Is Not Safe Obligations of States to Protect for LGBT Refugees the Rights of LGBTQI and Gender A Call to Abandon the Canada-United Diverse Persons (GDP), States Safe Third Country Agreement By Portia Comenetia Allen, James By Ella Hartsoe Katlego Chibamba, Shawn Mugisha, 80 Exploring the Need for and and Augusta Aondoaver Yaakugh Benefits of LGBTQA Faculty and 13 Up to Us Staff Groups in Higher Education A Community-Led Needs Assessment of By Ariel Schorr Lesnick Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming 90 Mutual Aid as a Queer Asians and Pacific Islanders in the Bay Intervention in Public Library Area By APIENC Service By Flan Park 24 Breaking the “First Rule of Masculinity” 93 Carving Spaces for A Conversation with Thomas Page McBee Engagement in Indonesia By Morgan Benson An Interview with Hendrika Mayora Victoria Kelan 31 Religious Equity By Eki Ramadhan A Path to Greater LGBTQ Inclusion By Rev.
    [Show full text]
  • Straight Identity Power Jake Beardsley, College of William and Mary
    1 Straight Identity Power Jake Beardsley, College of William and Mary Abstract: By adapting Miranda Fricker’s concept of identity power, I develop the concept of Straight Identity Power, which is available to persons who are perceived as heterosexual and cisgender. Although it is possible for queer and feminist activists to use Straight Identity Power to further some political ends, doing so is ultimately detrimental, as it necessarily reinforces heterosexist and patriarchal mores. Queer feminists should instead challenge core heterosexist ideals holistically, by employing Queer Identity Power. __________________________________________________________________ In her book, Epistemic Injustice, Miranda Fricker defines identity power as a “form of social power” which requires “imaginative social co-ordination” relating to social identity.1 Using a modified version of this concept, I will propose the concept of Straight Identity Power (SIP), or identity power which is available to certain people because of the perception that they are heterosexual and cisgender. I will demonstrate that access to SIP2 is contingent not on a stable sexual or gender identity, but on a person’s ability to perform cisheterosexuality in a given context. Although cautiously relying on SIP may aid some queer or feminist activists in achieving their most immediate political goals, doing so is necessarily detrimental to the advancement of gender equality. To oppose heteropatriarchy successfully, activists must target heteropatriarchal mores without relying on SIP. Part I. Terms SIP is social power which is available to a person because of the perception that they are heterosexual and cisgender. Rather than conferring any particular goods onto those who possess it, SIP grants a limited range of power to enforce cisheterosexual mores, and also to improve one’s own standing within a heterosexist framework.
    [Show full text]