Hons 392 Homosexuality: deviance from gender roles in America

One of the main things that make homosexuality unacceptable to some Americans is not the sexual orientation of an individual, but the deviation from the gender role assigned to them by society. These people that defy the norms of their genders are dubbed with the title "gender benders". They are left without a gender identity that classifies what they truly are because the American society is only confines them to either masculine or feminine. Betsy Lucal points this out in What It Means to Be Gendered Me, which states that "a person who does not do gender appropriately is placed not into a third category but rather into one with which her or his gender display seems most closely to fit." Each description has its set sex attached to. When this changes, this out group experiences the consequences of going against the norm.

Gender is often associated with appearances, mannerisms, and is always visible. While not all homosexuals deviate much from their gender role, in many cases the homosexual community is immediately identified by their opposite-sex characteristics. Gay men are more likely to be expressive, submissive, and emotional, which are characteristics less valued by society and looked down upon especially for men. Society expects men to be more instrumental, aggressive, and self-reliant. Gay men are more likely to adopt or have feminine characteristics that are associated with women. This can be seen in the way they dress and behave. Lesbians also "gender bend", possessing characteristics like aggression, toughness, and dominance. This leaves society wondering how they escaped the socialization process which is constantly and continually being bombarded on an individual through family, school, work, and the media.

Because these individuals refuse to conform, aggressive attitudes towards them develop. This is seen with the emergence of homophobia in many cultures. While there is discrimination against homosexuals in America, Jamaicians tend to punish this deviant behavior more aggressively showing that it is absolutely not acceptable. In the Caribbean islands gays are constantly and brutally attacked with not much help from the law, and they also face the media's hate through violent music written about them as seen in Tim Padgett's The Most Homophobic Place on Earth in Time Magazine. Similarly in America, these people are called hateful names and made to look like a freak show in public settings. Even though a lesbian may display the desirable male characteristics that society values, they are shunned for deviating from the feminine role assigned to their sex. Gay men are extremely looked down upon for having "weaker women characteristics" and for declining the privilege of being a socialized male. Like many women, they face sexism and discrimination for their femininity.

How do these attitudes still exist in a nation as accepting as America? Culturally, men are seen as the bread winners that provide for their families during an era when procreation is highly valued, especially by families. For women, they are expected to be concerned with house and matters, and are expected to have children. In some areas of America, a woman that has more male children is still valued over mothers of daughters. Homosexuals have a hard time fitting into this traditional family view of things that is still valued in America today. Their deviance from their gender role and sexual orientation goes against the procreation way of things. Naturally, two males and two females are not capable of having children or showing distinguished gender roles based on sex through their relationships. Even when they try to adopt, people fear for the children's socialization process. While the outside world tends to discriminate against these people for going against the gender roles, their families and people close to them tend to shun them for deviating from the norm of a traditional family.

Although the media, school, and family may make these individuals feel like outsiders, socialization in America is changing slowly to accommodate them. This is mostly seen in advertising and the emergence of politically correct terms for them. Some examples of this are seen in advertisements by Dolce and Gabbanna, Kay Jeweler, and Levi. There are more friendly terms like "life partners" that people are using to describe these relationships. Gay activist and support groups have emerged and are allowed to share their concerns without facing as much brutality as in the past and as seen in other countries. America is experiencing more progress relative to some other places like in the Caribbean and Mexico. Europe and Canada are ahead in their accommodation process, while places like Italy are still in the building stages like America. In 2007, and activist group launched a controversial ad showing a baby wearing a bracelet that said "homosexual", symbolizing that sexual orientation is not a choice. Similar things have been happening in our own country, and as a result shows and movies like Will and Grace and Brokeback Mountain are giving future generations a new socialization experience through the media, which embraces and encourages an open attitude towards these deviant "gender benders".