silversolitaire (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
silversolitaire) wrote2001-11-26 11:56 pm
silversolitaire) wrote2001-11-26 11:56 pm
Contemplating on Queer...
Yesterday, while writing Cara, the line "To Valentine, our favorite queer!" came up.
That got me thinking.
What makes a person queer? In our society, the word "queer" has been given to gays or people deviating from the sexual norm. They are "not straight", a word which again describes someone going the straight way, instead of the odd, the queer way.
So, does that mean that in a world where everyone is gay, "queer" no longer means "homosexual", but rather "heterosexual"? Since, in this world the one deviating from the sexual norm is the heterosexual one. I've created the world of Cara, so I know almost everyone is gay. The few ones who aren't definitely are outnumbered. Procreation is achieved through different measures and the few women who live in Carnal City are there to cater the desperate heterosexual minority. Most women were smart enough to leave this place.
While discussing The Torch Song Trilogy today with my class, I realized that there was a kind of sexism in certain kinds of gay literature that creates the idea of a gay community. In order to live in a happy community someone has to go. In the case of Torch Song Trilogy, it's the women. The mother and wife of the main characters have to leave so that Arnold, Ed and David can live in their happy gay family.
I must say, I never thought about this. But... it's true I guess. Even though I don't much like to admit it. In my world, men don't have much room either. The few ones that I can abide are gay as well. It's strange...
Ah! I'm digressing! What was I going to say anyway? Ah yes, queer. Well, I guess I brought my point across already. So, can someone who's gay in a world where everyone is gay really be called queer? I wonder I wonder...
Going back to today's class... I was really pissed off by that elderly woman who's showing up in that class for some strange reason. Rather out of curiosity. At any rate, she doesn't need the credits. I, however, do. And today it was the SECOND time that I came into the library to copy the essays for that particular class that I was going to need in 20 minutes and she was sitting there, clutching the book and not willing to give them to me ("Oh, classes start in 20 mins. and I haven't read them yet!"). I hate her... Plus, she always says stupid stuff in discussions. Stuff devoid of meaning. Gah!
Well, whatever. Gonna "enjoy" my frozen beer now. I forgot it in the freezer. Meant to have cold beer, now I have supercold beer. Lalala...
That got me thinking.
What makes a person queer? In our society, the word "queer" has been given to gays or people deviating from the sexual norm. They are "not straight", a word which again describes someone going the straight way, instead of the odd, the queer way.
So, does that mean that in a world where everyone is gay, "queer" no longer means "homosexual", but rather "heterosexual"? Since, in this world the one deviating from the sexual norm is the heterosexual one. I've created the world of Cara, so I know almost everyone is gay. The few ones who aren't definitely are outnumbered. Procreation is achieved through different measures and the few women who live in Carnal City are there to cater the desperate heterosexual minority. Most women were smart enough to leave this place.
While discussing The Torch Song Trilogy today with my class, I realized that there was a kind of sexism in certain kinds of gay literature that creates the idea of a gay community. In order to live in a happy community someone has to go. In the case of Torch Song Trilogy, it's the women. The mother and wife of the main characters have to leave so that Arnold, Ed and David can live in their happy gay family.
I must say, I never thought about this. But... it's true I guess. Even though I don't much like to admit it. In my world, men don't have much room either. The few ones that I can abide are gay as well. It's strange...
Ah! I'm digressing! What was I going to say anyway? Ah yes, queer. Well, I guess I brought my point across already. So, can someone who's gay in a world where everyone is gay really be called queer? I wonder I wonder...
Going back to today's class... I was really pissed off by that elderly woman who's showing up in that class for some strange reason. Rather out of curiosity. At any rate, she doesn't need the credits. I, however, do. And today it was the SECOND time that I came into the library to copy the essays for that particular class that I was going to need in 20 minutes and she was sitting there, clutching the book and not willing to give them to me ("Oh, classes start in 20 mins. and I haven't read them yet!"). I hate her... Plus, she always says stupid stuff in discussions. Stuff devoid of meaning. Gah!
Well, whatever. Gonna "enjoy" my frozen beer now. I forgot it in the freezer. Meant to have cold beer, now I have supercold beer. Lalala...