Butler, J. (1991) asserts in her article entitled “To Theorize as a Lesbian” that sexuality is self-determined. A person she said who is a lesbian or gay need not to declare to the world by going “out” of the closet and disclose to the world his or her totality as a person. She added that the one who discloses his or her sexuality may be the last to reflect on the real meaning of sexuality. Butler continued by saying that sexuality is not stagnant. She asserts that nobody in this world has the right to set standard indicators of being a lesbian as being such does not standard indicators. Setting indicators she further added can only create another set box. She continued by saying that the lesbians and gays who decide to come out from the closet will only be trapped in another closet of standards. They freed themselves from being boxed in the set of rules they are following as straight people only to be boxed in a set of traits that were set for homosexuals. Theorizing Sexuality she said is not possible because of their instability.
Butler strongly believes in the fluidity of sex that is why it is impossible to refer to the current attitudes of gender and sexuality to set standards for the future. Even the appearance or the ways homosexuals portray their selves are not disclosing the accurate sexuality that they possess. Butler asserts that homosexuality has their colors and a person can change his or her color. This is to strengthen her stance that sexuality is fluid and that nobody deserves to boxed within one sexuality. Appearance she added can be deceptive as it can portray one person’s desires or fantasies but not really their total sexuality.
Butler is firm on her stance of not having a sexual identity. Her standpoint that sexuality is fluid pushes her to assert that identities of sexuality should remain vague. Setting standards for this constantly changing norm she said will result to oppression specifically those who do not fall in the boxes set. Making categories she further said will polarize the people who belong to specific traits and will result to exclusion.
Being known for the Gender trouble, Butler also challenges the knowledge that heterosexuality is the original gender orientation. The heterosexuality being the compulsory has resulted to discrimination of other sexuality. It is the appropriation of masculinity to males and femininity to females that created the double standards in gender. This compulsory identity has curtailed the other identities to flourish. The knowledge marginalized any other gender identities that continue to emerge as it was always said, sexuality is fluid. She remains to question the existence of an original sexuality that the current structure is pointing as the heterosexuality. She said that it can be the other way around. Dillon on the other hand cited Foucault saying that the sexuality has been shaped with morality by the Church through confession since the 16th century. It added that sexual desires had been repressed through interrogation from the priests. The confession further shaped heterosexuality as the only true sexuality.
Butler’s point of view in her work entitled, “Imitation and Gender Insubordination” reflects more on the postmodernism. Postmodern theorists assert that there is no hierarchy in truth. Like what Butler believes, gender is subjective and the heterosexuality as the true sexuality is non-existent. She believes that no human being is born with one gender. She even challenged the existence of the word gender because gender she said is an impersonation of ideal traits that are impossible for people to possess. She posts a mind-blowing debate on how masculinity and femininity are equated to sex. In her arguments, Butler even questioned why sex can be identified in physical traits and gender in social and cultural constructs.
Dillon explained that postmodernism defies the current order. Dillon cited that postmodern ways of writing are usually confusing as they do not follow the standard structure that goes usually from introduction, body and conclusion. Moreover, Dillon also cited Baudrillard, J.’s explanation on postmodernism.
Baudrillards said that postmodernism “blurs the line between illusion and reality.” In this manner, it clearly defies the structures or the higher truths set by institutions. Postmodernism Baudrillard further added does not recognize the existence of class, gender, sex and social relations. Postmodernism is deconstruction and post-structuralism. Dillon however is firm that occupational class, sex, gender and racial inequalities are still important as they share the social realities that humanity is experiencing. Dillon also defies Baudrillard’s claim that mass media does not matter. Dillon asserts that mass media matters as they simulate what we perceive as reality.
