Long Response
While sexuality remains a talking point in the modern society, many people are still being discriminated based on their sexual identities. It is essential to note that several people have become victims of racial discrimination as well as heterosexism in the modern society. While many people have fought to change the perception of the offenders, the battle against lesbianism is still alive in the society as many individuals do not consider it a cultural norm. Culturally acceptable codes of behavior have dictated that a particular behavior has to be observed by the members of the society to help nurture a morally upright society. Whereas activists insist that any discrimination against a particular group of people based on their sexual orientation is a breach of fundamental human rights, there has been rigid response towards people of gays and lesbians (Collins, 28). In fact, many people still live in disguise for fear of rebuke by the society. It is important to understand that cultural values in the society are observed from a particular angle that does not conform to the universal human rights. According to the author, racial discrimination has similar principles to heterosexism. It is clearly demonstrated in the behavioral manifestation of discriminators who only rely on retrogressive feelings and unjustifiable social norms to create a negative perception of others. Just like racial prejudice, heterosexism manifests in people who thrive in superiority and supreme ideologies that only a particular line of behavior is acceptable. It is essential to understand that many people make discriminative decisions and hatred based on biased points of view and the notion of syntactical correctness. The author has a particular belief that the society has institutionalized the hegemonic beliefs to the extent that nothing contrary is acceptable. In her view, she believes that heterosexism and racial prejudice exist as one force of oppression and power meant to align the social norms to a particular direction that best fits the members of the society. The author outlines the various ways in which these retrogressive ideas affect the society and behavioral inclination. She metaphorically refers to racism as a prison in a bid to justify the mental slavery that comes with such beliefs. On the other hand, homophobia is metaphorically represented by the closet to highlight the how the systems have adverse effects on the development and survival of African-Americans. The systems equally inflict sexual violence upon the members of a particular ethnic background regardless of their sexual orientation (Thomae, Manuela and Afroditi Pina, 195). These wrongful convictions have negative impacts on the lives of African Americans thus hinder their progress. The author asserts that society and the system have worked in the cohort to maintain a particular racial and sexual hierarchy. While there is the need for sexual and political development among the black population, heterosexism is a major impediment to progressive black patriarchy.
It is important to understand that within the political frameworks, there is a mutual coexistence between racism and heterosexism. They are mutually exclusive thus making it difficult to separate the two. There is a culture of oppression that is deeply embedded in the black culture. Therefore, it is important for the black population to understand how gender orientation and sexuality plays a significant role the shaping of social norms and societal behaviors. There is a long history of segregation that has characterized the African-American population from the epoch of civil war. Since the time, geographical isolation has been implemented without any consideration to the need to integrate together and promote cohesion among American ethnic groups. The black population has suffered extremely in the ghettos and city neighborhoods. Discrimination based on sexuality has been used mainly by the white population to suppress the black people and term homosexuality as a threat to moral values within their environs.
Short responses
According to Meyer, the growing criminal behavior based discriminative attitudes is resulting from a system that defines particular oppressive norms. There is growing violence on the members of LGBT has increased, and the culture of intolerance has taken over the sense of rationality in the American society. Many people have been subjected to hate crimes based on sexuality. The author attempts to unravel the nature of violence that the group of people is experiencing. It has been difficult to differentiate the nature of violence between gender-based or sexuality based crime. In his interrogation, the author realized that the most people encounter violence based on gender norms. According to many people, gender norms played a critical role in the violence they experienced (Thomae, Manuela and Afroditi Pina, 197). It is essential to note that violence and hate crimes are not a preserve of a particular group of people. Even the whites have experienced abuses and violence based on their sexuality. Hate crimes have been used to enforce and white supremacy within the society. It is important to note that homophobic violence has been the primary criminal manifestation in the social set up for many lesbians. According to lesbians, it became hard to figure out exactly why they were subject to violence (Collins, 28). There were very many victims of violence who could not understand the exact reason they experience hate crimes. Despite the homophobic feeling, many people found it were also victims of economically instigated violence. As a result, nonconformity has become a significant threat to sexual coexistence. Gay men encountered hate crimes due to their perceived disobedience to societal norms. The offenders were motivated to violence by sexism and racism. As a result, they were victims of punishment triggered by their defiance to conform to the society.
Heterosexuality
Certain societal norms are welcome in the society. Heterosexuality is considered the most appropriate sexual orientation that everybody should embrace. In the view of the community, it is abnormal for people to engage in sex with same sexes for it defies the norms. As a result, they might be called monsters to signify their defiance to social norms. The society made a decision based on religious inclinations on the nature of sexuality that is acceptable and the ones that should not be tolerated. Scientific inventions created a perception that only heterosexuality would lead to continuity of generations. It is essential to note that homosexuality became alien due to its inability to reproduce any generation. Due to the pressure the society puts on reproduction, heterosexuality thus remains the most acceptable form of sexuality that could result in reproduction. The romantic passion that women have for their peers is always subjected to discrimination due to suspiciously deviating from societal norms. Many women who have developed the lust for fellow women are thus considered monstrous due to their unusual behavior (Thomae, Manuela and Afroditi Pina, 199). While science has proven that only heterosexuality is productive, therefore; the society is comfortable. They have been tuned to believe in sex for reproduction. is the only option that could help meet the dream of nurturing generations. It is essential to understand that there is rigidity about morally acceptable standards that portend the general good of the members. The society is bent on morality and considers anything that does not conform to moral values is unwelcome. The value of morality is thus indispensable as it bears the general benefit of social values and moral inclination. The superior members of the social classes have thus considered certain behaviors a threat to their wellbeing and a catalyst to immorality which could lead to other forms of misdemeanors.
Work Cited
Collins, Patricia Hill. Prisons for our bodies, closets for our minds: Racism, heterosexism, and Black sexuality. (2004): 25-57.
Thomae, Manuela, and Afroditi Pina. "Sexist humor and social identity: The role of sexist humor in men’s in-group cohesion, sexual harassment, rape proclivity, and victim blame." Humor 28.2 (2015): 187-204.
