Blog Site

By Raha Boshra

As the title suggests, this is my last blog here. To my audience, I hope the material I have provided was insightful, and that what I discussed on sexuality, as well as other topics related to it, was valuable and important. It has been a joy to write these blog posts, even though I was often lost on how to run this website. 

Throughout these past few months and running this blog site, I have learned a lot about sexuality. Through this topic, I gained more insight about culture, gender, and how they all interact simultaneously in society, no matter where. I learned that simple things like marriage often have deeper meaning in life, but it all depends on how we view it. For example, many people see marriage as an important milestone in life, while some might deem it unnecessary. In the end, it is important to know that one should not be judged for whatever decision they make for their life. On the other hand, I was surprised to learn how much marriage affected the economy throughout the years, as well as the creation of viagra. Marriage ties strongly with capitalism. 

What strengthened my beliefs was when it came to the topic of pornography. I have heard of Andrea Dworkin, but I was enlightened when I read, even the introduction of her 1981 book titled “Pornography: Men Possessing Women” as it angrily feeds the audience on the sad truth about pornography and how it hurts and exploits women, based on true stories and experiences. Dworkin shares multiple stories of women and sex workers who were victims of sexual assault at the hands of violent men, either one or multiple of them at the same time. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and I appreciate that about her. I have always been opposed to erotic material, but this has taught me how truly harmful it is. So, I consider myself anti-porn and even anti-kink for the same reason. Because even some kinks are disguised as an excuse to hurt women while glorifying violence. 

Moving on, there was also a discussion on labels in the LGBTQ+ community. Sure, some might agree that it is better to keep things simplified, but I do not see anything wrong with other identities as they are used as a way to experiment and help people find themselves. It was not difficult for me to learn about umbrella terms within sexualities and gender identities, so I believe that anyone else can do it too. I do consider myself an Asexual, someone who does not feel sexual attraction, but there is also a spectrum to Asexuality. For example, an umbrella term within asexuality is called “Demisexual”, meaning one feels no sexual attraction until there is a strong connection beforehand. There are more identities within the spectrum, such as AroAce, which means that one is Aromantic and Asexual, meaning there are no sexual or romantic attractions. However, some believe that asexuality is not a part of the LGBTQ+ even though they resonate a lot with different sexualities. For example, recently I learned about asexual lesbians, who focus more on the romantic connection rather than the sexual. All in all, I see nothing wrong with many identities and terms used to describe oneself. 

My final message to you all is to keep yourself educated. Read, question things more often, and do research on topics that intrigue you. Looking back, I never thought that I could become so open-minded, yet analytical of everything around me. This era of my life has taught me to hold my moral values highly, as I have found out that it is a way of self-respect to surround myself with those who have similar beliefs. 

Signing off

-Raha B.

By Raha Boshra

Marriage is seen as a simple part of life to many. A milestone of trust, connection, and love, whether it is same-sex or not. But, looking into this topic is far beyond that simplicity. Marriage has complex factors and anxieties related to politics, gender, sexuality, religion, morality, and belonging. Which all depends on the timeline and which part of history is being discussed. However, there is also a heavy focus on sex and sexuality in marriage, as most marriages with a lack of sexual satisfaction are deemed to fail, leading to divorce.

Faced with a time of uncertainty, with anxieties raised by the rise of divorce and abortions, and with single men and single women stepping out together in the evening, the new sex doctors prescribed a new cure: reinvigorating the marital bond based on mutual sexual satisfaction (Seidman, 2014). But, it should be clear that eroticism or the pursuit of sensual pleasure was considered legitimate in heterosexual marriage only, and sex before or outside of marriage was considered unacceptable and a sign of personality disorder and social danger during the twentieth century. After the second World War, Men and women incapable of experiencing erotic pleasure or uncomfortable with eroticism were labeled prudes or, in medical scientific language, “frigid” or “impotent” or suffering from a neurosis or personality disorder (Seidman, 2014). It is not specified if Seidman is specifically speaking about being uninterested in sex or those experiencing sexual dysfunction, but it was a surprising read that this was the common opinion on those with a lack of interest in sex. Yet, considering the focus and pressure on reproduction is a valid consideration as to why this was happening. From the 1950s onward, Americans have looked to sexual fulfillment as essential for self-fulfillment and intimate happiness (Seidman, 2014).

Throughout the decades, the connection between sex to love, and marriage has changed. The women’s movements, as well as the gay movements, directly challenged the norms of heterosexual marriage as well. These movements raised great questions related to the position of women post-marriage, as well as the focus of heterosexual marriage on reproduction and having a family instead of love and connection. However, these soon changed due to the rise of anxieties related to these movements in America. The Christian Right and the right wing of the Republican Party have tried to rally the nation around a defense of heterosexual marriage. Initially they blamed the current ills of America—AIDS, sexual disease, high divorce rates, abortion, teen pregnancies, single-parent households—on women’s new freedom of sexual choice and on the gay/lesbian movement (Seidman, 2014). These fears and oppressive behaviors, as well as a strong focus on heterosexual marriage only, also challenged the expression of gender and gender nonconformity. So, heterosexuality is anchored by maintaining a gender order through either celebrating and idealizing gender or by stigmatizing and polluting gender nonconformity (Seidman, 2014).

Later on, during the 1990s, the promotion of viagra began with a heavy focus on heterosexual sex and marriage to Americans who had a physiological “medical” problem. Viagra was initially marketed as the solution to the medical problem of “erectile dysfunction” (ED), but quickly was advertised as a way to enhance the sex lives of men and women in general (Seidman, 2014). However, women were not entirely satisfied with the promotion of viagra, as it reduced their control in sex and only promoted heterosexuality, and it also took away the emotional aspect of sexual connection. Despite the failure of viagra and doctors also figuring out “female erectile dysfunction” (FSD), the doctors still happened to blame women for not urging their husbands to be turned on.

The change in time and decades shows that marriage is not so simple after all. Even nowadays, the norms within connections, love, dating, and marriage are being challenged. All in all, marriage should be about the trust and the comfort of being with someone you love, getting the best out of life by someone’s side, and not purely focusing on reproduction or creating a family. 

Reference:
Seidman, S. (2014, October 10). The Social Construction of Sexuality, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780393270235

By Raha Boshra

Every business has its pros and cons, much like how trouble arises in many jobs. It happens. This is with the inclusion of sex work, online or not. So, let’s talk about it.

Carol Leigh, also known as Scarlet the Harlot, coined the term “sex worker” in 1978 (Leigh 1997). Since then, countless activists have struggled to obtain a legitimate status for sex workers as service professionals who perform erotic labor in a highly competitive capitalist marketplace (Jones, 2016). Sex work is treated as a legitimate business, whether it is online or in person. Online sex work, also known as webcamming or camming, has brought a different and easier approach to sex workers and their business. Unlike traditional pornography, the live-streaming video and interactive components of webcamming allow workers and customers to create unique content for each performance (Jones, 2016). 

The rise of camming has brought a massive change to sex work and its payers. Webcam modeling is part of a new, large, and diverse online market in which sex workers advertise and sell sexualized services online (Jones, 2016). Sex workers and those who do webcamming describe this work as a pleasure for themselves, and that they find it enjoyable and easier to manage. Webcam performances, particularly in private shows, are unlike other forms of service work in that they are not just ordered by the customer and served by the worker. These shows are often highly pleasurable for workers because the model, not the customer, often dictates the show’s content and pace (Jones, 2016).

Nowadays, the rise of OnlyFans and the workers within it are too common to go unnoticed. However, as glorified and easy as it is claimed to be, webcamming comes with its own problems and stigmas that affect those within the business. Online workers are often protected within the apps or services that they use, which is usually a paywall. However, this does not stop some consumers from recording or reposting the material they receive somewhere else. So privacy is sometimes a worrying issue for the workers. On the other hand, much like any online business, there are exploiters, trolls, doxxers, and other dangerous individuals involved. A troll is a slang Internet term for a person who participates in online forums, chat rooms, message boards, and other forms of social media by posting inflammatory comments that are meant to cause conflict, disruption, and an emotional response. A troll often enters a model’s room and posts menacing statements in the public chat room (Jones, 2016). 

The negative sides of sex work also include the stigma that comes with it. Stigma is a universal in the sex work arena: well-documented in research on pornography, prostitution, and commercial stripping as an obstacle that sex workers and their associates confront on a regular basis (Weitzer, 2018). The intensity of these stigmas differs from one another, the worst one being associated with prostitution or street prostitution, to be exact. Not only does this affect the workers themselves, but also their families, partners, customers/clients, and their managers. Even some researchers who have worked on the topic of sex work are not safe from negative stigma and derogatory comments. Destigmatization is both an academic and a political issue. Politically, we can identify a set of practical strategies for fighting stigma, based on the tactics of deviance liberation movements (Schur, 1980). Academically, we can identify a set of preconditions for reducing and ultimately eliminating stigma from a category of people (Weitzer, 2018). 

When it comes to sex work being considered an issue and stigma rising against it, it is better to steer the focus to the more problematic side of things, such as pornography and trafficking.

Reference:
Jones, A. (2016). I get paid to have orgasms. Vol. 42 No.1, pp. 227-256
Weitzer, R. (2018). Resistance to sex work stigma. Sexualities, 21(5-6), 717–729.

By Raha Boshra

“With shame comes stigma, and with stigma comes violence.” -Intelexual Media on YouTube.
Stigma is everywhere, whether it is positive or negative. The history of sex work is filled with stigma, as well as negative factors like racism, misogyny, and class issues. From the 80s until now, there has been a wealth of cultural activism through books, art, and media that humanizes sex workers and legitimizes their existence to the mainstream. But even these positive gains are hemmed in by a culture that continues to dehumanize sex workers in video games, music, and movies (Intelexual Media, 2021).

Today, most U.S. laws criminalize the sex act as well as associated activities such as pimping and pandering (Brents et al., 2010). With Nevada being the only state where prostitution is legalized, there are still instances where many see sex work and prostitution as a fake business. Yet with Las Vegas being in Nevada, there are various instances of advertisements related to prostitution, either on paper or online. Las Vegas is known as “Sin City”, a place with rich entertainment factors, and places such as casinos, clubs, bars, and even the strip, a great attraction to tourists and anyone looking for a great vacation. The saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is a hint at its freedom of adult entertainment with no judgment, yet despite all of this, the judgment and stigma surrounding sex work are still present.

In Nevada, prostitution is treated as a legitimate business. In Nevada’s legal brothels, there are structures in place that have successfully prevented violence, disease, and severe exploitation. The rural communities where prostitution is legal do not experience problems typically assumed to be associated with illegal prostitution: underage prostitution, trafficking, drugs, littering (of used condoms, drug paraphernalia), violence, disease, and a general increase in crime (Brents et al., 2010). 

Going back to the topic of pornography, related to my last blog, I still agree on the dangers of pornography and how it enforces violence, but I generally try not to involve this with sex workers. There are worse issues that overlap with sex workers, such as murder, and sex workers who have been victims due to the negative stigma surrounding them. At least 502 known male serial murderers have existed in America between 1970 and 2009, and 3,288 of their victims were women, and 32% of those women were sex workers (Intelexual Media, 2021). These crimes were often committed due to the hatred towards sex workers, and how they would often not go missing since no one would look for them. However, there has been a push for activism in an attempt to dehumanize sex workers and decriminalize prostitution. Other states and communities around the United States can learn valuable policy lessons about the structures and experiences of prostitution today by paying attention to Nevada as a model, not as a social oddity (Brents et al., 2010).

By recognizing the similarities and differences sex work has with other forms of labor, it is possible to frame, define, legislate, and regulate commercial sex in ways that are more empowering for sex workers and healthier for communities (Brents et al., 2010).

All in all, prostitution and sex work are managed like a legitimate business, and learning the difference between sex workers and those who are trafficked and forced to do sex work can help in minimizing the stigma and the violence that comes from that hatred. Those who do sex work are still making money, and money is difficult to come by in this day and age. So, why judge sex work when there are worse and more dangerous ways to make money?

References:
Brents, B. G., Jackson, C. A., Hausbeck, K. (2010). The State of Sex: Tourism, Sex, and Sin in the New American Heartland. [PDF]. Ebook pages 213-226.
Intelexual Media. (2021, August 20). A brief history of America hating sex workers [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/PPNbYtv0Gpo?si=BRDC1vP7tshXuwj3 

By Raha Boshra

For many people who are not gender normative, adopting or creating new identities can become a way of resisting the normative gender identities that they feel restrict their ability to express how they understand their own gender. Rejecting the accepted identities of male or female allows people to find new ways of living their own gender expression, whether it involves the creation of flexible identities or a complete rejection of any gender identity (Seidman, 2014). 

Labels within the LGBTQ+ community are often a topic of debate, either inside or outside of the community. Some think that labels and umbrella terms are confusing and too much work, while some support them. In Imitation and Gender Insubordination by Judith Butler, she states that gender is not a performance that a prior subject elects to do, but gender is performative in the sense that it constitutes as an effect the very subject it appears to express. It is a compulsory performance in the sense that acting out of line with heterosexual norms brings with it ostracism, punishment, and violence, not to mention the transgressive pleasures produced by those very prohibitions (Butler, 1993). 

Despite the differing opinions on labels getting overwhelming, I find them to be beneficial for the community. As someone who is nonbinary, I was someone who was not a fan of the newer labels. Eventually, I realized that they are not for me; they are for the people who choose them, and all that matters is that they are happy with themselves. Labels exist for people to fit in, feeling like they are somewhere that they belong, and it feels good to find a label that fits. Seidman talks about the term genderqueer, stating that being genderqueer may mean being positioned in the middle or between genders (Seidman, 2014). One person shares their thought on the term, saying, “If someone doesn’t feel male, female, but feels both, feels something else, it would be nice if there was some representation of that. Or, alternatively, if there was no representation of gender and everyone was just a person. That would be nice.” For this person, genderqueer is less an identity than a standpoint defined by the rejection of the idea that people must be classified as either female or male (Seidman, 2014). This is often the relationship I have with my gender identity, and people often have differing views of me and how I present myself because societal views feel too obsessive in a way. Trust me, I have heard the age-old question of “Are you a girl or a boy?” too many times in my life. 

Learning that gender (and even sexuality at times) is a social construct is an eye-opener, and I can speak on personal experiences in that case. Societal expectations are bleak and often set on strict rules in a world where nothing is that simple. When there is a concept of what is “normal” and what is not, it leads to a society having a black and white concept of how everything works. Despite biology being complicated on sex and gender, many still want to argue that there are only “two genders” and that there is no difference between gender and sex. So, I kind of see labels similarly. Sexuality and gender expression are very broad and open, and I do not see anything wrong with how people want to identify. Terms and labels are not meant to be political or a tool for something; they are just a way for someone to express themselves. In the end, we are all humans, and if we can support each other, that’s always the better option.

References:
Seidman, S. (2014, October 10). The Social Construction of Sexuality, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780393270235 
Butler, J. (1993). Imitation and Gender Insubordination. LESBIAN AND GAY STUDIES READER. (ED.) New York: Routledge. Pages 307-320. [PDF].

By Raha Boshra

Pornography and sex have always been topics of discussion, especially with the involvement of feminism. Andrea Dworkin’s work titled “Pornography” offers a brutal deep dive into the world of sex work and how it affects the viewpoint of men towards women, often raising points about rape culture. On the other hand, a chapter titled “The Politicisation and Sexualisation of Black Womanhood” by Audre Lorde, Angela Y. Davis, Bell Hooks, and Patricia Hill Collins expands on the topic mentioned in the title by discussing the relationship between black feminism and capitalism, patriarchy, racism, and, more importantly, gender-based violence. In this blog, I will be comparing and discussing these two works. 

Andrea Dworkin’s introduction to “pornography” starts strong, showing that she is not afraid of stating her thoughts and opinions on the said topic while sharing terrifyingly traumatic stories of women and sex workers who were victims of sexual assault at the hands of violent men, either one or multiple of them at the same time. 

Pornography is defined as the graphic, sexually explicit subordination of women in pictures and/or words that also includes women presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; or women presented as sexual objects who enjoy pain or humiliation; or women presented as sexual objects who experience sexual pleasure in being raped; or women presented as sexual objects tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt; or women presented in postures or positions of sexual submission, servility, or display; or women’s body parts— including but not limited to vaginas, breasts, buttocks— exhibited such that women are reduced to those parts; or women presented as whores by nature; or women presented being penetrated by objects or animals; or women presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding, bruised, or hurt in a context that makes these conditions sexual. If men, children, or transsexuals are used in any of the same ways, the material also meets the definition of pornography (Dworkin, 1981). 

It is a serious problem that pornography glorifies these painful tragedies of women, as there have been instances of victims stepping forward on various social media platforms about how some porn websites have videos of their assault on full display, no matter how many times they have reached out and told the company to take them down. People’s traumatic experiences turning into nothing but material for pleasure, while encouraging violence, rape, incest, and any form of sexual trauma as pleasure, only brings down the victims of these instances, while encouraging violence. 

On the other hand, Lorde argues that despite its power, the erotic has been devalued and suppressed in patriarchal Western capitalist societies through the reduction of work to the sum of our tasks and duties, and good to profit and not human need. The suppression of the erotic has also affected men: patriarchal societies have misrepresented the erotic as a sign of female inferiority and taught men to fear the possibility of non-rational knowledge within themselves (Lorde, 1984). Then, Angela Davis expands this topic with the history of black women and sexual violence in slavery, stating that sexual violence against enslaved black women was an expression of white male capitalist power since it was a racist and sexist act, which unfortunately did not stop even after the end of slavery. History shows that acts of sexual and gender-based violence committed by the ruling classes in capitalist societies occur frequently and go largely unchallenged (Davis, 1981). 

Both of these articles expand on the topic of sexual violence and how glorifying eroticism and sex could lead to the glorification of sexual trauma while encouraging rape culture. As explained by a website titled “Rape Crisis: England and Wales”, Rape culture is a culture where sexual violence and abuse are normalised and played down. Where it is accepted, excused, laughed off, or not challenged enough by society as a whole. This organization believes that rape culture exists because our society sees women and girls as less important and less deserving of respect and power compared to men and boys. These all reflect the points that both readings have tried to make.

Nowadays, some people often believe that being anti-porn is being anti-sex work. It is understandable that if someone wants to do it, it is their choice and decision. But those who have been assaulted, raped, beaten, while being filmed did not consent to this. It was not their choice, and they were forced. That is the sad reality that many need to realize.

References
Dworkin, A. (1981). Pornography: Men possessing women. Plume/Penguin Books. [PDF]
Duvenage, A., Lorde, A., Davis, A. Y., Collins, P. H., Bell Hooks. (2024). Roads to Decolonisation: The Politicisation and Sexualisation of Black Womanhood. Chapter 5. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003468400-8
What is rape culture? Rape Crisis England & Wales. https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/about-sexual-violence/what-is-rape-culture/  

By Raha Boshra

When it comes to sexology, there are discussions on its popular pioneers who have shared their theories, findings, knowledge, and thoughts on sex and sexuality. Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Havelock Ellis, and Magnus Hirschfeld, to name a few. However, they all have different perceptions of what is considered “normal” and “abnormal”. A popular example is Sigmund Freud, who is known for his strange concepts on the psychology behind sex.

Eventually breaking away from sexology, establishing his own science of sexuality, and outlining a general theory of human psychology, Sigmund Freud outshone Krafft-Ebing and changed our conception of humanity and sexuality. Freud’s perspective became known as psychoanalysis (Seidman, 2014). 

The works of Krafft-Ebing focus on the “norm”, being heterosexuality; meanwhile, Freud makes the point that many areas of the body are erotic and there are many ways of experiencing sexual satisfaction. Even Seidman states that the fourth key idea of sexology reveals that the sexual instinct is by nature heterosexual.

I believe that these “rules” and labels on what is “normal” take the bigger image of sexuality away, even causing bigotry like homophobia and transphobia. Sex and sexuality are not black and white, and it is not limited to heterosexuality just for procreation. If anything, the main point of sex is pleasure, not to reproduce. Whereas sexologists defined the sexual instinct as reproductive and naturally heterosexual, Freud argued that the sexual instinct is oriented to pleasure. Moreover, humans get pleasure not only from sexual intercourse but also from kissing, touching, caressing, looking, and sometimes dominating and being dominated (Seidman, 2014). This is why I often agree with the points that Sigmund Freud makes on sexology, because he has a wider view on sexuality and the psychology behind it, even when many might think that his ideas were “bizarre”.

Freud also coined the idea of the stage theory of psychosexual development, which includes different stages throughout childhood to adulthood. However, Freud’s idea caused public outrage, much like his other ideas. Gradually, as the child matures, the “oral phase” is replaced by the “anal stage.” Eventually, the child arrives at the “genital stage.” Freud believed that the genital stage marks the beginning of adult development, as the individual is no longer self-stimulating but is oriented to other individuals (Seidman, 2014). 

With more input from Seidman, Sigmund Freud’s work is important for three reasons.
First, sexuality is understood as beyond and more than genital intercourse for purposes of reproduction. Sexuality is a wide subject, and so is the drive to experience pleasure. This leads to the second reason, as Freud insists that normal sexuality includes a wide range of desires and acts beyond procreation. Freud presents a very modern view of sexuality by framing sexuality as a diffuse drive for bodily pleasure (Seidman, 2014). The third reason is that Freud approached sexuality as a social phenomenon, even though he saw sex as rooted in biologically based drives and physical pleasures. This is proven by Freud’s sexual theories in stages of the human life and how simple behaviors can reflect something deeper, starting from childhood to adulthood. Freud also believed that sex goes beyond physical, as it can involve fantasies and wishes of desire for pleasure. To Freud, sex was a matter of the mind and the body, and the mind is shaped by social dynamics (Seidman, 2014).

Freud opened the way to thinking about sex as a fundamentally psychosocial reality; however, Freud never abandoned the sexological view that sex is natural. His successors in psychoanalysis were divided between those who developed the biological aspects of his ideas and those who explored the interpersonal context of psychosexual development (Seidman, 2014).

References:
Seidman, S. (Oct. 10, 2014). The Social Construction of Sexuality, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]].  Retrieved from vbk://9780393270235

By Raha Boshra

As modern society progresses, Pride and Capitalism go hand in hand as much as they did throughout its history. From companies creating, promoting, and selling Pride-themed products in June, to Gay and/or lesbian bars. As explained by John D’Emilio, for gay men and lesbians, the 1970s were years of significant achievement, but in the 1980s, however, with the resurgence of an active right wing, gay men and lesbians face the future warily (D’Emilio). 

There is a huge focus on the “nuclear family” in this article, and how it affects both capitalism and the LGBTQ+ community. The expansion of capital and the spread of wage labor have led to a profound transformation in the structure and functions of the nuclear family, the ideology of family life, and the meaning of heterosexual relations. It is these changes in the family that are most directly linked to the appearance of a collective gay life (D’Emilio).

For example, during the 17th century, white colonists in New England established villages and lived a life revolving around a household economy, including families that were self-sufficient, independent, and patriarchal. The male head of the household owned land that was farmed by men, women, and children within the family. The home was a workplace where women processed raw farm products into food for daily consumption, where they made clothing, soap, and candles, and where husbands, wives, and children worked together to produce the goods they consumed (D’Emilio). However, by the 19th century, this system in families was in decline. The family production was no longer a viable option, as they were being drawn out of the largely self-sufficient household economy of the colonial era into a capitalist system of free labor. With the rise of wage labor in replacement, the meaning of sexuality and heterosexual relationships began to change as well. 

By the end of the 19th century, a class of men and women existed who recognized their erotic interest in their own sex, saw it as a trait that set them apart from the majority, and sought others like themselves. These early gay lives came from a wide social spectrum: civil servants and business executives, department store clerks and college professors, factory operatives, ministers, lawyers, cooks, domestics, hoboes, and the idle rich; men and women, black and white, immigrant and native-born (D’Emilio). As this period began, gays and lesbians began to find ways to connect and meet each other. This was already happening as in the early 20th century, gay bars were on the rise. Gay men were in cruising areas such as Riverside Drive in New York City and Lafayette Park in Washington. Lesbians formed literary societies and private social clubs. Some working-class women ‘passed’ as men to obtain better-paying jobs and lived with other women, forming lesbian couples who appeared to the world as husband and wife (D’Emilio). 

As these were happening, doctors began developing theories on homosexuality and described it as a condition, something that was inherent in a person, a part of his or her ‘nature’. These theories did not represent scientific breakthroughs, elucidations of previously undiscovered areas of knowledge; rather, they were an ideological response to a new way of organizing one’s personal life. The popularization of the medical model, in turn, affected the consciousness of the women and men who experienced homosexual desire, so that they came to define themselves through their erotic life (D’Emilio). 

Capitalism has created the material conditions for homosexual desire to express itself as a central component of some individuals’ lives; now, our political movements are changing consciousness, creating the ideological conditions that make it easier for people to make that choice (D’Emilio). These changes are correlated to the history of homosexuality and the “nuclear family”. Today, capitalism targets both of these concepts hand in hand. 

Reference:
D’Emilio, J. Capitalism and Gay Identity. [PDF] /courses/195000/files/30376725

By Raha Boshra

“There are two types of Queer history: One that was queer in its own time, and queer history that mirrors queer experiences today.” This is one of the important points mentioned in the video titled “Medieval Knights Were a LOT Gayer Thank You Think” by Kaz Rowe. As mentioned in the same video, the European Christian obsession with homosexuality being the “ultimate sin” did not happen until the 14th Century, and there are only theories about how this came about, as no one knows why. However, in the Middle Ages, men had more chances to explore queer inclinations, especially in the world of Knights.

Despite the differences in nations and generations, there were common themes among Knights: Being sworn into orders as brothers in arms, promising loyalty to their kingdom as well as to other knights, and forming a protective bond. Even before becoming a knight, these factors are encouraged in them. 

Chivalric treatises provide a good insight into the erotic intimacy of the nightly rituals that could easily encourage homoerotic bonds. One of these treatises is “The Book of Chivalry” by Geoffroi de Charny, written in the 1350s, which outlines the various steps involved in becoming a knight from a squire, stating:
“Then the knights should come to the beds, to dress those to be knighted. The stuff in which they dress them, the linen and all that goes with it, should be new. Then the knights should robe them in red tunics, signifying that they are pledged to shed their blood to defend and maintain the Faith of our Lord, and the rights of the Holy Church, and all the other just rights set out above, which it is the knight’s duty to protect. Then the knights bring black hose, and put them on those to be knighted. Then the knights bring them white belts, with which they gird them, signifying that they should surround their bodies with chastity and purity of the flesh.”
The novice knights are also ritually bathed by the other knights before these steps. Then, during the ordination ceremony, the knight assigned to officiating kisses the new knight ceremonially.

It was common yet expected for knights to form bonds similar to married couples, which would often last until death. Some brotherly couples were even buried together, like Sir William Nevillle and Sir John Clanvowe. These knights were born in the same year and spent decades of their lives together, becoming royal bedchamber knights in the court of King Richard II before going on crusade. Their coat of arms was connected on their shields and impaled, like a married couple’s would have been. This is why when their tomb was unearthed in the early 1900s, people assumed that they were a married couple. They likely died from the plague in 1391 near Constantinople. As the Chronicle of Westminster Abbey wrote of their death:
“It was also on the 17th October, that in a village near Constantinople, in Greece, the life of Sir John Clanvowe, a distinguished knight, came to its close, causing to his companion on the march, Sir William Nevillle, for whom his love was no less than for himself, such inconsolable sorrow that he never took food again, and two days afterward breathed his last, greatly mourned in the same village.”

To reflect on the history of the knights in comparison to today, many people often think that LGBTQ+ history happened in modern times, when in fact, it has always existed throughout history. Earlier in the video, Kaz mentions that “you can’t legislate or discriminate gay people out of existence”, foreshadowing the rich history later explained in the video. Love has always existed in different forms, and it will continue to do so.

References:
Kaz Rowe (Jul. 25, 2025). Medieval Knights Were a LOT Gayer Than You Think. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/PYqT6sKZJjY?si=euu7vyBvy5LRtGZ3

By Raha Boshra

We live in a sexual society, as sex is a need for humans, much like food and water. However, this all depends, as some might question the idea of whether sex is natural or not at all. Societal construction has changed the way that people view sex, with the involvement of race, class, religion, and other beliefs. If you are traditionally Jewish or Catholic, for example, you will likely have been taught that God equipped men and women with an innate drive to procreate. If you are of a liberal religious or a nonreligious background, sexologists such as Masters and Johnson or psychologists such as Freud have most likely shaped your beliefs about sex (Seidman, 2014).
However, there are both weak and strong versions of this claim that sex is social. The weak one simply states that people are born with a sexual nature, while the strong one suggests that we are not born with a sexual nature, rather born with bodies that have the potential to experience sensuality by learning what we observe in sexual experiences and their meanings in society. Social factors determine which desires are sexual and which serve as identities, which desires and identities are acceptable, and what forms of sexual intimacy are considered appropriate (Seidman, 2014).

Our concept of what is natural and what is unnatural is constantly evolving and often the source of conflict. For example, throughout most of the nineteenth century, many Americans, including the most educated, condemned masturbation, interracial sex, and sex outside of marriage as unnatural and a social danger (Seidman, 2014). This, however, is not the case today, as time changes what society thinks of various societal topics. So, having a social view on sex and sexuality results in considerable moral uncertainty on these topics, as arguments could exist in return. The lack of this view results in people forming harmful opinions about people’s lives. Sure, it will not get rid of stereotypes, but it will make us mindful about our beliefs on sex and the consequences of them, as long as no one is getting hurt. 

The distinction between positive and negative social significance is not linear and often contradictory (Hawkes, 1996). Negative and positive associations with sex exist, as one could be a source of fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. On the other hand, it could be a source of satisfaction, happiness, and fulfilment. Healthy and good sex is even the backbone of keeping a partner and a happy relationship. 

Foucault’s 1985 work on sexual ethics in Classical Antiquity offers some insight into both conceptualizations of sexual desire and its negative as well as positive consequences, pointing out that the concept of pleasure, or Aphrodisia, entailed the unification of desire, the source of pleasure, and its experience (Hawkes, 1996). The sources of Aphrodisia were three factors: Eating, drinking, and copulation; all considered expected and normal to seek out these pleasures. The need to repeat these experiences was Desire. 

On a personal note, sex and sexuality are not as limited as one might think. As much as society is unpredictable, so are the definitions of what one could think sex and sexuality are. Gender is a social construct, and biology is complicated, as there are even more than two sexes, unlike what many might think. Many might disagree with this, as these are more modernized ideas in the psychology of sex and gender. However, this all circles back to time passing and changing everything, and traditional views coming off as more harmful and “argumentative”. As mentioned by Seidman, con. But as of now, many of us recognize that such beliefs are mistaken, may be ideological, and contribute to creating racial and gender differences and inequalities (Seidman, 2014).

References:
Seidman, S. (Oct. 10, 2014). The Social Construction of Sexuality, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780393270235
Hawkes, G. (Mar. 16, 1996). Sociology of Sex and Sexuality. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780335231737