Identities and LGBT

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lychee

[- slightly morbid fruit -] ❀[ 恋爱? ]❀
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Earlier yesterday evening, I attended an elective course about LGBT health issues/awareness that medical students should be knowledgeable about. The course is run in conjunction with the local campus LGBT student group and faculty interested in the subject.

It was an interesting lecture/dicsussion.

There were several points brought up that I hadn't previously thought very much about before.

(1) Sexual orientation is a topic that can mean different things to different people. Some people perceive their own sexual orientation with different criteria than others, so it's not a good to label someone by their behaviors. Instead, it's better to listen to whatever terminology they use to refer to themselves.

A common situation that might happen in the clinic (and you'd be surprised at how often this happens):

Clinician: "Are you sexually active?"

Patient: "Yes."

Clinician: "This is a standardized question we ask of all of our patients, but do you have sex with men, women, or both?"

Patient: "Both."

[....]

Clinician: "Since you mentioned that you have sex with men, homosexual men are at higher risk for certain sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and HIV. Is it alright if we run a test for STDs? Additionally, we recommend the HPV vaccine for homosexual young adults."

Patient: "Oh, but I'm not gay. I'm straight."​

It is really fascinating to me how often this occurs.

It is enough of an issue that in the medical literature and medical record, the preferred term is MSM ("men who have sex with men") or WSW ("women who have sex with women") rather than self-identified sexual orientation. This is because when you ask for someone's sexual orientation, this often under-reports the type of sexual practices that a patient undertakes.

✦ ✦ ✦​

Someone in the lecture brought up that "sexual orientation" is in many senses an identity that is heavily influenced by the kind of the social and cultural feelings the individual has towards sexual orientation.

What precisely is an identity?

An identity is an internal group classification that is analogous to one's "tribe", and the way they subconsciously classify themselves inside their head.

This is the best way I could explain it:

Imagine yourself walking down on a busy street.

Suddenly, you hear a voice shout:

"Hey! You! The poet over there. Turn around! I'm talking to you!"
​
If you turned around and thought the shout was directed at you, then you probably identify as a poet.

You could replace [poet] with anything, and I think this example would still probably work.

The key point is that being a poet is an identity.

For instance, it is possible that I may write lots of poems, but I may not consider myself to be a poet.

Alternatively, there may be someone else who writes less poems than me, but already considers themselves to be a poet.

✦ ✦ ✦​

I thought it was interesting to think of both sexual orientation and gender as "identities" as opposed to behaviors.

Identities are subconscious (meaning you don't randomly decide to pick and choose them), and they are also subjective (meaning, they aren't the same for everyone).

There's a very famous "GenderBread Person" that reflects this:

[​IMG]

The modern thought is that sexual orientation is more of a spectrum, not really a binary black and white.

Furthermore, the most recent iteration of the Genderbread Person separates sexual orientation into:
  • Sexual Attraction
  • Romantic Attraction
So if I were to fill it out this chart personally, mine would probably look kind of like this:
  • Sexual Attraction:
    • Women/Females/Femininity: 30%
    • Men/Males/Masculinity: 20%
  • Romantic Attraction:
    • Women/Females/Femininity: 10%
    • Men/Males/Masculinity: 65%
Yet my dating experiences have all only been heterosexual.

So it's curious, isn't it?

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Comments

    1. Cupcake Ninja Sep 17, 2017
      You know, @Azazael , i saw a hentai with that very thing. Flying with their dick, i mean. Perhaps you know it, nuki doki revolution? Or something along those lines, the title may bea bit different.
      Pyoo likes this.
    2. Raizhee Aug 18, 2017
      :/
      Genders :
      Male, female, hetero( nowadays not removing one genital from the start and the choice is left to be seen on the person later on in life when he or she becomes an adult and it's the time to decide) or nothing. ( people that basically disabled themselves or naturally)

      Sexual orientation :

      Be able to do sex or just get attracted to males : straight for women or homo for guys
      Be able to do sex or get attracted to girls : straight for guys and lesbian for girls.
      Be able to do sex with both and attracted to both : bisexual
      Not able to do sex but attracted : you're a fucking cripple but still straight, homo or lesbian depending on the person
      Able for sex with a gender but no affection feelings : still a damn lesbian, straight or homo depending on situation.
      Not able for sex or not affectionate : you're as asexual as you can possibly be and good luck


      That's my criteria. Tho i mostly put hetero as male or female because later on they'll have surgery for that and insta count asexual out if they had the genital completely removed or count it as male of female depending on the genital, even if it's just for form ( so yeah, i kinda believe in just 2 nice genders and everything)

      Attack helicopter and every invented gender or orientation is pretty amusing though :/ (imagine a flying guy using his dick to fly)
      Cupcake Ninja likes this.
    3. gggo Aug 18, 2017
      well, all I can say is, let people call themselves whatever they want. it's their own identity and dignity anyway.
      it's not like it harms anyone else when they call themselves bi, gay, or queer. just be polite.
    4. Cupcake Ninja Aug 16, 2017
      @Katsono honestly i was going to mention asexuality in my first comment here but decided against it, since i didn't think it had a place in a discussion where the act of sex is implied to take place. Without sex, i didnt think asexuality was fitting. But anyway, yeah i see where you're coming from fam. But i fail to see how a relationship like those you mentioned would REALLY WORK OUT.

      Because humans are greedy, selfish little bastards. I cant ever help but feel that deep down those people really just aren't satisfied with the situation but bear with it anyway for whatever reason they may have. Im very....cynical, perhaps? on the matter. I just dont believe we can TRULY be that understanding, especially with our significant others.
    5. QueenWolf Aug 16, 2017
      Can I firstly just say @lychee I am so impressed by both the intellectual thought behind this discussion but also the consideration for others views and opinions. That is often hard to come across, especially online where many conversations become vindictive, hate motivated and a *not literal* screaming match.

      I am living in Australia and at the moment there is a lot of discussion surrounding the LGBTQ+ community with a postal vote for gay marriage coming up and unfortunately I have found that I live in a country with far too many racist, bigoted and sexist individuals.

      But moving on, I first think there should be a distinction made between [gender and sex] and [gender and sexual orientation]

      An individuals 'sex' is the pure biological standpoint concerning whether you have two X chromosomes or XY chromosomes. i.e. how you are born. On the other hand gender is something that has become more fluid with all kinds of social, cultural and physiological aspects.

      However, gender is ultimately how you view yourself (i.e. "who you go to bed as") whereas sexual orientation is how you view others, in relation to yourself and attraction (i,e, "who you go to bed with").

      So what is the point of subjective labels @Katsono?
      The major problem with labelling in the past and still today as both gender and sexual orientation was/is in the black and white view science has brought us, where you are either 'male' or 'female' and 'heterosexual' or 'homosexual'.
      Both gender and sexual orientation have become increasingly subjective and personal as they have been acknowledged as a spectrum, rather than a yes/no ticked box, and that is why is is important for individuals who do not fit those black and white labels to still be able to make sense of themselves and their emotions.

      And while @abdera7man, I see where you are coming from; I agree that labels can separate, isolate and be used to push certain people above others, as long as the label of HUMANITY is accepted for all, what certain labels can do is bring people together, help them find themselves and come with a sense of pride.

      What humanity did wrong with labels is that they presented at their heart that one group was 'superior' than the other. I think what we need to differentiate is between labels such as bisexual, transgender and queer which help people come to terms with themselves vs. the stereotypes and names that should never be considered 'labels' in the first place.

      Like anything that is subjective and personal, people have different opinions and viewpoints of themselves and while some people might feel the same, as @lychee pointed out, they might identify differently . Ultimately what matters, especially today with gender and sexual orientation identity, WE ACCEPT EACH OTHER FOR WHO WE ARE.

      Tolerance, respect and love (and a healthy, constructive argument to keep us moving forward).
      syc, lychee and doomeye1337 like this.
    6. 1amdude Aug 16, 2017
      in the end, it all fall into what a person want to be, be it a man or a women. different culture have different view about masculinity and feminity.
      .
    7. Cupcake Ninja Aug 15, 2017
      Good points, i probably should have included the exceptions like what words mean in different cultures. When i start talking on a subject im interested in i sometimes forget to include the other points of view. I usually only speak in reference to the U.S, so i tend to forget other nations at times. My apologies.

      As for the example you gave, well, we have to ask: Is he attracted to her strictly as a woman? If a person is only attracted to one aspect, then whatever else that other person may be doesn't matter right? Here;s my take on it--If it were me, i would have to be called heterosexual even in that situation. Why? Because im not attracted to the man, but the woman I see him/her as. Get it? I see a WOMAN, not a man.

      I live by a simple rule: If it's pretty and has a hole im good to go.

      So long as i perceive the other person as a "woman" then even if they are a man i can accept it, Like Traps. Im attracted to traps strictly because they look like women, and are pretty. So, im hetero--Of course i would never fuck a trap...or if i ever did it'd have to be a REALLY FEMININE trap and the one who would get poked wouldn't be me, know what im saiyan?

      To me its not about what the other person is, or what society says you are...you should know yourself what turns you on, what attracts you. If you know that, you know who and what you are. Society can lie. Be wrong. It can misidentify you, can call you something you aren't.

      But the truth of the matter is all that...well, matters.
      Pyoo and lychee like this.
    8. Cupcake Ninja Aug 15, 2017
      yup. Gender. Not sex though.
      9. Page 1 of 3
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