We’ve come a long way from The Odd Couple, the 1965 Broadway hit about two mismatched male roommates and whose premise now feels centuries old — and not because of the rotary phones and the early Eisenhower décor. Back then, the unspoken possibility of men living together in stereotypical sex roles — only without the sex — was funny. It wouldn’t have worked if there’d been the slightest suggestion of something more.
We now have that depiction — or, at least, less subtle intimation — of “more” to laugh at in a wide variety of current pop culture offerings, including shows like Glee, Modern Family, and Happy Endings, and theater productions like The Book of Mormon, all of which include gay characters dealing with very universal issues of love and sex. The hilarious new film adaptation of Rock of Ages features a love story between two of the male leads who confess their feelings for one another to the tune of a REO Speedwagon song. And this fall, Glee creator Ryan Murphy furthers the dialogue with a new NBC sitcom called The New Normal, about two gay men, their baby, and their adorably pushy “baby mama.”
We know by now how very key a role mainstream entertainment plays in creating a greater acceptance of gay rights, specifically to marry. Back in May, when Vice President Joe Biden argued in favor of same-sex marriage, he cited Will & Grace as a show that “did more to educate the American public” about gay people than anything else. Indeed, much of the general public’s “education” about the lives of gay Americans has come at the hands of television comedy. But by making gay characters something to laugh at, does it also risk making gay humor the only form of gay we can take?
When it comes to sex — gay or straight — laughter is often the best medicine. In large part that’s because, if you think about it, sex often is laughable. But one challenge we’ve had in achieving the full acceptance of people who are gay is that the very nature of what we’re “accepting” forces us to think about — and talk about — someone else’s sexual activity. As a family psychologist and gender expert, I’ve worked with many gay couples and individuals. One mother of a lesbian I knew told me that what disturbed her most about her daughter’s sexual orientation was the thought of her having sex with another woman. But what parent wants to imagine a child of whatever inclination having sex? Conversely, what child wants to imagine his or her parent doing the same? So when we do, or when we’re forced to, talk about or think about sex, it’s often for laughs. That’s okay.
My letter to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim in response to her statements here and here.
Dear deputy minister, I am sorry but the federal constitution does NOT define gender as male and female – in fact, it does NOT define gender at all.
I wish people who want to make policies about gender would keep themselves up to date regarding gender theories, at the very least.
Gender is a very broad and complex word for the different ways we experience and express who we feel we are and goes beyond the sex we were assigned at birth.
While gender is not the same as sexual orientation, it can also include aspects of it. Each of our experience of gender differs from one another, and it’s okay.
A simplistic understanding of gender consisting of only male and female is not only a view long discarded, but is not even a reflection of the diversity of our humanity.
We risk being the laughing stock of the world if we still hold on to such an outdated concept. More and more countries around the world, including those in Asia, are recognising diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity.
As recently as last month, Argentina legally recognised transgenders, allowing the individuals to decide for themselves their gender identity, while the state is obligated to fund the sex reassignment surgeries if they opt for it.
What constitute maleness and femaleness seems rigid because they are culturally constructed and culture can be very unforgiving.
The truth is we pick and choose from various cultural constructs of what it means to be a particular gender.
Why were some roles like cooking or nursing or teaching considered more feminine? Can only women cook, nurse and teach? Does it make a man less of a man to cook, nurse and teach?
Gender is a complex and rich field of study. Breaking down the gender binary and other assumptions has been responsible for destabilising the power of patriarchy over women.readmorehttp://malaysia786.wordpress.com
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