Sexuality & Gender Diversity in
a Global Context
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Definitons,
Heterosexuality
Homosexuality
Transsexuality
Human Rights
Intersex
General
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Biological against Social
Developmental models
• (Nature vs. Nurture)
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Lifestyle Choice or the way people are
made
• (Free Will vs. Determinism)
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Global phenomenon
• not “white man’s disease”
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Cultural & Religious responses
• Prohibition (Judaism, Islam, Christianity)
• Tolerance (Xanith, Hijra/Kinnar)
• Veneration (Zuni/Nadlee in N. America)
Sex & gender, men or women
• Sex – biological, chromosomal
XX / XY – male / female
• Gender – cultural, socially constructed
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Masculine / feminine
Definitions
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Heterosexuality:
• Attraction to the opposite sex
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Homosexuals/Homosexuality:
• Same-sex attraction
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Transsexuals/Transsexuality:
• People who have surgery to “change sex”
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Gender Dysphoria
• discomfort with assigned gender.
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Transgender (definitions vary)
• living in “opposite” gender-role without surgery
Definitions (cont.)
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Androgynous:
• People who identify as neither male or
female
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Intersex:
• People
sexes
• People
• People
• People
born somewhere between the
with atypical chromosomes
with hormonal anomalies
with atypical genitalia
Diverse phenomena
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Homosexuality
• sexual orientation (gay or lesbian)
• male/female identification
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Transsexuality
• gender-role and gender-identity
• May identify as straight or gay
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Intersex
• Biological condition
• Often identify as straight
• May identify as gay or transsexual
Heterosexuality
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Usually seen as ‘normal’
• This is problematic, as it implies other
things as ‘abnormal’
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Dominant form of sexuality
• Thus others are defined as being in a
‘subordinate’ position
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Notions of normality and dominance
lead to discrimination and injustice
Homosexuality
In Christian communities diverse
responses across cultures globally:
‘Gay bishop confirmed in US as traditionalists are
defied’ (Daily Telegraph 04/08/2003)
‘Anger at San Francisco's gay weddings spills over into
court challenges’ (Guardian 17/02/04)
‘Pope Renews Attack on Gay Marriages’ (The Scotsman
31/07/03)
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Politics
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In the UK, individuals with strong profiles dominate
public perception. Anne Widdecombe is seen as the
Tory voice, and is opposed to same-sex partnerships,
and their promotion, as alternatives to the
heterosexual family.
Michael Howard:
"I continue to believe that the conventional marriage and family is the
best environment within which to bring up children… But many
couples now choose not to marry. And more and more same sex
couples want to take on the shared responsibilities of a committed
relationship.” (http://uk.gay.com/headlines/5787)
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Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat are committed to
maintaining tolerance, equal opportunities and
diversity in our society.
Tensions
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rights of individuals as citizens
• equal treatment,
• employment,
• Partnerships
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rights of religious groups to enforce behaviours
• on members
• on non-members through the secular state
• on other states
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Homosexuals presented as having agenda.
Homosexuals more likely to be victims of violence.
Crimes of hate, conspiracy of silence: Torture and ill treatment based on
sexual identity (Amnesty International 2000)
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Transsexuality
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Classical cultures:
‘Self-made eunuch emerges from Roman grave’ (Guardian 22/05/02)
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Transgendered people have existed from the earliest
times, as well as in cultures such as in India and
Native North Americans.
As with homosexuals, attempts to pursue rights have
met a backlash from religious right in Europe and
America:
‘New gender recognition law challenged as ‘highly dangerous’’
http://www.parakaleo.co.uk/eaukresponsejuly2003.htm
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Radical Feminists argue that it is our society’s gender
stereotyping which causes gender dysphoria and
results in radical surgery to change sex.
Human Rights (1)
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Amnesty International report in 2000 highlighted
that many people around the world are tortured,
imprisoned and killed because of their sexuality
or gender identity.
Such minorities are often not tolerated in much
of North and South America, the Middle East,
Africa and parts of Europe. People are targeted
for simply being who they are – and this is
sometimes sanctioned by the state.
Human Rights (2)
‘Gay rights protest at Mobo awards’ (Guardian 02/10/02)
 There was an expression of anger that a number
of artists had been nominated for best reggae
act. These people had lyrics that urged the
burning, shooting and battering to death of gays,
completely unacceptable in a tolerant society.
‘Gay activists target Eminem’ (BBC News 05/02/01)
 In the USA, similar arguments used by the Nazi’s
against the Jews are often used to denigrate
homosexuals.
http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/hitler/hitler.
html
Intersex
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The video “Hermaphrodites Speak” shows an
informal discussion between a group of intersex
people. It is distributed by the Intersex Society
of North America, which campaigns for the rights
of intersex people.
It is included because whilst this is has been a
hidden minority in our society the incidence of
intersex is higher than that of transsexuals.
Figures (Homosexuality)
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The estimates of homosexuality are between 3
and 10% of society.
In a room of this number there could well be
several people who are gay.
In this University that could be between 300 &
500 people.
In the UK, 3 to 5 million people could well be
lesbian or gay.
That suggests that of the people now on this
planet, 300 to 500 million of them either are – or
could grow up to be gay or lesbian. (far more
than the current population of North America).
Many will live lives of denial.
(Taking world population at 6,500 million)
Figures (Transsexuality)
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The ratio of transsexuals in the US is officially
estimated as 1 per 30,000 adult males and 1 per
100,000 adult females – yet it seems that 1 in
2,500 men have already had reassignment to
female (0.04%).
The Hijra of India are a sect which includes
intersex as well as transgendered people, and
they are estimated at 1 million. That represents
0.1% of society.
At this University, that could be between 3 and 5
people.
Across the world, that could mean as many as 3
to 5 million people were potentially transsexual.
Figures (Intersex)
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The estimates of the incidence of intersex vary
between authors. The most conservative
estimates are 0.018% and the most generous
1.7%. This one-hundred-fold difference is due to
disagreement about what actually constitutes
intersex.
According to reports in 2003 up to 5% of the
male population in Western Europe and North
America are now born with intersex-like genital
ambiguities, the results of environmental
pollution.
I will work on a figure around 0.5 & 1%
Figures (Intersex Cont.)
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The number of intersex people in this
University would be higher than
transsexuals (3-5) but less than gays (3500) – around 30 – 50 people
In the UK, that would mean there were
between one-third and half-a-million
people
That means around 30 to 50 million
people worldwide (more than the working
population of this country) could well be
intersexed, and forced to live in shame
and secrecy.
Summing Up (1)
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You are more than likely to meet several
homosexuals in your lives. It is likely that a
class this size will have several.
You are not likely to meet many
transsexuals, but there may be two or three
here at the University.
At a University of this size there may well be
a few intersexed people. So, you could find
yourself sitting next to someone who is –
and you would never know.
Summing Up (2)
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After 150 years of research, the reasons for
sexual and gender diversity are still not fully
understood. The social and biological
aspects are not clearly defined for any
group: intersex is a biological phenomena,
but what is and isn’t intersex is defined by
people.
For religious leaders, a biological cause of
homosexuality is inconvenient –
undermining ideas about sin and choice.
Yet for the National Socialists it was very
convenient. The theories of some African
leaders about homosexuality are not
dissimilar to those espoused in Germany in
the 1930’s.
Summing Up (3)
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These phenomena occur globally and throughout
history, but are not always tolerated globally. To ask
the question that if homosexuality has some genetic
basis, how can it continue to exist in evolutionary
terms is problematic: that is a political stance that
assumes homosexuality is deviant, and thus needs
explaining. When we discuss nature vs. nurture, we
do not ask whether heterosexuality is produced this
way – because it is assumed as normal.
Wherever we live or come from, problems about
these issues are often problems of language: Science
itself guided by the bias of the investigator, along
with the interpretation of the findings, and
implementation of policy.