Sexualities & Higher
Education
October 30th, 2006.
Why study sexuality?
Sexuality is a significant political and
public issue as well as a private concern
 ‘Sex’ refers to biological differences
between being male and being female –
genetic and physiological make-up.
 ‘Sexuality’ refers to one’s sexual desires
and participation in sex acts. This is
understood as a cultural process.

Theorizing Sexuality
Social Constructionism
 Essentialism

Social Constructionism
Sexuality is socially constructed: sexuality
(i.e., promiscuity, homosexuality, flirting,
polygamy, sexual attractiveness and
sexual explicitness in the media) is
expressed and organized in a variety of
ways across different societies, classes,
gender and ethnicities.
They ask…

Why and how does our culture privilege one
form of sexuality (say heterosexuality) and
marginalize others?
 Why does our culture attach such importance
to sexuality and how has this come about?
 Social constructionists recognize that social
context (culture and history) affects how we
express and organize sexuality.
Jeffrey Weeks

no natural meaning is inherent to sexuality
 sexuality gains meaning through social
interaction
 no fixed meaning can be attached to sexuality,
or to how people perceive "their own" sexuality
 sexuality is interwoven with discourses of
gender, class, race, and other social
categories
Essentialism
Sexuality =
 biology or natural instinct
 an inner truth or essence
 is explained by psychic drive and
impulse
 is fixed and unchanging
 there is normal sexuality and deviant
sexes
How people become sexualized

Kinship/family system


Economic and social changes


Control, surveillance and policing shifted from the Church to medical
and social workers, psychiatrists and the welfare state
Political interventions


industrialization and urbanization affect sexual behaviour and
attitudes
Social regulation


social rules about marriage and incest
Interventions in sexual life reflect current balance of social and
political forces
Identities and cultures of resistance

A history of opposition and resistance to moral codes; i.e., social
struggle and activism, not imposed sexual identities upon minority
groups
Question…

In what ways do social institutions create
and reproduce heterosexuality for
women & men?
Sexuality & Deviant Behaviour
Homosexuality ‘new’ term
 It’s always been around - for example:

Greeks (Men’s relationships with younger
men)
 Victorian Age (Women’s close relationships
with other women)


Homosexuality deemed deviant to
protect the interests of dominant elite
Compulsory Heterosexuality
A term used by Adrienne Rich 1986
 heterosexuality is imposed, managed,
organized, propagandized, and
maintained by society.
 women receive messages every day that
promote heterosexual normativity in the
form of myths and norms perpetuated by
society.

Institutional Issues
Macro perspective – structural inequalities
Does the university curriculum adequately
address the needs of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, trans & queer students?
Course Content
 Visibility
 Resources
 Facilities
 Administration

Course Content

Do university courses properly incorporate
material & research concerning sexual
diversity?
 How many students here have learned about
Queer Theory?
 Course Content:
 Issues relating to GLBTQ people should be
formally and permanently integrated into
existing courses across the curriculum
Visibility

Is homosexuality treated as invisible or
visible?
 How many guest speakers have you had that
talk about GLBTQ issues?
 Visibility:


Guest Speakers: Speakers on GLBTQ topics, and
particularly those who present scholarly research
on GLBTQ topics, should be brought to campus
regularly.
A visiting scholar position in GLBTQ studies
should be created and supported on a
continuing basis
Resources
Are there adequate resources on
campus for research concerning GLBTQ
issues?
 Resources - Libraries:


College and university libraries should
increase their holdings of GLBTQ books,
periodicals, and computer networking
systems
Facilities
How ‘tolerant’ is your university?
 Campus Facilities:

Should be available for regional GLBTQ
studies conferences, with administrative
support provided.
 Safe spaces
 An archive and history of GLBTQ
organizations on campus should be created.

Administration

Are there research opportunities for queer
researchers? Is there funding?
 Administration:


Fellowship opportunities should be created and
funded for teaching and research of GLBTQ topics.
Scholarship and research into GLBTQ history,
culture, and theory should be encouraged and
supported in faculty and students
Tolerance

Tolerance implies reluctant and limited
acceptance, acceptance granted by those in
power, acceptance conditioned on good
behavior, rather than full unconditional
participation negotiated on principles of justice
and equity. (They are always in my face)
 Tolerance continues to be the predominant
response of the mainstream to challenges
from oppressed and marginalized
communities. This is true in our communities
both on and off campus.
 What’s wrong with ‘tolerance’?
Discrimination
Takes many forms
 it exists between and within individuals,
and across institutions and cultures.
 It is most commonly referred to as
homophobia and heterosexism.
 It is manifested through the denial of
human rights, through the violence and
verbal abuse experienced on a daily
basis.
Heterosexism

The assumption by individuals, institutions,
and societal customs that everyone is
heterosexual.
 It is the belief that the normal, natural, healthy,
mature way for humans to bond sexually,
affectionally, and emotionally is with a partner
of the opposite sex.
 Heterosexism is the systemic and social
promotion of heterosexuality, and the
simultaneous stigmatization of all other sexual
orientations (lesbian, gay, bisexuality)
Phobias

Lesbophobia/Homophobia: The conscious or unconscious
hatred and irrational fear of lesbians and gay men. Based in a
belief system and set of priorities that asserts heterosexuality is
“normal” and superior, and that lesbianism and homosexuality is
deviant, abnormal, criminal or sinful. Lesbophobic/homophobic
feelings can be described as fear, hatred, and disgust.

Bi-phobia: The conscious or unconscious hatred or irrational fear
of bisexual men and women, which is experienced in the
heterosexual and lesbian and gay communities.

Transphobia: The fear and hatred of cross dressers,
transsexuals, transgenderists and other forms of gender benders.
Typically demonstrated through disrespect, denial of rights and
needs, sometimes involves harassment and violence.
Heterocentrism



is an (often subconscious) assumption that everyone
is heterosexual, and the attitudes associated with that
assumption
As a result, LGBTQ people have been forced into
conforming to a heterocentric model, an experience
that has had far reaching effect on their well-being
What does heterosexism look like in the classroom?




Lack of inclusion (in curriculum, silence, invisibility)
The one-off “exotic” lecture
hetero-centric content
In class discussion is managed poorly by instructor/faculty
Students






Homophobic comments in classroom by
students
Being shunned by others – ignored etc
Risk of violence towards them on campus –
gay-bashing
Defacing positive space posters
Anti-gay Graffiti on campus
What happens if your professor is
homophobic? What if you’re opening out –
how will this influence the relationship?
Example
Another example…
Statistics Involving LGBTQ Students
The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) 2003
National School Climate Survey:
 84% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed because
of their sexual orientation;
 91.5% of LGBT students reported hearing homophobic remarks
such as “faggot,” “dyke,” or the expression, “that’s so gay,”
frequently or often;
 82.9% of LGBT students reported that faculty never intervened or
intervened only some of the time when present and homophobic
remarks were made;
 39.1 % of LGBT students reported being physically harassed
because of their sexual orientation;
 57.9% of LGBT students reported having property stolen or
deliberately damaged at school
 64.3% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at their school
because of their sexual orientation;
Faculty





Homosexuality is still treated as deviant or a
psychiatric illness, with associated stereotypes of gay
people as “dangerous” or “promiscuous”.
Discrimination - where gay teachers have been
unfairly associated with being poor role models or
even sexually motivated towards the impressionable
people in their charge
Losing credibility with students and other faculty
members because of your sexuality
For faculty members who are partnered, there may not
be proper insurance benefits in place
Others?
What about U of T?
LGBTQ – Jude Tate coordinator http://lgbtq.sa.utoronto.ca
Student Climate Survey:
 to gain information and insight into the
climate and environment perceived, felt
and experienced by LGBTQ graduate
and undergraduate students on all 3
campuses at U of T
Survey says…
Students reported:
 experiencing derogatory remarks
 pressure to be silent about their sexual
orientation/gender identity
 direct or indirect threats
 Other students were the largest source of this
harassment
 44% of respondents reported the climate
uncomfortable
 63% of respondents are visible minorities
Student Experiences

Derogatory notes, graffiti, email messages or web
sites
 Homophobic/anti-gay comments, in class or elsewhere
 Verbal or physical harassment
 Defacement or tearing down of posters, including
Positive Space posters
 Threats or actual assault by a known or unknown
perpetrator, including a same-sex date or domestic
partner
 Any act that makes you feel uncomfortable around
issues of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Aims of LGBTQ:

The challenge is educating faculty, staff and students
on how to implement practices that endorse,
encourage and establish consistent messages and
behaviours supporting an environment that is
inclusive, moving beyond intolerance and tolerance to
acceptance
 Increase the teaching skills and standards of faculty to
improve handling of queer material and address
sexualities in the classroom
 Address the reluctant and or resistant learner
 Develop capacities for student peers to raise
homophobia and heterosexism in the classroom
 Put into practice what the policies frame
Some questions to think about






To what extent are schools responsible for maintaining and
therefore addressing homophobic attitudes and structures in
society?
What is the connection between gender and compulsory
heterosexuality? How does sexuality relate to other categories of
oppression such as class, race and disability?
Who should be the focus of anti-homophobic educational
initiatives?
How should schools address the rights of religious groups when
they conflict with the rights of sexual minorities?
Why is it important that school curriculum, resources, programs
and services reflect and address the needs and experiences of
gay, lesbian and bisexual students? What is the cost of not doing
so?
What are the pros and cons associated with providing a separate
education for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth?