LGBT identities and movements

-
Queer

Madalina Tifrea
 Introduction

The Queer identification brings a broad discussion with many variables

which have been identified from the beginning of the 1990s. Sexual identification has been
discussed as a dichotomy of heterosexuality and homosexuality defining sexual identifications
as one or the other, identifications and labelling being somehow defined as to appurtenances
to distinctive groups in the LGBT community. Although, Queer Theories continuously
discuss the way to define this community, which is, in a way, identifying with stereotypes
and, in the same-time, breaking gender norms. Having in mind collective identities as
defining political approaches is important to discuss the issues and debates in regard of equal
rights, as privileges or simple acknowledgements of one`s sexual orientation and identity.

Queer

Queer in defined by the Oxford Dictionary as being the term referring to

“strange; odd” or “Denoting or relating to a sexual or gender identity that does not correspond
to established ideas of sexuality and gender, especially heterosexual norms.”. Indeed, the term
had been used from the `80s as an umbrella term for gender an sexual minorities or in order to
describe non-normative sexual identities and political orientations in society. Queer theories
had emerged in the same period, when scholars started to be intensively preoccupied with
“deviant” sexual identities and expressions in society. The term “queer” had been criticized
for the usage as being e pejorative to refer to non-normative sexual orientation or expression
through the years by activists and scholars as well. Queer Theory is a philosophical and
critical theory which emerged from the feminist theories of the `80s and `90s, invested for the
categorization of gender, sexuality and the impact of heteronormativity in contemporaneous
societies.1 The central questions of queer theory are involving social constructionism of
gender and sexuality based on social norms and values defined on macro and micro levels of
society as a whole, as well as the levels of impact of these normative social constructions on
individuals and their way of expression. Queer theory is not preoccupied with only the LGBT
community or feminism, but also with normative heterosexual expressions such as fetishism,
sadomasochism, prostitution and even pan sexuality or intersexuality.

1
Teresa De Lauretis, Queer Theory Lesbian and Gay Sexualities Introduction, 1991, pp. 4-18.

1
Sexual Identity

Sexual orientation in the LGBT community is a defining component of the way

someone identifies themselves, thus sexuality is has a tendency to be preserved. The believe
that sexual identities can be explained and directly associated with the biologic standards had
been continuously challenged in the late 20th century. As most recently, the tendencies of non-
traditional sexual orientations have been claimed to be originated in nature, the “born this
way” argument having a prolong debate in the scientific community.2

Identity judgments are normative, highly endorsed in psychological and social placements,
3
thus is important to have in mind the significance of the identity attributions. Definite
identities give, in most cases, certain trait of behavior for persons, from this resulting that
identities need to be coherent in their manifestation. As in some cases, if the identities are
incompatible with the behavioral traits, the person can withdraw from certain aspects of that
identification, or, in some cases, deny that identity as a whole.4 Identities have a significant
role as of the definers of one`s role and duties in society, thus, in cases when the social
dimension cannot foster the identity commitments of someone that person is being
oppressed.5

Biological and Social Identities

Sexual identity had been a very disputed when attributed to biology, even so, is hardly
a matter of biology.6 Even if there are, undoubtedly biological traits which form behaviors
they are not a matter of identity. Biology is not a subject of research in behavioral sciences,
thus, is not a defining variable in the social and political commitments of one`s self. The
limitations of normativity to normality gives ways to oppression of identities.7 Such identity
judgments are forming norms socially excepted as truths committed with, such an example is
the different treatments and expectations from genders, like “boys don`t cry”, “girls don`t
compete in contact sports”, and many more.

2
Vera Whisman, Queer by choice: Lesbians, gay men, and the politics of identity, 1996,
http://courses.missouristate.edu/RalphSmith/GEPfall2k/excerpts/gep397_whisman_excerpt.htm, accessed on 20th
November 2017.
3
Mark Norris Lance, Alessandra Tanesini, Identity judgements. Queer politics, 2005, p.173.
4
Idem., pp. 174-175.
5
Idem., pp.175.
6
Mark Norris Lance, Alessandra Tanesini, Identity judgements. Queer politics, p.175.
7
Idem., pp.176-177.

2
As stated by Judith Butler in “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity” in
1990, the task of the feminist movement is to identify repetitive social practices of identity
construction and by that constantly contesting them. From this, we can further elaborate on
gender norms of heterosexuality, Judith Butler highlighting that constitutive repetitions of
identity are the currently accepted norms in a given society, broader or smaller. This
arguments can foster the claims of nurture as being the source of queer identities, for this, a
person must have the social opportunities and self-validation in order to have the ability to
identifies themselves.8 Another argument that would be, a rather unflattering one, is that the
person is choosing deliberately to identify their self with an identity which is not normatively
suited, for their inclination to be part of oppressed groups. 9

In order to challenge the existence of sexual biological factors as binary, is important to

highlight the phenomena of births of intersex babies. Binary pure male and female biological
features are difficult to determine as biological attributes are distributed more as a specter or a
scale with two extremities containing the biological ideal features corresponding to male and
female. In some countries, such as Australia, there are enforced laws and medical procedures
which regulate the procedures to be done in the cases of intersex births and for the
determination of the gender for which the baby will be assigned to. From this procedures or
ambiguity to determine de biological gender as a binary are as well medical researches for
which the questions are ramifying, for example de existence of sex chromosomal
abnormalities, testosterone and estrogen abnormalities and many more.

Majority is Not an Identity

As stated previously, intensities are maters of the correctness of identity judgments

and they are, undoubtedly, political endorsements. Thus, identities can be judged as correct
having in mind political and moral landmarks of correctness or virtuousness in the given
societal constructions. Politically incorrect identities can have, of course societal approval, as,
for example, racism has been a normative identity in some particular societies. But, this
identity claims are not correct because of the lack of endorsed political and moral goods. 10

It is fair to say that heterosexual identity does not constitute an identity, as, by comparison,
queer identities do. In the western context of politics and culture this is a requiring observable
phenomena. In the context of the LGBT community, the sexual identity of a person is a matter
8
Idem., p.178.
9
Ibidem.
10
Mark Norris Lance, Alessandra Tanesini, Identity judgements. Queer politics, p.178.

3
of commitments to the social and political role, thus heterosexual identity has a normative
value of actions and inclinations in conservative societies. In recent years, the LGBT
community has been referred to as the LGBT+ community, in order to include a spectrum of
gender and sexuality, even, including in some references, “Associates” as individuals whom
have a heterosexual sexuality and are supporters of the communities political and social
interests.11

Normative significances shape the societal roles of individuals, families are defined as such,
by their normative significances.12 Official legislative texts of states define the family,
shaping the roles of individuals in society and in their private life. Form this we can construct
the argument and reasoning for the asymmetries of queer identities in comparison with
heterosexual identity. “Straight people” are defined as “people with heterosexual inclinations”
or “people who take themselves and are taken by others to be straight”13. Queer identities are
defined in society, as heterosexuality, although queer identities are not exactly, if at all,
endorsed by the attitudes, actions and self-conceptions of queer individuals.

As concluded by Verta Taylor, Leila Rupp and Nancy Whittier in “Feminist Frontiers”,
collective identities can be the outcome of politicized identity trough the “differences between
the dominant group and a challenging group”. Of course, collective identities are continuously
changed and shaped differently depending on variables such as political circumstances,
institutions and role in society. Transgender and bisexual identities had been included to the
appurtenance of the queer category in the early 1990s, as along the end of the past century it
has been a prolonged problematic of the representation of individuals whom were not white,
middle class citizens.

Heterosexuality, or de dichotomy of queer and heterosexual as a fixed, rigid natural given

identity is challenged by the critiques of identity policies, as the broad inclusivity of queer had
the tendency to reduce identity to abstract. In order to support this, the nature of feminine and
masculine expressions and their additional sexual preferences is attributed as social norms are
hardly natural phenomena, as categories are social and historical and distinctions are not
strictly distinct.

11
ACCEPT NGO Romania, Q&A Sexual Orientation and Heterosexuality, https://accept-
romania.ro/lgbt-issues/educatie/, accessed on 21st of October 2017.
12
Mark Norris Lance, Alessandra Tanesini, Identity judgements. Queer politics, pp.181-182.
13
Idem., p. 185.

4
Identity judgments as normative claims can be used to argue the existence of homophobia. As
a phenomena, homophobia implies the normative identity of heterosexuality, enforcing the
existence of privileges for this type of identity, or, enforcing oppression for the queer
identities. Identity politics furthers the distinction between the two sexual preferences, or
manifestation of gender, in clear and irrefutable manner. As a comparison, the queer
identities where produced from lack of stability in identities, such as to ethnic communities
had been attributed.14 “Queer straight” has been a term used by Chrys Ingraham in “The
Heterosexual Imaginary: Feminist Sociology and Theories of Gender” in order to define a
heterosexual who feels confined by the conventions of straight sexual expression.

Queer social movement are comparable to the ethnic movements as the necessity of
individuals for community appurtenance, with institutions representing their interests, cultural
manifestations such as parades and other public manifestations of appurtenance, even
autonomously constructed symbolism such as flags and other distinguishable creations. This
community phenomena is representing the response to the oppression and lack of possibility
to self-actualization in order to fulfill the needs of queer individuals in society at any given
level.

As any other community, collective identity is necessary in order to achieve successful

collective actions which to represent the interests of belonging individuals. Queer movements
started to appear long after the identity has been created and its existence acknowledged on
the level of society.15 The necessity of the identity to exist prior to the movements is
justifiable, as in the community interests as collectivities have opportunities to be represented
and their members interests, needs and duties respected.

Conclusions

Concluding, the queer identity can provide important challenges in the way that
collective identities are approached and their role in movements and gain of political
representations and interests. The medical challenges of gender as binary functioning in the
biological nature of the human body is further challenging the existence of the heterosexuality
status as a sexual preferences and expressions of gender. The main challenges in the
acceptance and recognition of equal rights for the LGBT community is represented by the
stigmatization of this community in society and the association of non-binary sexuality
expressions of its members with mental and physical illness.

14
Gamson, Joshua, Must Identity Movements Self-Destruct? A Queer Dilemma, 1995, pp. 395-397.
15
Ibidem.

5
Biography:

 DE LAURETIS, Teresa, Queer Theory Lesbian and Gay Sexualities

Introduction, A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies. 5.2, 1991, pp. 4-18.
 GAMSON, Joshua, Must Identity Movements Self-Destruct? A Queer Dilemma
in Social Problems, Vol. 42, No. 3, Aug., 1995, Oxford: Oxford University
Press, pp. 390-407;
 WHISMAN, Vera, Queer by choice: Lesbians, gay men, and the politics of
identity, 1996, New York: Routledge, pp. 69-106;
 http://courses.missouristate.edu/RalphSmith/GEPfall2k/excerpts/gep397_whis
man_excerpt.htm, accessed on 20th November 2017;
LANCE, Mark Norris, TANESINI, Alessandra, Identity Judgments. Queer
politics, Identity Judgments, in Queer Politics, Iain Morland, Annabelle Willox
(eds.), 2005, London: Macmillan Education, pp. 171-187;
 ACCEPT NGO Romania, Q&A Sexual Orientation and Heterosexuality,
https://accept-romania.ro/lgbt-issues/educatie/, accessed on 21st of October
2017.