Blog #8: Carlson, "Gayness, Multiculturalism and Community"

Carlson's Argument:
Carlson argues that schools, and society as a whole, ignores the queer culture as a whole. People are measured against a standard normalization established by the presiding culture of power. Practices like don't ask don't tell steal the voice of a marginalized population, and effectively quiets any calls of fire while a bridge between groups smolders to ash.

Passages of Interest:
1) Carlson's work brought up some thought provoking ideas, as well as some accounts of things happening that (once again) made me go "Wow, really?". Another theme common to the course was the idea of a culture of power establishing what is considered approriate, relevant and "normal". Carlson agrees that such a system exists as evident in the following passage:

"Throughout much of this century, the dominant idea of community in America was represented by what I will call the normalizing community. Within normalizing communities, some individuals and subject positions (i.e., white, middle class, male, heterosexual, etc) get privileged and represented as "normal" while other individuals and subject positions (i.e., black, working class, female, homosexual, etc.) are disempowered and represented as deviant, sick, neurotic, criminal, lazy, lacking in intelligence, and in other ways "abnormal".

SCWAAMP, very SCWAAMP.

2) Carlson explicitly outlines how the normalized society silences queer issues in the curriculum. It made me think how I would react if things that were important to me where given this treatment. Also, the idea listed as point (2) really bothered me for some reason. Teachers were really released for making it known they were homosexuals? That is really sad, and upsetting. The passage is below:

"Three techniques of normalization and (hence) marginalization have been of primary important in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, (2) the "closeting" and "witch hunting" of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students."

I tried rolling this idea around in my head a bit. I want to do more research on how homosexuality comes to be. What I mean is, I have heard alot of things saying you are born that way. While I tend to believe this, I wonder how much of it is scientifically proven, or if upbringing and culture has something to do with it. I still for the most part believe the former, but just want to know more.

3) The third passage that I really noted was this one:

"A male substitue teacher was greeted by [one of the students] ---- shouted across her English classroom: "That man's a faggot, right? Look at how he talks!' Arriving at her seat she yelled "Hey Mr.Faggot, I mean Sir, you got a pencil?"

When I read this, I didn't feel bad for the substitue initially. The reason is that I was really really angry upon reading it. That is so cruel and ignorant it makes my blood boil. I don't know why. I think it is because not only does the student completly disrepspect the sub as a person, but also as a teacher. How can you control a classroom? How could you, in the sub's position, control yourself from blowing up and verbally exploding on the kid? It made me think, what can you do if a class is so disrespectful and you lose control. How are you supposed to reach kids who feel they have dominated you, and not only show disrespect, but outright vile attacks?

Discussion:
Queer culture tolerance is relativly new. This piece really made me angry though that things aren't further along as far as acceptance. Then again, I guess I am not as tolerant as I should be, so how can I hold society to such a high standard. I know I self doubt alot in my blogs, but this one is probably the least self doubt and guilty I feel. The reason is that homosexuality really isn't a huge deal to me. I mean I may still be too coded to feel 100% comfortable having two guys making out on the hundred dollar bill, but I have known people who are of the queer culture and it really doesn't bother me at all.

I think people I know who are homosexual are as neutral as that word classification can be, they just like the same sex. I think the little hang up I may have is that homosexual people who are impersonal to me are all about sexual interaction. It is like the distinction between a person (someone you know) and people (the faceless mass). I guess the faceless mass is the one which is distorted the most by societies looking glass for me.