Women's Studies 2163A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Paroxysmal Attack, Heteronormativity, Orgasm

• School: Western University
• Department: Women's Studies
• Course: Women's Studies 2163A/B
• Professor: Samantha Brennan

Document Summary

Women"s studies 2163 lecture 1 notes on brief. Essentialist argument - heterosexuality is something we are born with. The biological stance - it"s natural is legitimatized if we focus on mating and reproduction. Idea that we are here to reproduce. Also comes from idea that if we come from animals then our goal is to reproduce. This stance was signi cant in both the criminalization and decriminalization of homosexuality. Used in criminalization to say it is not natural. We live in a binary world where there needs to be polar. People saying i was born this way used to decriminalize homosexuality. The moral stance - there is one natural, normal sexuality and anything else is sinful, perverse, wrong and deserving of punishment. Originally in uenced and heavily sustained through theological and medical discourses which are linked to preservation of the family and reproduction. It ignores changed over time and place. Different meanings can attach themselves to the same sexual acts.