Recent Posts
'Gay' Bullying and Suicides
Sera Goh
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 08:12:48 pmThese are two boys who committed suicide after bullied for ‘being gay’.
What exactly does it mean to be ‘gay’. Is a ‘gay’ person effeminate? Or does a ‘gay’ person have sexual desires towards another person of the same gender?
In the first article, it was never mentioned that the boy was attracted to males. In fact, he Read more →
Taking a step outside
debs
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 07:03:40 pmAt first glance, the song “Outside” by late singer, songwriter and prominent LGBT activist George Michael may seem as just a song about scandalous sex, but the song holds a lot more significance than it seems, not just to George Michael fans, but to the LGBT community and even the singer himself.
20 years ago in 1998, Michael was outed as Read more →
When does the categorising stop?
Lim Qiu Li Cherie
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 05:19:37 pmFor this post, I will be sharing my after-thoughts from watching these two videos, namely ‘Boy Or Girl?’ by BBC The Social and ‘Gender – The Space Between’ by CBS News.
As we have talked about it in class and in BBC’s video, when a baby is born, the doctor would announce whether it was Read more →
You're sexually frustrated. It shows.
Syazwani
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 04:46:35 pmAn article by Vice entitled “It’s Time for Men to Stop Letting Women Get Catcalled’ discusses how men should start being allies to women during incidents of catcalling. In the article, the author, Christine Estima, touches on how other males witnessing the uncomfortable situation should step up and try to stop these occurrences from happening. Read more →
"So are you lesbian, bisexual or straight?" "Yes"
Nur Namirah
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 02:36:04 pm“No, I’ve never felt the need to really (label my sexuality). No, I don’t feel like it’s something I have to explain about myself.”
“It’s weird for me. Everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”
Those are the answers given by Harry Styles, one of Read more →
Bon Appétit! - Female Sexuality as a Four-Course Meal
Jaslyne Loh
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 07:15:15 amHave you ever wondered how humans taste like? Before you call the cops on me for cannibalism, let us explore a variety of food metaphors that structure our concept of sexual identity first, shall we? According to Lakoff (1987), the theme ‘(sexual) desire is appetite’ within which the object of the appetite is a person, portrays that human Read more →
I love how the interrelation of food and sex is still very current up until today, as you have proved- through media. While Katy Perry played around with loads of food expressions charged with sexual intentions, she established the centuries-long stereotypical mindset that women exist to please or to satisfy the hunger of men. Through the video, I got reminded of Nyotaimori whereby people would eat sushi off a naked lady’s body. Personally, it is once again reflective of women viewed as passive and powerless as they lay there motionless, not worthy of interaction. Some know Katy as a feminist icon, and towards the end, she induced the (growing) modern perception of women having as much control and power as men. It feels like a sexual liberation for women; to quit being docile and take on the aggressor role. I could not agree more with this, make way for the ladies, please!
"I'm a Footballer. And I am gay."
Jasmine
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 03:01:01 amMany associate sports with males; a gender stereotype that has been placed for the longest time ever in a heteronormative society.
Heterosexuality is a concept based on common sense assumptions (Cameron & Kulick, 2003) and its ‘compulsory’ status limits individuals the freedom to express their sexual preferences. More than that, gender stereotypes also behave as a set of guidelines on how Read more →
*Heavy breathing* *Gasping* *YES!*
Sharon Ng
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 01:31:03 amIn the article Call of the Wild, Language of Love – Sex Noises That Will Drive You (and Him) Wild, author Andrea Boltz draws on how language can serve as a powerful tool for improving sex lives. More specifically, housed under Women’s Health Magazine, the article provides advice for females, on how they can utilise certain aspects of Read more →
"Butch, Please"
Natasha
Sunday, Mar 04, 2018 - 01:29:37 amThe LGBTQ community consists of so many diverse, unique individuals. In contrast to gay men who usually receive the most coverage, butch lesbians are another group of individuals who fall under the lesbian umbrella, that are perhaps less known/people are less familiar with.
Butch lesbians or butches, are masculine-presenting lesbians- meaning that they are women who are sexually attracted to Read more →
Am I Sexually Harassing You?
Joel Low
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 11:35:48 pmIn wake of a slew of workplace sexual harassment incidents coming to light, a lot of public discourse has been swirling around this thorny issue. Unsurprisingly, society has swiftly and collectively remonstrated predators like Harvey Weinstein and Al Franken. Consequently, this seems to have created a pressing new topic of discussion for the average, innocent male specimen: How do I Read more →
Focus On Becoming Better Human Beings
darwinshia
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 10:49:21 pmThe topic on masculinity has always been a huge topic of discussion as many young men struggle to define ‘manhood’ and the image which they want to portray of oneself. Children at a very young age associate James Bond’s movies, such as making out in the back of cars as an illustration of what defines heterosexual masculinity. (Cameron Read more →
That’s what she said (TWSS)
Dwi Idayuny
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 10:05:44 amDouble Entendre: TWSS
*imagine 2 guys trying something on at a store*
Guy A: MAN, IT WON’T FIT Guy B: That’s what she saidI am sure all or many us reading have heard of this exchange. According to Kiddon, C., & Brun, Y. (2011), a double entendre is when a person says something in Read more →
Representation of Bisexuality on Mass Media
Chloe Gan
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 03:18:01 amOf the LGBTQ community, the community least represented is that of the bisexual community (B). The LGTQ representation may not be flattering , but this representation means that this community is normal and accepted in society. This is as people are in contact with the media every day; the more they are exposed to certain representations, the more they begin Read more →
It Takes Two to Tango
Clara
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 12:36:22 amThere are many ways to push for social justice, but perhaps one of the subtler and more unexpected ways to do so are through children’s literature, especially since many children’s books aim to inculcate some form of moral value at the end of the story. In this post, I will be discussing the popular children’s book And Tango Makes Three by Peter Read more →
I think it is interesting for Clara to use a book as a material for this post. I do agree with the points raised by her as well.
Children of the past generations have been taught to judge or see LGBT as a taboo topic. The typical love stories or fairytales that we used to read would be of princesses being damsels in distress, having their Prince Charming to come rescue the day. This is a typical heteronormative story structure that builds the impression of man-woman relationship for children.
However, with the approval of gay marriages in recent years, I think that government should focus on changing the education that children of this generation receive. The modern education should educate children how to have an open mind. This is not only useful in teaching them how to embrace all types of love, it helps in their problem-solving skills. Only with an open mind of believing that anything is possible can great ideas or ambitious dreams come about.
This book serves as a good example of how modern love stories should be like. To slowly transit and make people accept such story structure, it was a smart move to use penguins instead of humans. Penguins are cute generally, hence this not only attracts attention but allows easier development of empathy. It is also a good initiative to not use any labels in this book since the focus is on love itself. Labels would only encourage people to be judgmental.
In conclusion, I hope the ban on this book would be lifted. More of such books should be published as well, so that the open concept of love could be spread and educated to humans from young.
Gay? Or Just Has a Lisp?
Boon Yong
Saturday, Mar 03, 2018 - 12:34:25 amLisping in men has long been considered a trait that indirectly indexes homosexuality. The writer of this post is gay and claims he speaks with a lisp (he cannot produce a clear “s” sound), and he used to think that people whom he met are able to tell that he is gay because of his lisp.
Read more →