Exploring the Queer Perspective on Health, Medicalization, and Psychology
Delve into a thought-provoking exploration of queering health, well-being, medicalization of homosexuality, Freudian theories, aversion therapy, and academic advancements in psychology. The narrative challenges traditional norms and sheds light on historical stigmatization of LGBTQ+ identities, while highlighting the evolving landscape of queer studies and activism.
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Chapter 9: Queering Health Well-Being, Medicalization, and Recreation Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
What is Health? Norman Sartorius, former head of World Health Organization: multiple ways to define The absence of any disease or impairment A state that allows the individual to adequately cope with all the demands of daily life A state of balance, an equilibrium that an individual has established within himself [sic] and between himself and his social and physical environment Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
The Medicalization of Homosexuality: the 19th Century and Beyond Michel Foucault, The Birth of the Clinic (1963): The medical gaze (pathologizing bodies) The clinic as place of research and observation Biopower: medical professionals wield power over bodies Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Freudian Theories of Homosexuality Founded in early childhood experiences Parenting: overwhelming mother, weak or absent father Identity unchangeable by the time it is identified Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Aversion Therapy Based on behaviorism and conditioning psychology Exposed homosexuals to erotic stimuli Measured arousal Provided reward or, more typically, punishment for homosexual response, in form of electric shocks No lasting impact on sexual desire or identity Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Academic and Professional Psychology: Developments Diagnostic and Statistic Manual: multiple editions, classification and pathologization of homosexual gradually changes over time Pioneering Individuals and Movements: Dr. Evelyn Hooker Dr. H. (John E. Fryer) Gay Liberation and Post-Stonewall Activism Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Dr. Evelyn Hooker: An Ally Lifelong self-identified heterosexual Instructor of psychology at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Approached by student, a gay man, requesting she study him and his friends Used Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) as method Found gay men were no more prone to mental health problems than broader populations (controlling for those who had sought therapy previously) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Dr. H (Henry) Anonymous: Revealing through Masking Real name: John E. Fryer Had previous experience as academic psychology; career stalled or obstructed because of his homosexuality Agreed to appear at 1971 meeting of the American Psychological Association Dressed in disguise; addressed the conference about stigmatizing of queer professionals and patients Helped led to removal of homosexuality from DSM Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Curing the Gay: Reparative and Ex-Gay Therapies Reparative therapy (aka Conversion Therapy): Ex-Gay Views homosexuality as form of misadaptation NARTH (North American Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) Prominent individuals involved: Charles Socarides, Joseph Nicolosi, Benjamin Kaufman Often tied to Christian evangelicalism, though there have also been Jewish initiatives: JONAH (Jews Offer New Alternatives for Healing) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Curing, continued No scientifically valid or reliable data to support claims that actual same-sex desires have been changed in lasting ways Those who claim ex-gay identity may have changed behaviors and way of perceiving self Many former reparative therapists have since left movement and often reclaimed queer identity Recent media texts: YA adult and film: The Miseducation of Cameron Post Memoir and film: Boy Erased Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Misuse of Pro-Gay Theories by Reparative Therapists Daryl J. Bem, gay psychologist, Exotic Becomes Erotic Argues for theory of gay identity development based on gender nonconforming behavior and feelings in childhood Reparative Therapists have claimed Bem s theory provides basis for their work Bem has written rebuttal, claiming that such identities are established in childhood and cannot be changed by the time such therapies might be attempted. Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Mind Meets Body: Health Challenges for Queer People Bar Culture: Source of much socializing in western cultures: often providing safe spaces and ways to enter queer culture Can enable behaviors that challenge physical, mental, and social well-being
Alcohol and Mind-Altering Substances Both gay men and lesbians report higher use of alcohol consumption than nonqueer age peers While some of the disparities have shifted since earlier studies (1970s and 1980s), there still is significant difference Similarly with party drugs (more among queer men than women): Generally negative effects on body, mind, and social welfare Can lead to impaired judgment and risk for HIV-infection Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Tobacco Use: Smoking Guns Tobacco use at an all-time low in the United States; too soon to say anything long-term about vaping Lee, et. al.: links between smoking and queer populations: Nature of queer social spaces (though more bars tobacco free) Stresses due to threats and incidents of violence increase use Other forms of mental and emotional distress General barriers to health access among queer people Targeted marketing Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Food: Eating Disorders Among Queer People Susie Orbach, Fat is a Feminist Issue (1992) Difficulties of food control: we all need to eat Women have been particularly vulnerable to eating disorders, due to male gaze Gay men, because they are often feminized and also viewed through male gaze are vulnerable to eating disorders Fat shaming affects both gay men and lesbians, as well as bisexuals and transgender people
Jason Whitesel: Fat Gay Men: Girth, Mirth, and the Politics of Stigma (2014) Cultures of Chubs and Chasers Studies culture as both insider (chaser) and outsider (scholar) Different climates in gatherings: Pan-Girth and Mirth: more carnival Labor Day Convergence: more commodified and consumerist
Whitesel, continued Splintering of identities: Bear culture: large, hairy men and their admirers Some stigmatizing of large men without hairy bodies Allied categories: Cubs: smaller, typically younger Otters: thinner, but also hairy Panda bears: hairy men of Asian heritage Wolves: alpha types with hair and muscularity
Suicide and Self-Harm Homophobic mental health professionals: queer sexuality is itself disordered; hence, higher risk for self-harm Savin-Williams and Cohen: over-representation of self-harm due to population studied (those who sought therapy; analogous to Hooker s earlier findings about neuroticism)
Self-Harm, continued McDermott and Roen: social and economic explanation for queer youth suicide and self-harm Judith Butler: problem for queer youth of unintelligibility Clements-Nolle, et. al.: significantly higher rates of attempted suicide among transgender persons Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Clements-Nolle, continued Rise factors encountered by transgender people: Struggling with both sexual and gender identity History of forced sex work As adolescents, higher degree of homelessness Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
AIDS: HIV From Gay Men s Health Crisis to Global Pandemic Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: Originally referred to as gay cancer or GRID (gay-related immune deficiency) First noted in US around 1981 (though retrospectively, evidence of cases of HIV-infection dating back much farther) First attributed to risk groups : homosexuals, Heroin users, Haitians, and hemophiliacs Soon discourse shifted to risk behaviors
Issues of Blame and Origin Paul Farmer, AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame (1992) Early assumptions that incidence of AIDS in Haiti attributable either to local customs (Voodoo) or to some other factor inaccurate More likely explanation: vector of sex tourism from US, local sex workers (some straight-identified) became infected, and cycle began Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Patient Zero: Gaetan Dugas Popularized in Randy Shilts book And the Band Played On (1987) Gaetan Dugas: Patient Zero: French-Canadian air steward, traveled between home and US Multiple sex partners, frequented bathhouses Urban legends of intentional spread of virus Research suggests no single person can be identified Richard McKay, Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic (2017); recuperates Dugas reputation; demonstrates he worked to help prevent spread of virus once he realized he was infected Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
The Story of Gary What are your personal narratives around AIDS/HIV? Ask your families and friends? Do you know people living with HIV-infection today? Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Recent Medical Developments: Protease inhibitors/combination therapy, sometimes referred to as HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) Can reduce viral load to undetectable status PrEP: Pre-exposure prophylaxis: taken daily, data suggests lowers infection risk greatly; best when used with condoms Some reports of post-PrEP infection: unclear if such individuals missed doses Does not guard against other STIs
LGBT+ Athletics: From the Greeks to the Gay Games Ancient Olympics: first held in 776 BCE 19th century: development of YMCAs muscular Christianity; in some places, Y s were viewed as queer spaces as well (Village People song, YMCA, ironic allusions to the male- male erotic potential of such organizations) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Stereotypes Surrounding Queer People and Athletics Until recently, assumption that gay men are not athletic, except for specific activities like figure skating ( sissy image) Conversely, assumption that many, if not most female athletes are lesbian (because of masculinity associated with sports) Truth: many queer men and women enjoy and participate in athletics, at professional, collegiate, and amateur levels Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
From Classrooms to Arenas: Queering College and Professional Sports Dave (David) Kopay: one of the first professional athletes (football) to come out; only did after retirement Pat Griffin: Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sport Model of attitudes towards and treatment of lesbians in sports: Hostile: discrimination and harassment are accepted and promoted Conditionally tolerant: glass closet, contingent on silence and restraint Open and inclusive: nondiscriminatory, identity is affirmed Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Amateur and Community Sports Large urban areas (Chicago, San Francisco, for example): Elaborate and extensive queer sports leagues Often opportunities for year-round participation in multiple sports (football, softball, basketball, etc.) Question of eligibility: usually relies of self-identification; some leagues allow a certain percentage of team to identify as allies (i.e. straight players) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Spotlight: The Gay Games: Performing the Olympian Queer Body Today The Gay Games: Began in the 1980s Established by Dr. Tom Waddell, former Olympian and military medical officer and paratrooper IOC (International Olympic Committee) banned use of term Olympics (though permits for Special Olympics and Paralympics) Progressive in making space from start for people of varying abilities Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Queer/Crip and Crip/Queer: Disability and Queer Sexuality Disability, handicap, and impairment: Impairment: difference from the normate body-mind ( normate coined by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, body-mind by Eli Clare) Handicap: limitation of functionality as result of impairment Disability: social barriers and stigmas that resulted from attitudes and policies Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Intersectionality: Queercrip Disability and queerness: share condition of individuals who are typically different in these dimensions from families of origin Queercrip: Carrie Sandahl sterm (sometimes cripqueer is used to foreground the disability part of the intersection) Alison Kafer: AIDS epidemic forced us to rethink what life expectancy and whole life might mean Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Queercrip Issus Robert DeFelice: teacher and performer Positive and negative dimensions of the poster child experience Combatting perception that disabled people are asexual (though some may identify as such, should not be assumed that disability itself is cause ) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Queercrip, Continued Sharon Kowalski and Karen Thompson: autonomy and couplehood Kowalski: high school physical education and health teacher, St. Cloud, MN Partnered with Karen Thompson; closeted from family 1983: car accident, resulted in severe brain injuries Kowalski and Thompson s father petitioned for guardianship Court gave father control as legal next of kin 1988: case reopened, as father no longer felt able to serve as guardian; family still opposed naming Thompson as guardian 1991: Thompson won suit, named as guardian
Issues of Rethinking Sexuality and Disability Queer women have been more successful in supporting disabled community members Both cripqueer men and women report loneliness as one of biggest challenges Carmello Gonzalez: raised risks of cripqueer men as they (re)enter dating scene: molestation, isolation John Killacky: spinal injury required him to be less phallocentric Alison Kafer: problems involving fetishization and devotees Alan Sable: the devotee may have a positive role to play
Transgender People and Disability DSM-V: shift from Gender Identity Disorder to Gender Dysphoria On one hand, removes trans identity and experience from disorder to realm of dysphoria (less pathological) Dysphoria can be based on issues not in and of themselves based in gender nonconformity Instead, social forces cause the distress involved Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Eli Clare: Trans, Disabled, Environtmentalist Eli Clare: intersections of physical disability, trans identity, and socioeconomic factors: Assigned female at birth Diagnosed as mentally retarded at age 2 (rediagnosed with cerebral palsy ten years later) Writes about environmental issues (deforestation) Resistance to narratives of cure Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
