SEXUAL DIVERSITY Lesson 6 October 1 st 2010

SEXUAL DIVERSITY Lesson 6 October 1 st, 2010

Sexual Diversity - The full range of sexuality which includes all aspects of sexual attraction, behaviour, identity, expression, orientation, relationships and response. It refers to all aspects of humans as sexual beings.

LGBTTQ 2 – Acronym for Lesbian, gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Queer and Two Spirited. This acronym is always changing.

Lesbian Definition A woman who forms physical and emotional relationships with other women Derived from Lesbos, a Greek island home to Sappho, a poet and teacher who loved other women http: //www. youthline. ca/definitions/sexuality. html

Gay Men with physical/emotional attraction towards men Gay- People who are attracted to other members of the same sex

Bisexual Sexual or romantic attraction or behavior directed towards some members of more than one sex Can be a phase where someone is realizing their homosexuality May be used to not lose their heterosexuality

Trans… Trans-identified? Transgendered? Transsexual?

Something to think about… GENDER and SEX are different things. SEX is a physical form and function of a person. GENDER is the identity of the person inside of the body. A transsexual person is someone who is aware of being GENDER-opposite to a specific SEX.

Trans-Identified Any person who considers himself or herself to have issues pertaining to gender identity. This person may or may not be transsexual

Transsexual A rare condition in which the GENDER of the brain is the opposite of the SEX of the body. Transsexuality is marked by 3 key factors: The person does not feel comfortable in his or her own body, and considers himself or herself to identify with the opposite sex. Feelings of transsexuality occur much before puberty, sometimes early on in life. A person who is transsexual is focused on gender and identity FIRST, followed by appearance.

Transgendered An umbrella term used loosely to describe anyone who does not fit “ordinary” definitions of gender. These people have no intention of undergoing hormonal treatments or surgery, but will identify with the opposite gender (through crossdressing, or partial transition). GENDER remains the same. SEX changes.

Transvestite Is someone (usually a heterosexual male) who, at puberty, will develop a powerful fascination or sexual fetish with dressing as the opposite sex. This is done purely for pleasure, and has nothing to do with the actual interest in changing sex. Roughly 30% of males are reported to have participated in some sort of transvestite activity

Gender Dysphoria “Is the condition of being in a state of conflict between gender and sex” -http: //transsexual. org

Gay vs. Queer Yes, there is a difference. Gay males are not merely homoerotic, they are emotionally attracted sexually, physically, emotionally, and mentally to other men, too.

Gay vs. Queers, are also homoerotic, but they are emotionally detached from other men, and often incapable of forming attachments with other men, even though they are sexually aroused by other men. See partners as “toys” for gratification

Queer? A Queer man is not alone in his fetishism and paraphilias. According to available information, heterosexuals engage in the same type of fetishism -- but the opposite sex is part of their "object" of gratification Exhibitionism, Fetishism, etc.

Two Spirited A male-female gender Native American concept. A gift from the creator of living in the house of both male and female. Can see the world from two perspectives. treated with the greatest respect, and held important spiritual and ceremonial responsibilities.

Two Spirited Settlers and European religion where against the Two spirited. Got rid or drove it underground. Term keyed 1990 Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference in Winnipeg

Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.

Stereotypes The majority of these people are this way because of genetic conditions

Brown University Research Total number of people whose bodies differ from standard male or female – One in 100 births Total number of people receiving surgery to “normalize” genital appearance – One or two in 1000 births Not XX and not XY – 1 in 1, 666 births Klinefelter (XXY) – One in 1, 000 births Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia - One in 13, 000 births Late onset adrenal hyperplasia - One in 66 individuals

Questioning? Questioning is a term that can refer to a person who is questioning their gender, sexual identity or sexual orientation. People who are questioning may be unsure of their sexuality, or still exploring their feelings

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

In Heterosexual Shoes Consider the actions that heterosexual couples take for granted. Answer yes or no to yourself for the following questions. I can kiss my partner farewell feeling confident that onlookers will ignore us or smile understandingly. “No, I am afraid to kiss my partner in public. I may be harassed. ”

Our families are delighted to celebrate love and commitment. “No, my family does not know. They might not accept me. ”

I can walk into any bookstore sure to find materials relevant to my relational experiences. “No, I have to search to find a magazine or a book about homosexuality, and my school does not offer much more either. ”

If I experience violence on the street, it will NOT be because I am holding hands with my partner. “No, I have in the past and was harassed. I do not feel safe expressing my affection with my partner. ”

TRUE OR FALSE [All] Heterosexuals are ignorant & homophobic. [All] Homosexuals do not face discrimination within the LGBTTQ 2 community. [All]Homosexuals do not discriminate against heterosexuals.