Intro to women and gender studies quiz 4

The role of Religion on Sexuality (The Judeo-Christian Religions)

In Judeo-Christian religions, sexuality is often viewed within the framework of marriage and procreation, with teachings varying across denominations and interpretations regarding sexual activity outside of marriage and same-sex relationships. 

The role of Social Class on morality (of the upper classes)

Feminist perspectives on social class recognize that morality and societal expectations, particularly for upper-class women, are intertwined with gender and class, often reinforcing patriarchal structures and limiting women's agency. 

The role of Imperialism and Colonization (Sexuality and women of Color in the American South and the colonized nations)

Imperialism and colonization profoundly impacted sexuality and women of color, both in the American South and colonized nations, by imposing heteropatriarchal structures, disrupting existing cultural norms, and leading to sexual exploitation and objectification. 

"The Hottentot Venus"

Billed as the Hottentot Venus, this South African woman was put on display in London and Paris as an exotic oddity for her ample posterior (1810-1815). She later became instrumental in pseudoscientific theories of racial difference designed to affirm the allegedly superior virtue of white women.

"Two Spirits"

"Two-Spirit" is a pan-Indian term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe individuals who embody both masculine and feminine spirits, representing a traditional third or fourth gender role within their communities, distinct from the Western binary of male and female. 

Josephine Butler and the Repeal of the Contagious Deseases Act (1886)

Josephine Butler, a prominent social reformer and champion of women's rights, played a key role in the successful campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts (CD Acts) in 1886, which had legalized prostitution and subjected women to police and medical control. 

NOW's battle for the decriminalization of sexworkers (1970s)

In the 1970s, NOW (National Organization for Women), a leading women's rights organization, faced internal debates and external challenges regarding the decriminalization of sex work, with some feminists, like Andrea Dworkin, arguing against it while COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) and other activists like Jessica James fought for it, arguing for sex workers' rights and decriminalization as a feminist issue. 

Adrienne Rich on "Compulsory Heterosexuality"

Adrienne Rich argues that heterosexuality is not "natural" or intrinsic in human instincts, but an institution imposed upon many cultures and societies that render women in a subordinate situation. It was written to challenge the erasure of lesbian existence from a large amount of scholarly feminist literature.

Emma Goldman and Victoria Woodhull (First Wave); Kate Millett and Germaine Greer (Second Wave); Eve Ensler and Naomi Wolf (Third Wave)

Emma Goldman and Victoria Woodhull were prominent figures in the First Wave of Feminism, advocating for women's rights, suffrage, and social justice through different approaches, with Goldman being a radical anarchist and Woodhull a political activist and businesswoman. 

Kate Millett and Germaine Greer were prominent voices in the second-wave feminist movement, known for their influential writings that critiqued patriarchy and explored the intersection of sex, power, and culture

Eve Ensler and Naomi Wolf are prominent figures associated with the Third Wave of Feminism, known for their activism and work in areas like gender-based violence and women's rights, respectively. 

"Boston Marriage"

A Boston marriage refers to a long-term relationship between two women who lived together. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was acceptable for an educated, independent woman who chose not to marry a man to spend her life with another woman.

“Lesbian” from the island of Lesbos of Greece (abode of the famous Greek lesbian poet, Sappho)

The word "lesbian" originates from the Greek island of Lesbos, the birthplace and home of the renowned Greek poet Sappho, whose poetry often explored themes of female love and relationships, leading to the association of the island with women who love women. 

The Stonewall Uprising/Riots (NY, June 1969) led to the 1973 Gay Rights Movement

The Stonewall Uprising in June 1969, a series of violent confrontations between police and LGBTQ+ patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, is widely considered a pivotal moment that ignited the modern gay rights movement. 

The 3 piece law (clothing), 1940s-60s. (Police would arrest those who did not follow the rules for men and women to wear only gender appropriate clothing.)

In the 1940s, '50s and '60s, police reportedly used an informal “three-article rule” to arrest people for cross-dressing if they weren't wearing three pieces of attire that aligned with their assigned sex at birth. LGBTQ elders have since told researchers they were arrested in bar raids under that rule.

1973: Homosexuality removed as a Pathology and Disease by the American Psychiatric Association as a result of the Gay Liberation movement.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a significant victory for the Gay Liberation movement, marking a shift from viewing homosexuality as a mental illness to recognizing it as a normal variation of human sexuality. 

“The Pink Triangle”: Symbol Gay and Lesbian people were forced to wear in Nazi Germany.

The pink triangle, a symbol initially used by Nazi Germany to identify and shame gay men and trans women in concentration camps, was later reappropriated by the LGBT community as a symbol of pride and resistance against homophobia. 

Clitoridectomy, FGM and FGC

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice has no health benefits for girls and women and can result in severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, menstrual difficulties, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.

June 11, 1999: First Pride Proclamation, President Bill Clinton

I am proud of the measures my Administration has taken to end discrimination against gays and lesbians and ensure that they have the same rights guaranteed to their fellow Americans. Last year, I signed an Executive order that amends Federal equal employment opportunity policy to prohibit discrimination in the Federal civilian work force based on sexual orientation. We have also banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in the granting of security clearances. As a result of these and other policies, gay and lesbian Americans serve openly and proudly throughout the Federal Government. My Administration is also working with congressional leaders to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit most private employers from firing workers solely because of their sexual orientation.

Intersectional Feminism (Kimberle Crenshaw, 1989)

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American law professor who coined the term in 1989 explained Intersectional feminism as, “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other,” in a recent interview with Time. “All inequality is not created equal,” she says.

The Vagina Monologues (Eve Ensler, 1996) and Slut Walks

For those who don’t know, The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler that gathers a diverse and engaging group of women to deliver their testimonies about, essentially, what it means to have a vagina. The spectrum of personalities includes characters such as a transgender woman, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnessed her daughter giving birth, and a Bosnian rape survivor. Boston College’s production was outlandishly hilarious and devastatingly beautiful, tapping into the deep well of human emotions through effusive storytelling and exaggerated moaning. Throughout the performance, I felt an unabashed pride for being female—not that I was ever ashamed of it before, but I felt celebrated throughout this performance. Through my perceptions, I could only imagine the wonderful things that this pride could do for all women at BC, showing them to never feel the need to be embarrassed for being their unapologetic selves.

"SlutWalks" are protests that emerged in response to statements blaming victims of sexual assault for their victimization

South Africa's Constitution of 1996

The South African Constitution of 1996, a cornerstone of a non-racist and non-sexist South Africa, enshrines gender equality and prohibits discrimination based on sex, establishing a foundation for women's rights and feminist ideals. 

1999: The International Lesbian and Gay Association formed to lobby world organizations to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The statement is incorrect. The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), now known as ILGA World, was founded in 1978, not 1999, and it works to protect the human rights of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. 

The collapse of Communism led to the rise of extremist Christianity in Central Europe, such as Poland (the Catholic Church) and Serbia (the Orthodox Church) in former Yugoslavia, both of which banned homosexuality as immoral and contrary to the teachings of the Bible where only sexuality linked to reproduction was permitted. This is also the case in Ukraine, Hungary and Russia, all of which support the Orthodox Church. So ironically, even as the end of Communism gave people in those countries more freedom to practice religion, it also curtailed their rights with regard to sexual orientation.

The collapse of communism in Central Europe, particularly in Poland and Serbia (former Yugoslavia), did lead to a resurgence of religious identity, including the Catholic Church in Poland and the Orthodox Church in Serbia which did cause the other countries stated they only stuck to what they had.