Peculiar means odd, strange or unusual. So how could benefits be peculiar? It’s how we as people make it to be, as Roxane Gay emphasizes in her article “Peculiar Benefits,” published in 2012. Roxane Gay argues how we must move past the dispute as to why we must recognize privilege to get past societal problems and to not allow its meaning to continue to become diluted. Gay builds a strong argument mainly through audience adaptation, language and her choice of rhetoric was effective enough to affect my perception on her point of view. Gay begins her article by first mentioning how her parents took her on an unexpected trip which educated her for the future. Since Gay was a child when she witnessed all the poverty and uncleanliness of the …show more content…
Gay is formal throughout her article when necessary, which is mostly throughout her piece, but also somewhat sarcastic when mentioning an ignorant dispute that could’ve easily been avoided, such as when she mentioned how many people play the pointless and dangerous privilege game by matching demographics (Gay). With this example given, she proves how unbiased she is, because throughout her article her main argument was “to understand the extent of our privilege, the consequences of our privilege and to remain aware that people who are different from you move through and experience the world in ways you might never know anything about” (Gay). However, towards the end of her article she moves from one end of the spectrum to the other end by recognizing how some people like to play with the thought of privilege and how they possibly take it to an extreme level by questioning possibly everything, as mentioned before with the demographic matching game, to see who has more and less privilege, rather than using your current privilege to benefit one another. She uses the correct word choice to then put together a strong formal
Through description, the author indicates the nature of LGBT+ culture and its various aspects, contrastingly peaceful in the love it represents and fearful in light of the recent Pulse shooting. Details about the, “bitter black coffee [the narrator had] just enjoyed twist[ing] and churn[ing] in [her] stomach,” after receiving news of the Pulse shooting at an LGBT nightclub provides the audience with insight into the narrator’s grief and fear through the usage of terms such as “bitter,” “twisting,” and “churning.” However, descriptions of the
...less knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks” (page 79). McIntosh’s ranges of examples are no doubt impressive, ranging privileges from education, political affairs, hygiene, the job industry, and mainly public life. Her list of examples makes it easy for her readers to relate no matter how diverse the audience. While, many would disagree with this essay McIntosh anticipates this by making the contrast among earned and acquired power vs. conferred privilege. Contrary, to anyone’s beliefs everyone has an unbiased and equal shot at earned power. However, conferred privilege is available to certain groups: particularly the white race. America is founded on a system of earned power, where we fight for what we believe in, particularly freedom and equality. However, this is simply a mirage we want to believe in.
The first people introduced are a couple, Agustin and Marcelo, that has been well established in Chicago, Illinois. Marcelo explained his struggle of being both gay and staying catholic because as a kid he prayed to god for a miracle to change him to be “normal”. Marcelo has accepted himself and continues to practice the religion even though Catholicism prohibits being gay. Another man named David described being teased in his school career for kissing another boy in the third grade because of his sexuality. He moved to New York City to get away from his childhood and to finally be happy in a place where he isn’t judged. This homophobia from young kids instigates violence in school that is learned from parents and from the community of others. The last person introduced in the film was a man who transitioned to be a woman that was rejected by her family and had to move out of her home for coming home with hair extensions. This form of violence caused Gabriela to abuse drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain of rejection. These three examples show how people have overcome the cultural normality, but have experienced all sorts of different
The topic of homosexuality has become a constant issue throughout our society for many years. Many people believe that being gay is not acceptable for both religious and moral reasons. Because being gay is not accepted, many homosexuals may feel shame or guilt because of the way they live their everyday lives. This in turn can affect how the person chooses to live their life and it can also affect who the person would like to become. Growing up, David Sedaris struggled to find the common ground between being gay as well as being a normal teenager. He often resorted to the conclusion that you could not be both. Sedaris allows us to see things through his young eyes with his personable short story "I Like Guys". Throughout his short story, Sedaris illustrates to the reader what it was like growing up being gay as well as how the complexities of being gay, and the topic of sexuality controlled his lifestyle daily. He emphasizes the shame he once felt for being gay and how that shame has framed him into the person he has become.
“What makes for a livable world?”, and what constitutes the human?”, are two questions Judith Butler inquires in her opening paragraph and throughout her writing that determine the mindsets of individuals throughout our society. Both of these arguments are answered differently, by different persons, within different cultures, yet play a dramatic role in Butler’s view of herself, the LGBT community, and most of all, every other human
The film presents the stereotypical behavior of gay men that is evident in our society. Many of the costumes are designed to highlight the characters and the way they live. For example, Bernadette wears long flowing clothes usually white or an off cream. ‘She’ is an older ‘women’ and dresses to look like one with flowing skirts and tops with her hair done up simply.
homosexual liberation. Some have demonstrated their anger and concerns about prejudice against homosexuals in both riots and artistic forms. Therefore, these people seek to prove to the heterosexual world that homosexual ‘deviancy’ was a myth.
Privileges are things that a person receives that gives them an advantage over most people (Merriam-Webster). These are benefits that only certain people receive for being in a certain group or discourse. Peggy McIntosh, director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote “White Privilege and Male Privilege” and states “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privileges, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (605). She argues that whites and males receive certain privileges, yet they do not even notice them. This shows that different races and women are still put at a disadvantage, but the people who receive the benefits are blind to the problem.
However, depending on their environment or the quality of one’s relationship to another person; the individual’s sexuality can be discussed with those closest to them. When their sexual orientation is revealed or “outed”, the individual has both opportunities such as accepted by families and peer groups and problems such as dealing with homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in their homes, schools and the communities in the presence of others and their opinions; making them feel let down, abandoned and dejected. According to Kathryn Dindia’s article “Going Into and Coming Out of the Closet: The Dialectics of Stigma and Disclosure” those who identify as bisexual, lesbian, gay or transgender are subject to stigma of AIDS or mental illness because “...the stigma is difficult or impossible to conceal, whether to reveal or conceal is an issue for the discreditable…”(85). Stating the individuals who came out as the “discreditable”, as have noted when the individual decided to reveal their sexual orientation they have ordeals such stereotypes, hatred, microaggressions and stigma. The chapter speaks into social sense unlike the next reading “Out of the Closets and Into the Courts”, Ellen Andersen narrates coming out in a more legal manner. During the Counterculture Movement and the 1970’s, Andersen pointed out and stressed “...gay men and lesbians needed legal representation…”(17) as well as protection by law enforcement, although earlier said the Stone wall Riots was provoked by acts of police brutality and the court system. Especially in American society, the book additionally states that the Gay Rights
Life for most homosexuals during the first half of the Twentieth century was one of hiding, being ever so careful to not give away their true feelings and predilections. Although the 1920s saw a brief moment of openness in American society, that was quickly destroyed with the progress of the Cold War, and by default, that of McCarthyism. The homosexuals of the 50s “felt the heavy weight of medical prejudice, police harassment and church condemnation … [and] were not able to challenge these authorities.” They were constantly battered, both physically and emotionally, by the society that surrounded them. The very mention or rumor of one’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their lives. Geanne Harwood, interviewed on an National Public Radio Broadcast commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, said that “being gay before Stonewall was a very difficult proposition … we felt that in order to survive we had to try to look and act as rugged and as manly as possibly to get by in a society that was really very much against us.” The age of communist threats, and of Joseph McCarthy’s insistence that homosexuals were treacherous, gave credence to the feeling of most society members that homosexuality was a perversion, and that one inflicted was one to not be trusted.
Meanwhile, the scientist become aware of the deadly virus killing thousands of people and society did not respond well. Many people did not like the idea of spending money on research for this disease. They didn’t think it was a big concern to worry about, although many people were dying each day. The gay people did response and wanted a cure immediately. Some believed that it was “God’s way” of punishing the gay people. An example would be when a group of people go on TV and are striking against gay people.
the beginning the text has an exciting tone since the authors describe the overwhelming emotions of individuals as well as the celebrations that took place after the law allowing same sex marriage was approved. By starting the article in this manner the writers are trying to provoke feelings of excitement from their readers in order to make them think that this event is a positive aspect of our society. Also, by mentioning the gay movement’s multiple efforts over the past “forty-two years to ensure the marital as well as civil rights of homosexuals” (Virtanen, Hill, and Zraick 1), the writers motivate their audience to be sympathetic towards these individuals. Moreover, the authors try to make people become more suppo...
Through reading this paper you will learn about the key points from the article, A Social Worker’s Reflection on Power, Privilege, and Oppression written by Michael S. Spencer and the article White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. Then the paper will include my personal beliefs on the topic of privilege and even some of my own personal privilege that are in my knapsack and that have helped me along my way in life. Finally, There will also be a point in the paper where I will have the ability to informed you about how privilege affect people and how they can positively affect people who do not receive them. Privileges impacts many groups of people in many different ways. They can be effected by
Queer is another term for sexual minorities which consider gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual. The article on “Queers” is about how queer people can do whatever they want in society and nobody is to judge them at all. Straight people can live without fear, be on television, don’t have to hide and many more. But they are writing the opposite groups of people which refer to the queers which they live with fear and hiding their true identity to the society. I agree when “being queer is not about a right to privacy; it is about the freedom to be public, to just be who we are. It means everyday fighting oppression; homophobia, racism, misogyny, the bigotry of religious hypocrites and our own self-hatred.”(Queers, iii 79) Queers are human too so, they should have the same rights and values of any other people. Where is the right to autonomy for them? Human rights are based on freedom and having the dignity to do something they like without being judge by majorities. They were first people to blame when the AIDS started to spread. It has also been a painful situation for them when two males or two females walking do...
Bawer, Bruce. A Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society. New York: Poseidon, 1993. Print.