Abstract
Richard Mohr emphasizes the importance of dispelling false beliefs about lesbians and gay men, and establishing legislation that protects the rights of sexual minorities. He argues that homophobic policies originate in the belief that gay men and lesbians are categorically less morally valuable than others, rather than deserving of unequal treatment because of their behaviors or actions. In response, I show that homophobic panic over lesbian or gay sex acts is actually quite influential, and argue that Mohr fails to take account of the political and philosophical significance of sexual freedom, and the inextricability of sexual being and sexual doing.
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The terms available for referring to sexual minorities, nonheterosexual identities, and counterhegemonic forms of gender are highly contested and often in flux. I have limited most of my discussion to “lesbians and gay men,” to be consistent with the argument offered in the text at hand. However, given that most formerly gay-identified political organizations now consider their constituencies to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (lgbt) people, I think that discussion of “American lesbian and gay politics,” as such, should also be so broadened. I have attempted to broaden the discussion by including those other categories where clearly appropriate, and also utilizing the term “queer,” in order to cash in on its current ambiguity, which includes meaning both “lesbian and gay,” and “lgbt.”
In the text under discussion, Richard Mohr includes the following statistics, from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: “More than 90% of gay men and lesbians have been victims of violence or harassment in some form on the basis of their sexual orientation. Greater than one in five gay men and nearly one in ten lesbians have been punched, hit, or kicked; a quarter of all gays have had objects thrown at them; a third have been chased; a third have been sexually harassed; and nearly one-seventh have been spit on.” Mohr, R. (2005). The long arc of justice: Lesbian and gay marriage, equality, and rights. New York: Columbia University Press, 22.
Anti-discrimination laws vary widely. Some only prohibit discrimination in public employment, others include discrimination in public accommodations, private employment, education, housing, credit, and/or union practices. See National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, (n.d.) States, cities, and counties with civil rights ordinances, policies or proclamations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from http://www.thetaskforce.org/theissues/issue.cfm?issueID=18.
A typical bit of evidence of the centrality of these issues was the front page headline of USA Today on the day that this paper was presented on an American Philosophical Association “Author Meets Critics” panel. Biskupi, J. (March 24, 2006). Battles escalate over gay marriage: New legal challenges take root in state courts, legislatures. USA Today, p. 1.
Mohr, p. 7.
Mohr, p. 74.
Mohr, p. 86.
Mohr, p. 75, 85, 77, 80.
Mohr, p. 79.
Mohr, p. 74.
Mohr, p. 76.
Mohr, p. 77.
See for example Smith, A. (2005). Conquest: Sexual violence and american indian genocide. Boston: South End Press; Roscoe, W. (2000). Changing ones: Third and fourth genders in native north America. New York: Palgrave; Jacobs, S., Wesley, T., & Lang, S. (Eds.), (1997). Two-spirit people: Native american gender identity, sexuality, and spirituality. Chicago: University of Illinois Press; Williams, W. (1986). The spirit and the flesh: Sexual diversity in american indian culture. Boston: Beacon Press.
Williams, 137.
Cianciotto, J. & Cahill, S. (2006). Youth in the crosshairs: The third wave of ex-gay activism. New York: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.
Whiteman, S. (n.d.) A discussion on homosexuality. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from http://www.parentsrightscoalition.org/Writings/Statement.htm.
Mohr, p. 80.
Mohr, pp. 78–79.
Mohr, p. 75.
Mohr, p. 81.
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Cuomo, C. Dignity and the right to be lesbian or gay. Philos Stud 132, 75–85 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-006-9052-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-006-9052-1