Tori Amos once sang, "Tell me what you think they'll do when they find you out … find out you're just a p----, my sweet boy."
In light of recent, long-awaited media coverage, I'd like to talk about homonegativism in this column. Here, the word functions as an umbrella term that includes homophobia and heterosexism and will refer to any bigoted attitude or intolerant behavior toward the queer community. But first off, let's make it clear that bullying and its corollary, attempted and fatal suicides, are nothing new, especially among queer youth. The findings of a National Transgender Discrimination Survey released in early October revealed that over half of transgender and gender non-conforming students that were bullied, harassed or assaulted in school have attempted suicide. Additionally, the survey uncovered that 41 percent of respondents have attempted suicide, a rate that is over 25 times higher than the national one of 1.6 percent.
These dizzying numbers stress the need to address homonegativism and the way in which it informs daily interactions, mindsets and policy. For now, I'm going to focus solely on the personal level in relation to males.
Let's briefly explore the witty phrase "no homo." Thrown carelessly after any comment or action that may be misconstrued as homoerotic, it makes any somber day a little bit gayer. However, I don't support its use, for the phrase, born of the fear of being perceived as queer, mediates the anti-queer discourse, regardless of the intention of the user. Similarly, homophobic epithets, even if used in jest among friends, function much in the same harmful way. In the same way that rape jokes' insensitivity perpetuate the outlandish, callous assumption that rape survivors ask for it or are to blame, these types of discourses further perpetuate homophobic and heterosexist ideology.
As I alluded in a previous column, misogyny functions alongside homonegativism to frame gender deviance as shameful and disgusting, a behavior in need of correction and punishment. Evidently, the outcome may be fatal in hostile environments. For instance, this summer, you may have heard of the 17-month-old infant boy beaten to death by his male babysitter in response to his "acting like a girl." How many more queer — here, and only here, do I use this term in a broader sense to designate any deviance from the norm — bodies have to suffer the violence, whether physical or psychological, of homonegativism before we act?
Despite this extreme case, gender non-conformity is accepted within a context that ensures the heterosexual quota isn't disturbed, which means these situations often involve mocking and denigrating queer identities. Often, this occurs in homosocial situations with males as a way to ensure heterosexuality on the part of each member. The masculine code requires a disavowal of any connection to femininity.
Another manifestation that can perpetuate homonegativism is internalized homophobia. The negative attitudes and stereotypes about queer folk can transform into a potent self-hatred that may manifest in active discrimination and violence against other queer folk. It can also function on a smaller scale. Take, for example, a disavowal and disgust toward lesbian butch identities from their feminine queer counterparts who have internalized the intolerant attitudes at large. Yet if queer identities were accepted as valid and legitimate, it would then follow that the fear of slipping into deviance would dissipate. The anxieties for all genders to conform would be lessened and ameliorated.
We have to decide that enough is enough. Homonegativism has claimed too many lives, non-queer and queer alike. Sometimes, or rather most of the time, it doesn't get better, and we as a "modern and progressive" society should respond to correct that.
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Elisha Sum is a senior majoring in English and French. He can be reached at Elisha.Sum@tufts.edu.
