#Gender identities and exposure to pornographic materials

[coochiequeens]

Another freak who the that the gender cult should be distancing themselves from. And everyone should be ensuring he's kept away from kids.

By Genevieve Gluck July 8, 2024

CONTENT NOTICE: This article contains graphic mention of child sexual abuse and child physical abuse. Reader discretion is appreciated.

Reduxx has learned that a Professor Emeritus at California State University and a top consultant to the world’s leading transgender health authority directly contributed to an erotic story featuring themes of the graphic mutilation and sexual slavery of children.

In 2022, Reduxx exposed a number of academics for their role in a disturbing website known as the Eunuch Archive, a long-standing forum which hosts nearly 10,000 “erotic” stories of an extreme sadomasochistic nature. In addition to hosting the fantasy material, a discussion forum exists to provide support and community to men who identify as “eunuchs,” and seek to be or are already castrated.

The investigation into the Eunuch Archive began after it was directly referenced in a document drafted by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), an international body which sets the standards for transgender healthcare. In a draft of their Standards of Care 8, WPATH included a chapter on a “eunuch gender identity,” which it defined as men who “wish to eliminate masculine physical features, masculine genitals, or genital functioning.”

Mentioned as a source in the chapter was the Eunuch Archive and its collection of castration fantasy material.

Though members of the deranged forum attempted to remain anonymous, Reduxx was able to unmask some of the top contributors and administrators, learning that at least three of them were academics with direct ties to WPATH.

One, Richard J. Wassersug, has for over 20 years used the alias “Eunuchunique”on the forum. Wassersug was an Honorary professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences at the University of British Columbia, but has also been affiliated with Dalhousie and La Trobe Universities.

Another, Krister H. Willette, who has been active in the community since 1998, uses the screen name “Kristoff.” While a third, and arguably the most well-regarded member of the forum, was revealed to be Thomas W. Johnson, a professor emeritus at California State University-Chico who has lectured extensively on gender dysphoria and “expanding the transgender umbrella.” Johnson utilized the moniker “Jesus” on the Eunuch Archive and registered with the forum in 2001.

While all three men have direct connections to WPATH and contributed to papers and conferences organized by the association, documents provided as evidence in an ongoing court case have recently revealed that Johnson, the chapter lead for WPATH’s “eunuch” update in the Standards of Care 8, had apparently attempted to suppress internal concerns about the promotion of a ‘eunuch gender identity’.

This revelation comes just as Reduxx has now obtained confirmation that Johnson was directly participating in ghostwriting disturbing fantasies about castrating boys under his anonymous screen name.

One notable example is a story titled “Larry,” which is prefaced as being an “original nightmare by Jesus.” The story is written in an imaginary future where the law allows any adult to “sell himself or herself, or any parent to sell a child over the age of 10.”

The story’s narrator is a pedophilic slave trader who buys “attractive” children from destitute mothers following the abolishment of government assistance. While employing heavily racist tropes, the narrator purchases the titular character, a 10-year-old Black child, from his impoverished mother.

The narrator boasts of buying many children, presumably primarily Black, from “the projects,” and suggests the mothers are single parents and drug addicts.

“I marveled at the social disintegration that had gone on in the Projects since the end of welfare and the explosion of drug addiction. I could see the mother planning what she could do with a little more drug money. At least ten year olds were almost always clean,” the story reads from the narrator’s perspective. “When someone brought in a twelve year old, I always had to worry about drugs. After all, getting them detoxed and healthy again for resale was time-consuming and expensive.”

Not even halfway into the story, the 10-year-old child is put in chains and iron restraints before being castrated without anesthetic.

An excerpt from “Larry.”

During a physical examination conducted by the narrator, the child is described as “even more beautiful without his clothes.” The narrator is later described as sharing a bed with the boy and “massaging his little genitals.”

Under his moniker, Johnson also encouraged site members to submit fantasies of castrating children in a dystopian setting wherein eugenics had become enforced by the government. The framework for the fictional world was drafted by a site member who called himself Erik, in a story titled “The Making of the Modern World.”

“Erik and I would both like to encourage readers to create additional stories for the Archive set in this future world. Erik would like first person accounts of boys becoming drones,” Johnson wrote as “Jesus.”

Within Erik’s “world,” an authoritarian government had passed The Eugenics Act, which “required the examination of all children, nation-wide, during their fourteenth year to determine whether or not they were fit to reproduce.” Children who are not deemed intelligent enough are “sterilized.”

But using his real name, Johnson has become known for his influence in the push to normalize “eunuch identities.” But his efforts have not been met without some resistance in the medical community, even amongst the WPATH members themselves.

Newly released internal records show that many WPATH members opposed the inclusion of the “eunuch” chapter in the most recent Standards of Care. The records were presented in the legal dispute Boe v. Marshall, taking place in the District Court of Alabama, which seeks to prohibit the medical ‘transitioning’ of minors.

Heavily redacted emails exchanged between WPATH members and an anonymized individual who claims to be the Eunuch chapter lead – a title held by Johnson – show many questioning the logic behind it.

“I struggle with the concept of ‘Eunuch as a gender identity’, but not with the concept of ‘Eunuch as an identity’; I can understand (I think) ‘someone who identifies as Eunuch and experiences gender dysphoria (or gender incongruence), but struggle with the concept of subsuming ‘Eunuch’ as an identity under TGD,” reads one of the emails, the author of which is unknown.

Another email shows an unnamed individual expressing confusion over two “controversial” chapters of the SOC-8, including the Eunuch category, which “makes no sense.”

“I would really appreciate a chat with you about this before I step up, because I am not letting this go for the sake of anyone other than following logic and reason,” the WPATH member states.

Yet another individual whose name has been redacted wrote in detail about “very serious misgivings” regarding the Eunuch recommendations, stating bluntly that the definition of a eunuch is “a man who has been castrated.”

The writer continues: “There is the creation of a new term, ‘male-to-eunuch gender dysphoria’, which does not exist in any diagnostic health classification system… The majority of published reference works in this Chapter stems from one single person, who – as far as I am aware of, is not a HP [health practitioner].”

“I have been working full-time as a trans health specialist… since 2007. Our Centre has approximately 3000 current patients and we receive in excess of [one] thousand new referrals per annum. I have NEVER met a patient who identified as Eunuch and consequently, I am extremely skeptical about the veracity of this Chapter.”

“As the chapter lead for the WPATH Standards of Care chapter on eunuchs, I was very surprised and disappointed by your very long set of comments about the chapter. Yours was one of the longest and the most negative,” reads the email.

The message goes on to defend the Eunuch chapter of the SOC-8 by citing research conducted among members of an anonymous sadomasochistic castration fetish forum. This research, the email’s author notes, were published by WPATH within the International Journal of Transgenderism.

The first paper, published in 2010, establishes “the development of standards of care for individuals with a male-to-eunuch gender identity disorder.” The second paper, dated 2016, calls for “recognition of gender variants outside the binary in WPATH Standards of Care.”

However, despite the stated objections shared internally, the Eunuch chapter was included in the final version of the SOC-8.

Additionally, when WPATH released the SOC-8 in September 2022, the guidelines had done away with specific age restrictions on medical ‘transitioning’ entirely, and reduced the age at which youth could potentially receive “puberty-blocking” drugs, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.

[dankusner]

Supreme Court should uphold Texas’ porn law

Challenge against legislation that protects children is part of a war against decency

For the last several years, it has been increasingly evident there is a pervasive and evil war on the hearts and minds of children.

Parents and community members across Texas and the nation are speaking out in record numbers demanding action to protect the innocence of children.

Silence and apathy on preventing the sexualization of our children is not an option.

This is why I continue to focus on legislation that protects the innocence of childhood and helps prevent the destructive behavior resulting in porn addiction.

Childhood has become a battleground for parents trying to prohibit the exposure of sexually explicit content in public schools.

The war continues with constant vigilance to prevent discussions on sexuality and gender identity and exposure to drag performances in public areas.

Last session, I co-authored House Bill 1181 to protect children from exposure to pornographic content as minors. The bill requires reasonable age verification to be conducted by pornographic websites.

It was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023.

An unconscionable coalition of porn companies attempted to block the legislation, claiming a violation of the First Amendment. These predatory extremists continue to pursue the sexualization of children regardless of the proven damage to young, developing brains.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will consider a challenge to the new law by these predatory extremists.

I have a high level of confidence that the court will uphold this vital piece of legislation to protect children from harmful materials.

For decades, laws restricting similar content found in books and magazines have been upheld.

HB 1181 requires little that’s different than what’s expected from other websites that use age verification to protect children, such as alcohol or tobacco, let alone adult content.

My legislation also protects the identity of individuals by prohibiting the retention of identifying information.

This important piece of legislation that protects children will be upheld and I will continue my fight to safeguard children from being sexualized.

Texas is a pro-family state and we will continue to block and prevent the adult industry’s efforts to extend their vile attack on children.

The effects of pornography on children is clear and must be stopped.

District 66 in the Texas House of Representatives.

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center

C.S.H.B. 1181

88R30050 JES-D

By: Shaheen et al. (Paxton)

State Affairs

5/15/2023

Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 1181 passed the House unanimously and, as substituted, includes:

S.B. 2021. Passed the Senate 31-0 S.B. 417. Passed the Senate 29-2. This was revised with stakeholder input.

Problem to Solve:

Protecting children from harm is a primary duty of a parent.

Yet in this day and age, the devices they use contain readily available hardcore pornographic content and videos and pictures that harm the minds of children.

Texas law prohibits exposing a minor to pornography in Section 43.24 of the Texas Penal Code�Relating to the "sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor."

According to The National Center on Child Exploitation, pornography is proven to be biologically addictive and research shows that adolescents are more susceptible than adults to addictions and there are developmental effects on the brain.

Exposure to explicit content in childhood is proven to increase the demand for child pornography, child exploitation, human trafficking, and prostitution.

Children who use pornography are more prone to engage in risky sexual behaviors and are at risk of sexual victimization, which leads to mental health disorders.

Self-generated imagery now accounts for 1/3 of web pages featuring child pornography.

Sexualization through devices is creating more demand, access, and content creation from minors.

Children's development is harmed when viewing content from mainstream pornography websites that show sexual violence, incest, physical aggression, sexual assault, non-consent, and teens.

Bill Summary:

This legislation would ban minors under 18 from viewing explicit content online by requiring distributors and publishers of explicit content to require 18+ commercially reasonable age verification in order to view content.

Publishers and distributors of explicit content are held liable if they fail to perform age verification.

Users' data is not retained after verification.

The Committee Substitute:

The committee substitute adds language from S.B. 417 "Electronic Device Filters" chapter to the Business and Commerce Code.

It requires manufacturers to enable an optional filter on electronic devices activated in Texas that blocks minors from accessing explicit material.

The filter can be bypassed by the parent/guardian by entering a password or access code but must be reasonably secure.

Manufacturers violating this chapter can be liable for a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation or $50 million total.

Removes liability of nonparent violator.

Adds the Miller v. California test to provide a good degree of specificity so that organizations may be put on adequate notice as to what is pornographic and what is not.

Creates a more specific definition of filter including a good faith clause.

Removes the private right of action.

Makes the attorney general the enforcement mechanism.

C.S.H.B. 1181 amends current law relating to access to sexually explicit material on the Internet or electronic devices and provides civil penalties.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subtitle C, Title 5, Business and Commerce Code, by adding Chapter 121, as follows:

CHAPTER 121. ELECTRONIC DEVICE FILTERS

SUBCHAPTER A. ELECTRONIC DEVICE FILTER REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 121.001. DEFINITIONS.

Defines "activate," "electronic device," "explicit material," "filter," "manufacturer," "minor," "simulated," and "visual material."

Sec. 121.002. APPLICABILITY.

Provides that this chapter does not apply to a telecommunications provider who activates an electronic device on behalf of a user.

Sec. 121.003. ELECTRONIC DEVICE FILTER REQUIRED.

(a) Requires a manufacturer to ensure that an electronic device activated in this state will, on activation, automatically enable a filter and notify the user of the device when the filter prevents the device from accessing, downloading, or displaying explicit material.

(b) Requires that an electronic device:

(1) allow the user of the device or a minor user's parent or guardian to circumvent the filter required under Subsection

(a) by entering a password or access code; and

(2) reasonably prevent a user of the device from circumventing, modifying, removing, or uninstalling the filter without entering a password or access code.

Sec. 121.004. VIOLATION.

(a) Provides that a manufacturer violates this chapter if the manufacturer releases into the market an electronic device that, when activated in this state, does not automatically enable a filter under Section 121.003 because the device lacks the necessary software or is defective.

(b) Provides that a manufacturer, notwithstanding Subsection

(a), does not violate this chapter if the manufacturer makes a good faith effort to provide an electronic device that automatically enables a filter under Section 121.003.

SUBCHAPTER B. ENFORCEMENT

Sec. 121.051. CIVIL PENALTY; INJUNCTION.

(a) Provides that a manufacturer who violates Section 121.004

(a) is liable to this state for a civil penalty in the amount not to exceed the lesser of:

(1) $10,000 for each violation; or

(2) $50 million.

(b) Provides that a manufacturer who negligently violates Section 121.004

(a) is liable to this state for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed the lesser of:

(1) $1,000 for each violation; or

(2) $5 million.

(c) Authorizes the attorney general to bring an action in the name of the state to obtain an injunction preventing further violations of this chapter by a manufacturer or to recover a civil penalty under this section.

Requires the prevailing party to recover reasonable and necessary attorney's fees and costs incurred in an action brought under this section.

(d) Authorizes the action to be brought in a district court in:

(1) Travis County; or

(2) the county located in which the defendant's principal place of business is located.

(e) Requires the attorney general to deposit a civil penalty collected under this section in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.

SECTION 2. Amends Title 6, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, by adding Chapter 129B, as follows:

CHAPTER 129B. LIABILITY FOR ALLOWING MINORS TO ACCESS PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

Sec. 129B.001. DEFINITIONS.

Defines "commercial entity," "distribute," "minor," "news-gathering organization," "publish," "sexual material harmful to minors," and "transactional data."

Sec. 129B.002. PUBLICATION OF MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINORS.

(a) Requires a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an Internet website, including a social media platform, more than one-third of which is sexual material harmful to minors, to use reasonable age verification methods as described by Section 129B.003 to verify that an individual attempting to access the material is 18 years of age or older.

(b) Prohibits a commercial entity that performs the age verification required by Subsection

(a) or a third party that performs the age verification required by Subsection

(a) from retaining any identifying information of the individual.

Sec. 129B.003. REASONABLE AGE VERIFICATION METHODS.

(a) Defines "digital identification."

(b) Requires a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an Internet website or a third party that performs age verification under this chapter to require an individual to:

(1) provide digital identification; or

(2) comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies age using:

(A) government-issued identification; or

(B) a commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of an individual.

Sec. 129B.004. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.

(a) Provides that this chapter does not apply to a bona fide news or public interest broadcast, website video, report, or event and is prohibited from being construed to affect the rights of a news-gathering organization.

(b) Prohibits an Internet service provider, or its affiliates or subsidiaries, a search engine, or a cloud service provider from being held to have violated this chapter solely for providing access or connection to or from a website or other information or content on the Internet or on a facility, system, or network not under that provider's control, including transmission, downloading, intermediate storage, access software, or other services to the extent the provider or search engine is not responsible for the creation of the content that constitutes sexual material harmful to minors.

Sec. 129B.005. CIVIL PENALTY; INJUNCTION.

(a) Authorizes the attorney general, if the attorney general believes that an entity is knowingly violating or has knowingly violated this chapter and the action is in the public interest, to bring an action in a Travis County district court or the district court in the county in which the principal place of business of the entity is located in this state to enjoin the violation, recover a civil penalty described by Subsection

(b), and obtain other relief the court considers appropriate.

(b) Authorizes a civil penalty imposed under this section to be in an amount equal to not more than the total, if applicable, of:

(1) $10,000 per day that the entity operates an Internet website in violation of the age verification requirements of this chapter;

(2) $10,000 per instance when the entity retains identifying information in violation of Section 129B.002(b); and

(3) if, because of the entity's violation of the age verification requirements of this chapter, one or more minors accesses sexual material harmful to minors, an additional amount of not more than $250,000.

(c) Requires that the amount of a civil penalty under this section be based on:

(1) the seriousness of the violation, including the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation;

(2) the history of previous violations;

(3) the amount necessary to deter a future violation;

(4) the economic effect of a penalty on the entity on whom the penalty will be imposed;

(5) the entity's knowledge that the act constituted a violation of this chapter; and

(6) any other matter that justice may require

SECTION 3.

Requires each manufacturer to implement a software update to automatically enable an electronic device filter on an electronic device activated in this state as required by Chapter 121, Business and Commerce Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2024.

SECTION 4. (a) Effective date, except as provided by Subsection (b): September 1, 2023.

(b) Effective date, Chapter 121, Business and Commerce Code, as added by this Act: January 1, 2024.

[phuongthanhle]

Week 7: Digital Citizenship and Health Education: Body Modification on Visual Social Media

What is pornificaion ?

The term "pornification" has ascended as the predominant nomenclature to articulate the normalization of pornography and the assimilation of pornographic imagery into a broader array of cultural expressions, notably since the dawn of the 21st century (Tyler & Quek 2016). The concept of pornographication, or pornification, encapsulates the confluence of styles or narratives from the adult entertainment industry into the fabric of mainstream cultural discourse and the commodification of Western societal norms, occasionally referred to as a culture of debauchery. The utilization of objectified portrayals of the female form within the realm of pornification ostensibly serves as a manifestation of the entrenched power dynamics inherent in gender representation.

Within both journalistic and scholarly dialogues, contemporary culture has been pathologized as "hypersexualized," "pornified," or "erotified." Despite their subtle divergences, these characterizations seek to explicate the banality of pornography due to its ubiquitous presence, the routine exposure and consumption of sexually explicit material across various demographic cohorts, and the interplay between innuendo and explicitness within the multifaceted realm of media culture.

Pornification operates on a tripartite stratagem (Paasonen, Kaarina Nikunen & Saarenmaa 2007). The initial stratum pertains to shifts in media technologies and the burgeoning hegemony of the adult entertainment industry, while the subsequent tier involves regulatory transformations within media landscapes that have facilitated the encroachment of pornographic imagery into public spheres. The ultimate tier, denoted as porno-chic, delineates the pervasive "sexualization of culture." This tertiary realm presents a quandary as it conflates pornographication with sexualization, engendering a prevailing (mis)interpretation of pornification that necessitates further scholarly inquiry in subsequent expositions.

The sexualization of culture

The pervasive phenomenon of cultural eroticization is steadily gaining traction in our modern milieu. An intensified fixation on sexual themes across advertising, entertainment, and the visual arts has catalyzed a discernible transformation. This is exemplified by the prevalent portrayal of titillating and audacious spectacles in mainstream media, fostering a cultural ethos that accentuates sensuality at the expense of subtlety (Lababidi 2013). Furthermore, the proliferation of reality dating shows, where genuine human emotions are commodified for public consumption, contributes to the glorification and perpetuation of a culture that exalts arrogance while forsaking refinement. This cultural trajectory not only impacts perceptions surrounding sexuality but also poses a formidable challenge to established societal norms concerning mutual respect and dignity (Lababidi 2013).

Pornography and the limit of decency

Sexual themes have long been intertwined with popular media culture, shaping societal perceptions and norms across various platforms like print, cinema, and television. The representation and negotiation of sexual identities, along with the redefinition of obscenity boundaries, have been central to media discourse (Paasonen 2016).

In today's society, the concept of "sex" has transcended physical limitations, evolving into a multifaceted experience that incorporates technology and identity. It can manifest as an out-of-body encounter, a form of communication between strangers, or a blend of flesh and technology, offering unprecedented modes of interaction.

The expansion of media culture into a realm of widespread access and diverse consumption has amplified societal interests in sexuality, leading to a proliferation of sexual representations in various forms. Pornography, a significant aspect of media culture, aims to arouse viewers through detailed depictions of bodies, sexual acts, and bodily fluids. The genre's specificity lies in its content, authorial intent, audience impact, and perceptions of what is considered pornographic.

Discussions on pornification delve into the complex interplay between acceptability and taboo within cultural contexts. The ongoing negotiation between societal norms and the portrayal of sexuality underscores broader concerns about the sexualization of culture. The delineation of pornography as a distinct entity within cultural discourse reflects concerns about protecting childhood and upholding societal values amid evolving media landscapes.

Reference:

Lababidi, Y 2013, ‘The Pornification of Popular Culture’, Truthout, viewed <https://truthout.org/articles/the-pornification-of-popular-culture/>.

Paasonen, S 2016, ‘Pornification and the Mainstreaming of Sex’, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Paasonen, S, Kaarina Nikunen & Saarenmaa, L 2007, Pornification : sex and sexuality in media culture, Berg, Oxford ; New York, pp. 2–12.

Tyler, M & Quek, K 2016, ‘Conceptualizing Pornographication’, Sexualization, Media, & Society, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 237462381664328.

[gianarosegoestothemovies]

New Queer Cinema

Starting from the late 1980s through early 1990s, a “new wave” of queer films became critically acclaimed in the film industry, allowing the freedom of sexuality to be featured in films without the burden of approval from the audience. This raw and honest film genre displays the truth, secrets, and vulnerability of the LGBTQ+ community and the representation that is deserved. The New Queer Cinema movement was started by scholar Ruby Rich who wrote “This movement in film and video was intensely political and aesthetically innovative, made possible by the debut of the camcorder, and driven initially by outrage over the unchecked spread of AIDS. The genre has grown to include an entire generation of queer artists, filmmakers, and activists.” (Rich) This movement started from Rich’s writing piece, not the filmmakers themselves. An article by Sam Moore discusses Rich’s start of the movement. He states, “Rich acknowledges that the films and filmmakers she considers under the umbrella of New Queer Cinema (including Todd Haynes, Cheryl Dunye, Isaac Julien, Gus Van Sant and Gregg Araki), don’t share a single aesthetic vocabulary or strategy or concern.” Instead, they’re unified by the ways that they queer existing narratives, subvert expectations and foreground queerness in material where it had been only implicit” (Moore). The journey through the New Queer Movement started with Ruby Rich defining the movement through her writing and inspiring filmmakers to continue producing movies with the correct representation.

           Actress from Gone with the Wind Susan Hayward claimed that Queer cinema existed “decades” before an official title was given to the genre. French filmmaker Jean Cocteau created Le sang d'un poète in 1934 which is documented as one of the earliest Queer films. This avant-garde style of film is associated with Queer cinema filmmakers such as and is displayed in many upcoming films such as Ulrike Ottinger, Chantal Akerman and Pratibha Parmar. The influence of Queer theory that emerged from the late 1980s helped guide the movement with the creators. The theory states "Challenge and push further debates on gender and sexuality.” Another closely related statement by feminist theory states,"Confuse binary essentialisms around gender and sexual identity, expose their limitations.” Queer cinema filmmakers were sometimes known to depict their films in a “mainstream” way that is agreeable to the audience. There was no exposure to the truths and horrors that the LGBTQ+ community experience and had a lack of representation of historical elements or themes. The concept of “straightwashing” was described to filmmaker Derek Jarman’s 1991 historical film Edward II. This film received backlash from the LGBTQ+ community due to the film’s queer representation catering to heterosexuality and heteronormativity.  

           The truth of the movement was for Queer films to stop romanticizing or bringing positive images of gay men and lesbian woman. The push for authenticity and liberation for the community needed to be represented in films. New Queer films were more radical and sought to challenge social norms of “identity, gender, class, family and society.” (Wikiwand.com).

           To quote the amazing drag queen of all time RuPaul “Everyone is born naked, and the rest is drag” the idea of gender identity and representation in the community is unlimited, why do you need to follow the norms of society when anything is possible? The late 90s documentary Paris is Burning introduced the audience to drag culture in New York City and the people of color who were involved in the community. The term “aesthetic” was repetitive in the research of New Queer Cinema which suggests the significance involved with the style of the films. The documentary includes the aesthetic of the drag world involving the makeup, fashion, and politics. AIDS activism was involved heavily in New Queer films and ridiculed the failure of Ronald Reagans acknowledgment of epidemic and the social stigma experienced by the gay community. Conservative politics occurred during this movement resulting in lack of media coverage and government assistance for the LGTBQ+ community. This political struggle did not discourage the community and the fight is still continuing today.

           Beginning in the 2010s LGBT filmmakers Rose Troche and Travis Mathews created a “newer trend” in queer filmmaking that evolved toward more universal audience appeal. In an article from Wikiwand.com states,

           “Rich, the originator of the phrase New Queer Cinema, has identified the emergence in the late 2000s of LGBT-themed mainstream films such as Brokeback Mountain, Milk, and The Kids Are All Right as a key moment in the evolution of the genre.[20] Both Troche and Mathews singled out Stacie Passon’s 2013 Concussion, a film about marital infidelity in which the central characters' lesbianism is a relatively minor aspect of a story and the primary theme is how a long-term relationship can become troubled and unfulfilling regardless of its gender configuration, as a prominent example of the trend” (Wikiwand).

           The film Watermelon Woman was one of the first queer films I watched for a film class, and this film allowed me to dive deeper into the subject I care a lot about which is the representation of queer narratives about woman of color. Queer woman and men deal with the most discrimination. It is unfair and cruel to see the difference of racial treatment in the LGBTQ+ community because the backbone motto is full exclusion and equal rights. The film Watermelon Woman shined light on LGBTQ+ black woman and interrogated the “Mammy” stereotype that most films depict about black actresses. Minority narratives were pushed into the circuit of the movement with developed into the later academy-award winning film Moonlight that displays those representations makes film history!

           Films to recognize in the height of the New Queer film movement are

Mala Noche (1986), Gus Van Sant, was an exploration of desire through the eyes of a young white store clerk named Walt and his obsession with a young undocumented immigrant named Johnny. The film is shot in black and white on 16mm film, contains many of the early Van Sant fixations that viewers would later see get refined in My Own Private Idaho, including male hustlers, illegality, and class.

Chinese Characters (1986), Richard Fung, this early film asks still-pressing questions about the nature of gay desire when it’s mediated via pornographic images of white men. The video defies genre, mixing documentary with performance art and archival footage to explore the tensions of being a gay Asian man looking at porn.

Looking for Langston (1989), Isaac Julien, this short film, a tribute to the life and work of Langston Hughes, is a beautiful and vibrant elegy. Julien creates a lineage of queer black ancestors for himself. The film moves like the poetry it recites, playing with the gaze and how various eyes look upon the black male body.

Tongues Untied (1989), Marlon Riggs, guided by the writer Joseph Beam’s statement, “Black men loving black men is the revolutionary act,” Riggs goes through his own complicated journey of homophobia from other black people, and then racism in the gay community, to find a community of queer black people.

Poison (1991), Todd Haynes, the three parts of the film tell a story about ostracism, violence, and marginality: the bullied child who allegedly flies away after shooting his father in order to save his mother (“Hero”), a brilliant scientist who accidentally ingests his own serum to become the “leper sex killer” (“Horror”), and a sexual relationship between two men in a prison (“Homo”). Exploits radical work that Haynes later uses in his other films.

The Living End (1992), Gregg Araki, the film follows Luke, a sexy homicidal drifter who has a distaste for T-shirts, and Jon, an uptight film critic in Los Angeles. Both are HIV-positive, and as their relationship unfolds, they fight about being respectful or lustrous.  

Swoon (1992), Tom Kalin, a black and white film that romanticizes wealthy Chicago lovers kill a 14-year-old boy named Bobby Franks because they want to see if they are smart enough to do it. The murder is more a play of power between them, with Loeb weaponizing sex as a way to control Leopold.

Rock Hudson’s Home Movies (1992), Mark Rappaport, Rock Hudson’s Home Movies is a documentary made up of glances and innuendos from Rock Hudson’s persona, displaying how this dashing, leading man of the Hollywood Golden Age was a closeted gay man.

MURDER and Murder (1996), Yvonne Rainer, is known for her experimental filmmaking and choreography, this film represents a late-in-life lesbian named Doris who suffers from neuroses and breast cancer. Her partner, Mildred, a queer academic, tells the story of their romance as older women. Rainer also makes appearances throughout the film in a tux, going on rants about smug homophobic parents while showing her bare chest with a mastectomy scar.

           1992 was the year of the highest amount of New Queer films being produced and exceeding box office expectations. Upcoming 2000s films such as “Booksmart”, “Call me by your Name”, “The Prom”, and “Rocketman” all represent the truths and authenticity of the LGBTQ+ community and creates pathways for more films to include these cinematic themes. The movement continues to grow and succeed in the film industry with new creators and actors being more honest about the LGBTQ+ community.

[myn4702]

Week 6: Digital Citizenship and health education: Body modification on Visual Social Media

What is pornification?

Pornographic or sexually explicit material is a mainstream cultural adaption of the sex industry's techniques and content, as well as eroticism in Western society. Pornography is notorious for utilizing sexually graphic images of women to show "how patriarchal authority functions in the field of gender representation".Contemporary society has argued that all types of pornography try to account for how common and ordinary pornography is when there is so much content accessible in both the media and academia. Also, how accessible it is in whatever media and how individuals of all ages constantly come into contact with and utilize it. The popularity of the sex business grew in tandem with the predominance of sexualization and the rising division of society, as indicated by the emergence of dance clubs. Sexualization and the commodification of women and girls has become so ingrained in our culture that many people regard glamor modeling and lap dancing as not only normal but even desirable. The sex and beauty business, which is both open and confined by the diversity of identities and objectives available to young women, is both open and constrained.

The sexualization of culture

During the early years of the twenty-first century, sexualization was propagated in Western cultures through sexy imagery in advertising, mainstream media, and popular culture. The usage of photographs of women. In the 1960s and 1970s, women fought for the second feminist movement. Gender objectification has a direct impact on women's perception of their role as subjects in society and the acknowledgment of women as intellectuals in society. On the other hand, Western cultures emphasize neoliberal principles of autonomy and personal accountability, reflecting a perspective on the individual whose position and life experiences must be interpreted as the result of the values expressed in their choices.In terms of communication, numerous studies have looked into the shift from the image of women as passive, "sexy" objects on car bonnets to a new lustful style of expression. Positive, always "trying," lively, and confident women are shown as knowing how to use their sexuality for their pleasures and goals. As a result, such relevant flows are provided by the expansion and reach of networked communications, as well as the circulation rates of the pictures, text, arguments, news, and ideas it delivers. to sexual identity, behaviors, tastes, orientations, rights, and regulations ( Donaghue, N. (2014)

Pornography and the limit of decency

Pornography is not protected by the law and will be punished, according to the Supreme Court. As a result, pornographic content will be illegal in commerce in both the United States and overseas. The majority of sexually explicit pornography is unlawful. The Supreme Court used the Miller, a three-part narcissism test, to decide whether work was pornographic. Pornography that passes the Miller test is permissible and not outlawed, although exposure to children under the age of 18 is subject to specific limitations and bans. As a result, all sexual information is eliminated from television broadcasts and seems to have been modified from the original due to Supreme Court guidelines and criteria.

Lababidi, Y 2013, The Pornification of Popular Culture, Truthout, <https://truthout.org/articles/the-pornification-of-popular-culture/>.

Donaghue, N. (2014) "Sexualization", Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology, pp. 1746-1750. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_418.