CGS 105 Chapter Notes - Chapter Article Notes: Heterosexism, Wage Labour, Heterosexuality
6 Jul 2018
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CGS 105 – Article Notes – Capitalism and Gay Identity
Wage labor and commodity production make gay/lesbian identity possible
NOT that capitalism causes homosexuality/shapes the form it takes
Sexuality as malleable-> sexual orientation at birth/early in life
1970s LGBT movement strong, visible, making a lot of strides
Fears of subjugation/genocide
There was no gay history when the movement first started, so LGBT people used their own
experiences to construct a myth of gay history
oUntil liberation, always the victims
oMeans that there is too much emphasis on coming out, and not enough emphasis on
the institutionalization of homophobia and heterosexuality
'Eternal homosexual': idea that LGBT people have always existed and always will
oLimiting the movement now
LGBT people have only come about and organized themselves because of capitalism
17th century household production
19th century industrialization led to wage labor
oBut women still did work inside of the home and made their own products
By 1920s family was the center of life and happiness
In colonial times, sex was kept within marriage as a means of reproduction (way to get cheap
labor), and all kinds of sexual activity outside of marriage, including heterosexual activity, was
shunned
Spread of wage labor broke the connection between sex and procreation
oWe don't need to have a lot of kids to survive anymore, and in fact it hurts us since
we're working for wages
oSex as an affectionate activity
oAllowed for rise of LGBT communities
Homosexual behavior existed in the 17th century, but behavior is different from identity
oNo space for people to be LGBT at this time, since survival was structured around the
family
Homosexual identity "…based on the ability to remain outside the heterosexual family and to
construct a personal life based on attraction to one's own sex"
Early 20th century LGBT establishments and communities began to form, as these people saw
themselves as different and sought out each other
oWhile this was happening, change in the medical field describing homosexuality as an
inherent trait in a person
More gay men than lesbian women since men can get into the workforce and support
themselves more than women can
oCollege-educated women more likely to be lesbian since they can support themselves
Different groups affected in different ways
oImmigrants less likely to be homosexual since close family ties were still prominent
oBlack community accepting homosexuality
oThose on the frontier engaging in homosexual behavior but not understanding the
identity behind it
WWII led to mass movement of people into same-sex environments, which encouraged
experimentation
1950s and 60s growing LGBT subculture, which helped later liberation movement after
Stonewall
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