Facebook: "Interested in..."

This past week, in discussing Queer Theory, we have noted the social construction of gender that disregards the fluidity of desire. In Tomás Almaguer’s article, “Chicano Men” he notes that homosexuality is treated very differently in Mexico when compared to that of the United States. This made me think of Queer Theory, and think about how the social construction of sexuality has also ignored the fluidity of desire. In this way, there are not only heterosexual norms that have been implemented in society, but also social constructions of deviant norms. The very cultural variance of homosexuality between two cultures proves this very construction of sexuality. While homosexuals in the United States are defined by having homosexual desires or same-sex objects of desire, there is not always a definite line between homosexuals and heterosexuals in Mexico. Historically, the “aggressors” Mexico have been the more masculine and are not necessarily negatively stigmatized as homosexual, while the “passives” are more feminine and less accepted in society. This means that in every homosexual situation or encounter there is only room for one socially acceptable being. Such a social construction of homosexuality has left little room for the modern conception of homosexuality in the United States, which is accepting of both masculine and feminine homosexuals. What does this mean for the labels of heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual? If we all actually adhered to the Kinsey scale, wouldn’t there be no such thing as a labeled sexuality, but instead just numbers? I think it would be really interesting if society eventually embraced the Kinsey scale and Facebook had instead of “interested in” would have a number that you gave yourself. Who knows what Mark Zuckerberg will add to Facebook next…