Section the third

1. Section the third Language and gender Tyler Schnoebelen Questions? tylers at stanford

2. The playing field A nice, neutral grey

3. The playing field It’s so neutral that we don’t even need to describe it

4. The playing field Which means that we don’t really need to examine it

5. The playing field • It’s grey • It’s a parallelogram • It’s shaded • Aren’t most fields green? • Who got to choose it? • Tyler? How come?

6. Contested words • Many words are relatively uncontested (“table”, “purple”, “boil”) • Of course you’ve probably had a misunderstanding based on some of these (“I thought you were going to get a blue car; that’s purple”) • Others have more complex meanings (“marriage”, “homosexual”) • Who establishes the connections? Who controls the meanings? • Do they merely control the words?

7. “Political correctness” • Starts in Russia among the communists! (Enemies of the American Right) • First it just means you steadfastly toe the line (positive) • Eventually part of the Russian left uses it as a pejorative (it’s just too much to bear) • The American left picks it up in the second sense, uses it “in the family” • In the early 1990s, the American right picks it up and runs with it—the left is trying to patrol our thoughts, they say • Capture and define was is “natural” (the old way) • Distance people in the middle from those unnatural (crazy) liberals who are simultaneously (i) dangerous, (ii) ridiculous

8. An epithet of choice • In the 1990s, “p.c.” was used to discredit things like: • Development of campus codes against hate speech • Questioning the literary canon • Adoption of self-descriptions originated by the minorities they described (“woman” > “girl/lady”, “Asian” > “Oriental”)

9. What do you think? • “P.C.” items, says Lakoff (2000: 91), share in common one thing: • “They are forms of language devised by and for, and to represent the worldview and experience of, groups formerly without the power to create language, make interpretations, or control meaning. Therein lies their terror and hatefulness to those who formerly possessed these rights unilaterally, who gave p.c. its current meaning and made it endemic in our conversation.”

10. Essentialism and its discontents

13. How are cultural phenomena constructed? • The creation and maintenance of categories and conventions • “The ‘reality’ of sex does not pre-exist the language in which it is expressed; rather, language produces the categories through which we organize our sexual desires, identities and practices” (C&K 2003: 19) • Re: girls saying they aren’t slags—”Their insistence that they personally do not deserve the label only reinforces its power, and reproduces the assumptions about gender and sexual agency on which the label is predicated” (C&K 2003: 34)

14. Chaque mot a son histoire • Each word has its own history • Words don’t change their meanings in isolation • “We cannot understand the significance of any word unless we attend closely to its relationship with other words, and to the discourse (indeed, the competing discourses) in which words are always embedded” (C&K 2003: 29)

15. Identity/behavior • Crazy behavior/identity • Bondage behavior/identity • Actor/celebrity • “That’s not who I am, that’s what I do” vs. “That’s who you are, not just what you do”. • Identities/behaviors are contested, too • What are “acts of identity”?

16. Craigslist and recursivity • (1) Ok Imcourious and exploring my sexuality. So Im not looking for sex just yet, my interest are running, mountain biking and anything that is out doors, im not into the guys who are all feminine. Im looking for a straight acting dude like me. please be my age and fit and good looking send a face pic and I will send my pic when i get yours. hope to hear from you and thanks for reading my add. take care! • (2) Looking for a nice, slim, somewhat feminine guy who enjoys sensual make-out, touching, oral,,and more. I am a bit of a dom top type, but do enjoy a feminine guy for hot top fun behind doors. Please send a pic if you like mine and would appreciate a sexy one as well.

17. Craigslist 2 • (3) These are my preferences so dont get offended (its my taste) *straight acting, walk and talk str8 (just cuz you dress like a dude doesn't make you one) *Fit and have muscles please. *DL, Discreet (). *Play safe. *White or Latino so lets cut the bullshit Stats: 5'7", blk hr, brwn eyes, 145lbs.

18. Craigslist 3 • (4) Butches Unlimited is a group for woman-identified butches who want support for their female identity under ever increasing pressure to transition, identify as male, and/or adopt male or male-like pronouns. We will discuss everything under the sun, including our own internalized misogyny, and homophobia, so it ain'tfer the faint of heart, to be sure. As much as possible, we will combine our discussions with fun activities, from just hanging out at the park, chillaxing, going to art shows, nightclubs, movies, dinners, political stuff, like marriage equality rallies, bowling, wii tournaments, etc., whatever we feel like doing, it's all good. All ages, ethnic, economic, and spiritual backgrounds are welcome. As often as possible, I'd like to have butches who live outside of the gay area to have access to the support of the group, so excursions, and road trips will be planned, and they will be hella fun! I live in Oakland, so most of the activites will prolly take place in the oakland, s.f. areas. When organizing events, I will always consider the needs of the group, and expect that others will too, however, the group is diverse, and not every activity will meet the needs of every member. Also, members can participate as little or as much as it works for them, you will not be under any obligation to do anything with which you are uncomfortable. The emphasis will be butch in the adjective, rather than the noun, and no distinctions will be made based upon the type of woman you date, or sleep with. There will be butches who only date femmes, other butches, both or neither (meaning the women they date don't i.d. as butch or femme). The main criteria of membership is that day in and day out, you identify as a female, while being perceived by the public (including, and most especially our community), as male or male-identified. It seems that he/hi/shi/hir/zi/hym/sir/mr. have become the default pronouns and descriptors for masculine women, and one of the functions of the group will be to provide a safe space to address this, and many other related issues. Membership is exclusive to those who meet the criteria, but there is a fan page on facebook where people who celebrate the masculine female (butches), can show their love and support, and in all likelihood meet a gorgeous butch woman as well, heh.

19. Craigslists 4 • (5) I'm seeking an ltr. I'm easy going, grounded, attractive and sane and fun:) I love to cook, love the outdoors (camping, hiking, etc.) Music is a big part of my life. I'm not looking for someone who is into the 24/7 bdsm "lifestyle". I am looking for someone who is sexually sub in the bedroom and is open to experimentation. Must be grounded, attractive, interesting and family oriented.

20. Craigslist 5 • (6) intersexed = Like at least 1 in every 2000 people, I am biologically intersexed. This is not the same thing as being transgender: I was born chromosomally female (XX) with both male and female parts, some of which were removed without my consent at birth. Which sucks. I have facial and body hair and I am often pegged as male in everyday life, but the trained eye can usually tell I'm not a bio-male. I take testosterone, not to transition but because my body needs it to function properly, and I don't produce it myself. If you're having trouble wrapping your head around this, it might help to think of me as something like an ftm: although I'm not, because I don't identify as male. I play well with trans and genderqueer people and those who admire them: if you appreciate gender ambiguity and all 'round queerness, I may just be the heshe of your dreams. genderqueer, beardyke = I am not male identified. Nor am I exclusively female identified, or in the process of transitioning to being one or the other. The space between is what I like to occupy, and I am most comfortable thinking of myself as both/neither...With that said, my presentation, sexuality, and personality puts me pretty strongly in the faggybutchdyke camp with a healthy dose of gay bear thrown in for flavor. Debate all you want whether genderqueers and transfolk should have their own category on craigslist but, until they do, I intend to keep posting here in w4w with the rest of them. For the record, it's my identification, not my vagina or karyotype, that has me posting here. Some of you flaggers may see me as just a "man with a uterus", and goddess knows my life would be easier if I was...but the reality is, I'm not. Not even fucking close.

21. Craigslist 6 • I am looking for a beautiful, smart, sweet, feminine woman for ongoing friendship and if there is chemistry to explore together. I am fairly new to this, but the desire has never gone away so here I am :) Please be between 25-35, strictly height/weight proportionate, beautiful inside and out, intelligent, classy, positive, fun. I am white, fem, 5'4", auburn/hazel, size 6, attractive. I am smart and active, have a good job and great friends. I dance, read, cook, socialize, learn, travel, etc. Tell me about yourself, what makes you tick, what you value, your favorite comedian, send a pic and lets get the ball rolling, I'm excited! I don't care if you have a boyfriend/husband, but I am not interested in joining a couple.

22. Words/people to know • Dimorphism (C&K 2003: 4) • Semiotically coded • Codes of signification • Discourse/discourses (C&K 2003: 16) • Michel Foucault • Simone de Beauvoir • Travestis • Reverse discourse (C&K 2003: 23) • Semantic shift

23. Appendix

24. Dinner party trivia • Heterosexual: Coined in 1869 for people who had sex with the opposite gender for pleasure instead of reproduction • “Irrumator” is the name in ancient Rome for the man who received fellatio (the “passive” giver was either a fellator (m) or a fellatrix (f))

25. On saying “no” • Women are supposed to say no at first, even if they actually mean to say yes ultimately • No one ever really says no to requests • Generally, “I need to go to sleep” or the like are effective strategies for saying no. Most men do listen to these.

26. Craigslist redux • “Hence if you are not heterosexual, you cannot be a real man or a true woman; if you are not a real man or a true woman then you cannot be heterosexual” (C&K: 7 talking about ideologies that link gender and sexuality)

27. The Big Bang Theory • Gaydar • Indexing