JP 5
JP
Professor Murphy
ENG 101
October 10, 2019
Unsafe World
The U.S government was created by white heterosexual cisgender men for white heterosexual cisgender men (Jones 6). Historically, we have seen that in the functions of government, therefor in political and institutional structures of power, white heterosexual cisgender men have manipulated power into their favor. Not only are they the majority in “reputable” occupations, but they also established their place in higher positions within those occupations: owners, managers, bosses. They created a system that, without fail, would results in their favor; establishing a power dynamic in which the dominant group –white cisgender heterosexual men– would always have power over marginalized groups. There have been blips in history where marginalized groups were politically represented, thus they were socially represented, such as during the Reconstruction era where the first black congressman was elected, but these occurrences were limited.
Due to their monopolization of power, white cisgender heterosexual men have implemented political structures which disenfranchise marginalized groups, therefor establishing political and social forms of violence towards these groups. They have developed a system which favors their existence at the expense of minority groups, establishing power over specifically racial minorities, LGBT individuals, and women. This historical pattern of dominance has established detrimental social norms such as gender roles, racism and heteronormativity, ultimately normalizing forms of violence towards marginalized groups. White cisgender heterosexual men create an unsafe and violent world for marginalized groups by upholding and reinforcing social norms, using their positions of social and political power to subdue groups with limited visibility, thus perpetuating forms of systematic violence.
American society is built around the satisfaction of white cishet (cisgender, heterosexual) men, where they are the dominating group in every situation. The reinforcement of gender norms are the direct cause of patriarchal white supremacy and vice versa; these forms of social and systemic power thrive off of each other. American culture depicts the “perfect” man as following a hegemonic masculinity, where they have dominance over minority groups. White cishet men have themselves established this, creating multiple social norms but specifically gender roles and norms. When discussing the socialization of men in American society, men in relation to their own perception of their power are discussed: all of which “originate from a white male perspective…plac[ing] white ablebodied male heterosexual as both the pinnacle and the most advantageous of all spectrums” (Rivera 2). This has led to the “ideal” man being hyper aggressive, normalizing violent behavior in men. Also, the concept of the “ideal” man has placed them on a pedestal, allowing them to establish the idea in which they are the epitome of perfect humans, “othering” anyone who deviates from that concept. This reinforces the social norm of heteronormativity, assuming heterosexuality is the only acceptable sexual orientation. The social system of heteronormativity “ regulates those kept within its boundaries as well as marginalizing and sanctioning those outside them”, monitoring those within and outside of heterosexuality: reinforcing gender norms by having a strict definition of masculinity and femininity forcing men and women to adhere to such cultural norms and ostracizing any dissent (Jackson 1). This creates a patriarchal white supremacist society, demonizing women, racial minorites, and LGBT individuals. This patriarchal white supremacy paired with the normalization of violence in men has led to the rationalization of violence towards minority groups. The effects of patriarchal white supremacy are seen in communities of color, specifically in the black LGBT community. Social norms are all euro centric, reinforcing racial discrimination. This in turn forces men to be hypermasculine to compensate for their lack of social power. This ultimately puts black trans women at very vulnerable positions as their identities intersect at the point where they are socially and politically disempowered. The gender norms embedded into American culture are the result of white cishet men manipulating power into their favor and continually upholding these social systems. Social violence, which is created by social norms, leads to systematic violence, institutional violence meant to limit and disenfranchise marginalized groups.
Cishet white men have established advantageous social systems, resulting in politically advantageous systems and thus maximizing their institutional power. Throughout history, cishet white men have kept political power exclusive, consolidating power for themselves. It has not been until recently, and a few blips in the past, where marginalized groups have experienced the slightest bit of political representation. Social systems create institutional systems, thus why the majority of those in positions of political power are those who created or are advantageous within those systems: in this case, cishet white men. Cishet white men have made it nearly impossible for anyone marginalized group to reach political equality. Toni Cade Bambara and Frances Beal argued “the kind of political freedom they campaigned for would only come about when the oppressions of race, gender and class were addressed” (Gray and Cook 3). The argument is valid, yet idealistic. In order for true political representation to occur, the systems which American society are built on need to be reevaluated and changed completely. This is a harsh, yet not unbelievable, realization that the systems we follow are built on oppression and discrimination.
These social and political systems have ultimately led to the normalization of violence against marginalized groups. This systematic violence has led to subduing and even harm towards marginalized groups, limiting first their social voice then their political voice. For instance, femicide is seen throughout many cultures and the rationalization of such murders have become widespread through all cultures. These killings committed by men range from “intimate partner femicides”, where men kill their intimate partners followed by physical abuse, to “honor femicide”, where men kill a woman in their own family because they brought “shame” to their family name (Messerschmidt 3-4). Cishet white men attempt to rationalize violence towards groups who do not have the social or political advantages they have. Another example of this is the lack of representation or misrepresentation of marginalized groups which creates a fixed perception of what these groups should look like: if one should deviate from that perception they automatically become a target for violence. LGBT films are often made for white cishet audiences, which erases the experiences and identities of other LGBT individuals. Roland Emmerich, director of Stonewall (2015), grossly misrepresented the Stonewall riots, whitewashed the events and substituted trans women of color for white cis gay men. He claims “I didn’t make this movie only for gay people, I made it also for straight people” (Keegan 1). This erasure and misrepresentation creates a dangerous world for LGBT folk as it creates a perception that all LGBT people look a certain way, often excluding trans individuals of color. The “paternalistic substitution of white, cissexist supremacy” creates a mold which not only straight but LGBT individuals attempt to uphold: gatekeeping LGBT individuals who do not conform to white cishet perceptions (Keegan 8). These misconceptions often bring a shock when cishet white men are met with anyone who does not fit such mold, leading to violence towards these individuals: this is a major factor as to why black trans women, specifically, are more vulnerable to hate crimes, attacks, and have an average lifespan of 35 years. “ Between 2013 and 2017, reports of at least 102 murdered transgender women were submitted, and at least 75 of them (over 70%) were Black trans women” (Jones 1). Black LGBT+ individuals are, often times, forced to conform to such standards set by cishet white men in order to “ ensure safe movement through patriarchal white supremacist societies” but even then it is not enough to prevent violence towards them. Hate crimes are a cruel reality LGBT+ individuals live in fear of and many times must face. This lack of representation, created for cishet white men, creates a dangerous world for marginalized groups.
Although cishet white men may live their lives with little regard or knowledge of the social and political systems that favor them, they benefit from such systems and therefore they perpetuate systematic violence towards marginalized groups. Every individual can be the target of a crime, but cishet white men’s identities are not factors into why they were targeted. Marginalized groups are often targeted for vicious attacks because of their identity. Cishet white men created political and social systems which benefit them. They created the systems which oppress marginalized groups; the ignorance of systemic oppression does not exempt those who benefit from these systems.
Works Cited
Gray, John, and Melanie Cooke. “Intersectionality, Language and Queer Lives.” Gender and
Language, vol. 12, no. 4, 2018, pp. 401–15.
Jackson, Stevi. “Interchanges: Gender, Sexuality and Heterosexuality: The Complexity (and
Limits) of Heteronormativity.” Feminist Theory, vol. 7, no. 1, 2006, pp. 105–21, doi:10.1177/1464700106061462.
Jones, Sunahtah D. Ain’t I a Woman, Too? Depictions of Toxic Femininity, Transmisogynoir, and
Violence on 0RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2Star1RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2, University of South Florida, Ann Arbor, 2019. ProQuest.
Keegan, Cá. “History, Disrupted: The Aesthetic Gentrification of Queer and Trans Cinema.”
Social Alternatives, vol. 35, no. 3, 2016, pp. 50-6. ProQuest.
Messerschmidt, James W. “Masculinities and Femicide.” Qualitative Sociology Review, vol. 13,
no. 3, 2017, pp. 70–9. EBSCOhost.
Rivera, Ashley, and Jonas Scholar. “Traditional Masculinity A Review of Toxicity Rooted in
Social Norms and Gender Socialization.” Traditional Masculinity A Review of Toxicity Rooted in Social Norms and Gender Socialization, 2019, pp. 1–10. ASU Library, doi:10.1017/cbo9780511814198.005.
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