Poly Planet GAIA | ecosexual love | arts of loving | global holistic health | eros | dissidence: September 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

3 of 5: EcoSex @ U Conn - Diamond's Sexual Fluidity - Student Responses: Alissa's Take

Dear Earthlings:



The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Lisa Diamond's Sexual Fluidity was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alissa, John, and Rhiann. 

Here is Alissa's take:










 The concept of sexual fluidity is not a concept I had been familiar with previously, but
the author explains the topic in a convincing manner than exposes many unknown studies and ideas that she has learned through her own longitudinal study. Lisa Diamond’s study I find to be very interesting because society is so concerned with labels and classifying people that people just assume sexuality is black and white, you like men or you like women. Society has trouble accepting that a person may not be sexually attracted to a specific gender or that they may be attracted to both. I like how the author was able to include quotes and bios about the various people in her study because it brought up scenarios that people would not necessarily have thought of.
The most important idea that I think this novel focuses on is the idea that each person defines their sexual orientation differently and that sexual orientation should not have parameters, but people should rather love who they love. Being confined to a label conflicts people more often than not because they do not feel that they are living up to what a true lesbian is or what a true homosexual is. Sexual fluidity allows people to change who they are attracted to and their orientation without having to put a label on their feelings. I never made the distinction that those people who considered themselves bisexual felt that it was not a right fit because it implied having an equal attraction to men and women. The average person in society with minimal knowledge of sexual orientation would think that bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, and even pansexual would cover all the areas. On the other hand, putting any label on sexual orientation conflicts people for their circumstances may seem abnormal and they would just prefer if they were not categorized with a specific group.
A subject area covered in the novel that was new to me was the idea that men’s and women’s sexual identity can be separated further since they do not react in a similar manner. For example the author talks about how women tend to have more periods of fluidity throughout childhood and adulthood whereas men tend to be more settled with an orientation later in life. Another piece that was odd to me was how homosexual men and homosexual men would be sexually aroused by respective attractions, but in the case of women they responded to all of the videos that were displayed. This concept makes me believe that women are more open to other types of attraction, while men to have more stability in their orientation.

Why do you think the term sexual fluidity applies more to women than men? Do you think this has to do with the personalities and qualities that are stereotyped as masculine and feminine?

Alissa Maus
Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love
Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Dear Earthlings:
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD
Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Join Our Mailing List
   
Follow us in the social media
Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

2 of 5: EcoSex @ U Conn - Diamond's Sexual Fluidity - Student Responses: Michael's Take

Dear Earthlings:



The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Lisa Diamond's Sexual Fluidity was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alissa, John, and Rhiann. 

Here is Michael's take:





Overall, I found Sexual Fluidity to be a fascinating book to read. The early chapters discussion of the various sexual orientation studies were particularly interesting for me because I had
never realized the degree to which these studies had focused on male sexual orientation and excluded the experiences of women because they confounded the data. Similarly, I was also engaged by the books discussion of the genetics of sexual orientation and particularly the hormonal doses in utero and the effects these had. Given that all of this discussion was an application of epigenetics I found it to be particularly compelling from a scientific perspective because Diamond’s findings seemed to indicate there were a plethora of yet undiscovered interactions between which genes are activated by androgen hormones and what effect the over-expression or inactivation of these genes by differing levels of androgen have on the genetics of human sexuality. This early groundwork certainly helped direct me towards her subsequent research with curiosity and a more open mind, confident of its grounding in the biology underlying her research.
Once I had finished reading the book, I think I connected to the idea of the attraction to the person and not the gender. While I certainly agree with Diamond’s idea that certain characteristics that we may find attractive are gender neutral, I think there is a lot of truth to her claim that the individuals she studied could be attracted to the person and not the gender. I think this is true to a degree even amongst those who are less fluid in their sexuality, either because they are males or are not attracted to both genders. There is certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence of fleeting attractions by otherwise non-fluid individuals in a direction more analogous to the fluidity that Diamond investigates.

Do you agree with her general hypothesis regarding women’s sexuality being more fluid than males?







Michael Maranets
Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love
Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Dear Earthlings:
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD
Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Join Our Mailing List
   
Follow us in the social media
Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

1 of 5 - EcoSex @ U Conn - Diamond's Sexual Fluidity - Student Responses: Adam's Take

Dear Earthlings:



The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Lisa Diamond's Sexual Fluidity was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alissa, John, and Rhiann. 

Here is Adam's take:



Response to Sexual Fluidity

            I found “Sexual Fluidity”, by Lisa Diamond, to be an interesting read that takes a courageous position on a subject many people do not feel comfortable discussing – women’s sexuality. However,
though this book is primarily about the sexual fluidity of women, its implications for the sexuality and behaviors of men are ever-present, as well; Diamond’s work and theories, I felt, could be connected to my own personal set of feelings, as a man, while keeping the central topic of discussion the sexuality of women.

            Diamond claims that there is a link between gender atypicality and same-sex sexuality. This made me pause and reflect; I do not often express typical ‘masculine’ gendered traits, not so in my mannerisms or my dress style, though I also would not say that my ‘natural’ behavior is noticeably and remarkably feminine, either. I do not identify as heterosexual, I prefer to distance myself from labels; in this, I noticed that I fell neatly into Diamond’s theory.

            Diamond’s argument for sexual fluidity forced me to look at my own sexual identity, an identity which I feel has never been very concrete; I have gone back and forth between heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and even asexual labels. As I read, I was reminded of pansexuality, a label with which I was familiar, but never considered applying to myself. However, as I was recollecting all the feelings I had ever had, I was forced yet again to re-examine my sexuality, a topic that has always been difficult for me to confront. Though I have had physical and psychological attractions to men, I have found that biological sex is not as much of a limit for me as I thought it was. It has only happened twice, but I have been physically attracted to women who exhibited masculine gender expression (both were lesbians). In addition, it is with women with whom I have developed deep emotional attachments and relationships, never with men. Though I still consider myself to be unlabeled, if I needed to provide a concrete answer, I would now choose pansexual over homosexual.

            My question is – how can the concept of female sexual fluidity be presented meaningfully in a way that would be more difficult to misconstrued and misuse by those who merely wish to subjugate, in a western world that is obsessed with strict labels?
Adam Kocurek
Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love
Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Dear Earthlings:
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD
Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Join Our Mailing List
   
Follow us in the social media
Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog