Lesbians and Gays

Question

Soc 40: Marriage and Family

Paper #3 – Lesbian and Gay Relationships

Due via dropbox by 11:59pm on Saturday, October 8th

The “sexuality” video for this class briefly defines sexuality and talks about the different focuses

for sociology of sexuality research, including sexual orientation. For this assignment, you will

learn more about prejudice and discrimination experienced by those who are lesbian, gay or

bisexual. Please read through the Heterosexuality Questionnaire below:

Heterosexuality Questionnaire

Martin Rochlin

1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?

2. When and how did you first decide that you were a heterosexual?

3. Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?

4. Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?

5. If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good

same-sex lover?

6. To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies? How did they react when you told

them?

7. Why do you heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others into your lifestyle?

8. Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can’t you just be who you are and keep it

quiet?

9. Would you want your children to be heterosexual, knowing the problems they’d face?

10. A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexuals. Do you consider it safe to expose

your children to heterosexual teachers?

11. Even with all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so

few stable relationships among heterosexuals?

12. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?

13. Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were

heterosexual like you?

14. Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don’t you fear that the therapist might be

inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own leanings?

15. How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive, exclusive

heterosexuality and fail to develop your natural, healthy homosexual potential?

16. There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might

enable you to change if you really want. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?

Write a 2-3 page paper (double spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font) answering the

following questions:

- Pick 5 of the above questions and answer them. Make sure you state which

question you are answering. If you do not identify as being heterosexual/straight

then replace that term with a more appropriate identification or answer more

generally about your sexual orientation.

- Did you find the questions hard to answer? Were some harder than others? If so,

which ones? What, specifically, was so difficult?

- How did the questions make you feel?

- What does it say about our society that gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are asked

similar questions?

- What can you do in the future if you hear someone asking these questions to

someone else?