From:** *HAMP::KUDUT******* "CHILDREN'S RIGHTS LIST COORDINATOR"
   12-SEP-1991 10:55:37.69 To:** *IN%"JPAIR@UA1VM.BITNET" CC:**
   *KUDUT Subj:** *Homophobia, Sexism and Violence The meeting
   really didn't have a main point.* Just that Sexism and
   Homophobia are related...* and that, from birth, we are
   channeled into acting out the stereotypes (what is expected of
   us), as men or women.* Like "Don't be a Crybaby" for males or
   "Cry, be emotional, but not too much or you're then considered
   Hysterical" for females. Stuff like that. Homophobia:* Hmmm....
   I'd say that homophobia is, of course, the fear of homosexuals.*
   And, by extension of fear, the Hatred of Homosexuals, Hatred
   being Fear channeled into a "Manly" manner.... It's also part of
   the general shaping that we all seem to go through.. like... do
   you remember someone asking you to check your fingernails, or
   look at your heel, or to show him/her how you carry your books?
   (while in school, that is)...* and that there is a certain way
   to do these things that describes you as male or female.* If you
   are male, and you check your nails like a female, then you are a
   Faggot/Homo/Queer. If you are female and you check your heels
   like a male (males, supposedly, check their heels by putting
   their heel crossed in front of their other leg, and lifting it
   up.* Females are supposed to look backwards, and lift up their
   heel back there...), anyway... then she's a dyke/lezze/queer
   These are little things that go on in school, seemingly
   regardless of where it is in the U.S. that this happens (I don't
   know if fingernail checking is a universal thing)...* but this
   isn't the fault of the children -or- the fault of the parents.
   It's a society thing.* Something that we've been doing for years
   and years and are caught up in the cycle, for the most part. As
   an example, infants.* Male infants get blue, females get pink.
   Male infants are more aggressivly picked up and played with,
   while female infants are cuddled, and played with very softly.
   Now, when social scientists test toddlers for their
   aggressiveness, and noticing that males are generally more
   aggressive, while females just tend to sit there and cry.. they
   think.... "Ah HA... There MUST be a natural difference between
   males and females."... .well, folks, there is, but it's not what
   we make it out to be. There is a need for us males to stay in
   power (and when women get 67 (or 57) cents to a males $1.00 (I
   forget which), we'll be in power for a LONG time).* The way we
   stay in power is by sexism... by treating each sex as if they
   were OPPOSITE each other (the "Opposite Sex"), by treating women
   as if they NEED a man to survive (and at 67 cents per 100 cents
   of a male, they tend to end up needing a man's paycheck)...
   etc... It all adds up...* little things, here and there... all
   add up quickly and powerfully. --- Now, some of the things I
   just said are from the talk, but a lot of them (like the Infant
   Stuff), is just stuff I've seen in Studies, and also in my
   general observations of people dealing with infants.... That's
   'bout it...* I don't know if I defined Homophobia... but if you
   look at it in relation to Sexism, I think I've done an ok job :)
   --ken