Online Course: Sociology of Human Sexuality Part 5

cross posted from my Media Justice column.

This is the final post on the notes from a summer class I’m teaching and wanted to offer readers a refresher and/or opportunity to take the course along with me. Read thefirst, second, third, and fourth posts for each week of topics.

This post will focus on our final class: an evaluation and a discussion with author and artistIvan Velez, Jr. who created Tales Of The Closet , one of the required books for this course. Ivan’s book is one of the first comic books to include youth of Color in NYC, queer identified youth in high school, and their experiences, challenges, and ways of building community.

Evaluation

Students were provided with the opportunity to write anonymous evaluations of the course. I asked them to focus on things that I have control over such as the topics discussed in class, texts used, assignments, grading, guest speakers, films, use of online teaching tools, their expectations of the class and if they were met. Students had 15-20 minutes to write as much or as little they desired regarding the course. After, we discussed the course as a group and they had the opportunity to share with me non-anonymously their thoughts regarding our course.

I was overwhelmed with how many students shared that their expectations for our class were not only met but exceeded them as well! Some admitted that they thought this class would be an “easy A,” but quickly realized they not only were learning a lot of information regarding health, society, and their own ideas and beliefs; but they were also doing a lot of work. This was something that challenged their expectations, but many said they did not find the readings or “work” for our class to be stressful or too much (which is often a critique of many upper level courses).

Some student’s thought that our class would make a good fall or spring course and some thought this was a course many students must be required to take versus an elective course. They also indicated that both books were useful and engaging, that they were affordable and could find the textbook for under $10 and thus, spent less than $20 for the texts for our class (Ivan offered his books to students for $5, almost a 50% off discount). I then shared with students how much I enjoyed being their instructor and mentor for the summer. They asked very thoughtful questions, had great discussions and respectful dialogues on many topics, and for being present in class for each session. I also learned a lot about myself as an educator and thanked them for being a part of my growth as well.

Tales Of The Closet
***SPOILERS***

Some folks have often wondered why or how a comic book may be a text for a course. I’ve learned early in my teaching experience, that people learn things in different ways. Some people are visual learners and gain more information from watching films or looking at images, other folks are good at taking notes and rereading them to obtain information, other folks gain more understanding through doing activities individually or as a group. For this reason, many of my classes attempt to offer students with various learning styles the opportunity to excel.

I also believe that comic books are different ways of reading. It requires people to understand that there is a protocol for reading comics, that there is a cultural element to them being created, and they are artifacts from particular communities. It’s also important to be challenged and explore why and how we may become uncomfortable with a particular reading so that we can better discuss and explore that discomfort. It challenges readers to think and read in different ways, some that may not always be linear. Comic books require reading not only the words, but the images, and the cells help to guide the readers in understanding how time elapses, how the story progresses, changes in characters, tone, and perspectives.

Some students have had a lot of experience reading comic books before our class and did not have a difficult time reading the book. A handful of students had never read a comic book before our class and were at first finding the first few pages difficult, questioned if they were reading it correctly, and if they understood the story. When they got the “hang of it” they quickly moved through the comic book and understood what was going on in the story. I think it is also useful for students to have the opportunity to interact with the authors and artists of the texts we discuss. It is not often we can offer this opportunity to our students, but I believe when it is possible it’s important to take advantage of the occasion.

When Ivan Velez, Jr. joined us we were finishing up our class discussion and evaluation. I had him sit in the center of the class so students could see and hear him well. The first question was very direct and many students wanted to know “why did he end the book the way he did!” and where could they find the next books. Students read the first 3 comic books ofTales Of The Closet out of nine books. Ivan shared that as with many comic books, you end the story in a way to encourage the reader to want to buy the next issue. This is a common approach to writing and creating comics.

For readers who are not familiar with the book here is a brief overview of the characters and story:

Synopsis: A group of teenagers at a high school in Queens, NY build community together that creates networks of safety, affirmation, and support for them as they work with and through their desires, attraction, gender, and sexual orientation in their family, at school, and in their communities.

Tony: a Latino raised by a single-father who is an alcoholic, Tony is the first person to stand up for his friend Scotty when he was being bullied and targeted with violence by students in school. He enters the foster care system and then street prostitution.

Scotty: is the first openly gay character in the novel. He is racially white, comes from a middle-class background, “out” to his family, and fashion forward. He is also seen as an easy target for harassment and violence at school, which has made him a “loner.” His parents made him go to therapy to discuss his sexual orientation, but his therapist quickly realized this was not a choice Scotty was making and helped his family support him.

Kyle: is the only racially Black man in the first 3 books. He embraces certain aspects of femininity in his everyday gender expression, which results in his sexual orientation being assumed. Kyle is the first friend that Shorty makes on the first day of school.

Shorty: is a young middle-class Italian woman whose family is expecting another child. She is attracted to Mary, but is shy. She meets Tony at the principal’s office as they both are in trouble for different reasons. Shorty realizes her parents are supportive and do not discriminate against people who are not heterosexual towards the end of book 3.

Mary: is a very popular racially white upper-class woman who partners with Ben. After Ben shares on their first date that he is attracted to men, Mary shares that she has the same attraction and they become known as a couple at the school. Mary and Ben are invited to parties that the others are not invited to, even though they prefer the groups friendship.

Ben: is a racially white football player who is very popular. Most of his friends are on the football team and these are the same people who beat up and bully Scotty. He is set up on a date with Mary, and they agree to date one another for safety purposes even though they both identify as being attracted to the same gender. Ben’s father is a wrestler who encourages his son to be active and athletic.

Jenny: is an Filipina who comes from a large family. She has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and is attracted to Ramona. After she creates a friendship with the group she stops using substances but relapses one day, which may have long term repercussions.

Ramona: is a racially Black woman whose family comes from the Caribbean and has a strong religious ideology. Ramona is very shy and struggles with anti-homophobia that she is taught at home and believes she is not loved by her family or her spiritual community and deity because of her attraction and desires toward the same gender. She is an artist and writer who experiences physical abuse at home, isolation from the group, and forced heterosexual dating with a man her mother requires her to be with.

Wilson: an older racially white gay man who finds Tony beaten and mutilated by one of his clients and takes him to the hospital. He represents the “old guard” of the queer community and visits Tony often to check up on him and make sure he’s healing. He is best friends with Imelda who was with Wilson when the found Tony.

Imelda: is a transgender Latina who is best friends with Wilson. She is introduced at the end of book 3 when she is brutally beaten by tranmisogynists while walking with Wilson. Their attack is how book 3 ends and we do not know if she will survive.

Ivan then gave the class a historical overview of why he created the comic book. He created this text in 1985, which makes the book over 25 years old! Many students were surprised to hear that the book was this old and still relevant (a classic!). He shared how he grew up very similar to some of the characters, especially Tony. During his time with the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), which is home to one of the first high schools (Harvey Milk High School) and shelters for LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual) youth in NYC, which is still open and providing services today, Ivan proposed writing a comic that represented the youth he worked with at HMI.

Ivan shared that he grew up reading comics, his favorites being Super Man, Hercules, and Casper. He wanted to first do a comic that he said would be like “a gay Archie,” but quickly realized what queer youth were experiencing were not even touched upon in the Archie comics such as survival sex, suicide, murder, drug use and abuse, and these numbers, 25 years later, are still not decreasing.

Students asked how he came up with each character and Ivan shared that each of the characters are a piece of him. He relates to each of the characters in some way. For Tony, it was a similar father-figure situation, Kyle, his mother was similar to Ivan’s, Ramona’s artwork, but also the abuse she experiences by her mother because of her religious beliefs and values. There were some critiques that Ivan did experience with his initial characters. He shared that because HMI were to help publish the comic there were several meetings and edits to the comic. One critique he shared was that Kyle was seen as a stereotype because he was created as a flamboyant character. Ivan argued that excluding characters like Kyle would be a disservice and misrepresent the community.

Ivan shared that as the comic evolved, he wrote this comic for heterosexual readers as well. Although some of the main characters are not heterosexual, there are many heterosexual characters in the book: family members, teachers, friends, and other classmates. Ivan stated that he wanted youth to read his book and understand that we all have a role to play in created a safe and inclusive environment that it is not just up to LGBTQIA youth, but all people. He also wanted to create something realistic. In books 4 and 5 Ivan shares that the characters realize that just because they have come to accept and support one another does not mean they find that anywhere else.

At first publication of Tales Of The Closet, 70,000 copies were distributed. This was part of a NYC attempt to include a multi-cultural curriculum in classrooms, which only lasted one year. To date, Tales Of The Closet has sold over 100,000 copies, this is more than any of the most popular comic books in the US. Students asked how they could get all of the copies, including the final book. Ivan shared that he is currently finishing up the final book, and promised to email our class book 4 for free. However, you may purchase (for a very affordable price) each book online at Net Comics (select the book number 1-8 that you wish to read).

Some changes that Ivan would like to make to the stories are to include a story all about one character’s pregnancy and what they experienced. He shared that some young lesbian-identified women choose to become pregnant as a way to not come out to family and friends. Often when someone is pregnant there is an assumption of heterosexuality, which in turn for many queer women may mean safety. He is also working on aging the characters, showing how they have evolved. Plus, he gave us a good overview of some additional characters and scenarios that come up later in the books, such as a new character Ana, more information on Mark, Ben’s best friend on the football team who experiences childhood sexual abuse, a planned pregnancy by two characters (which challenges ideas of them being exclusively gay and/or lesbian), unplanned pregnancies, and characters going for HIV tests.

I asked the groups why they think the book, over 25 years old, still has relevance. One student stated that they believe it may be because people were not able to come out or felt safe to do so until recently and that is why we see similar issues of violence, discrimination, and lack of resources and support for LGBTQIA youth. Ivan agreed with some of this and also wanted us to keep in mind that there are very encouraging and empowering parts of the book, it is not just about negative experiences. He gave us examples of the creativity of the characters: Ramona’s writings and drawings, Scotty’s musical talents, and Mary’s fashion and sewing skills. He hopes folks also recognize these positive aspects of the text as well.

After our discussion, Ivan signed each student’s book that remembered to bring it to class and we thanked him for taking time out to talk with us. A few days later Ivan sent me an email thanking me for inviting him to his class, he said he felt a lot of love from the group and it was very nourishing. I shared his email with the class because I think it’s important to let students know the affirming compliments they share when they visit us. It’s not often students get group/communal compliments from guest speakers whose work they question, critique, and embrace, and I think these are important things to share to help students understand they are appreciated and seen as thoughtful public intellectuals and scholars.

To purchase the book in bulk for your community or space contact Ivan at his publication company Planet Bronx (you can even tell him Bianca sent you!).

Online Course: Sociology of Human Sexuality Part 2

cross posted from my Media Justice column

This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first week of notes here. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you!

Day 3
Gender & Sexual Orientation

For this class there were some fairly long readings that I had scheduled. The two main readings for our topic on gender were the third chapter in Anne Fausto-Sterling’s book Sexing The Body called “Of Gender & Genitals: The Use & Abuse Of The Modern Intersexual” which will totally challenge everything I taught them the first two days! The other reading is the introduction and first chapter of Julia Serano’s book Whipping Girl which discusses trans people and how our societies have constructed ideas around identity, sex, experience, and ways we may begin to challenge and unlearn. The final reading for the gender section is called Words That Are Transphobic And Why.

The second part of the class will focus on sexual orientation as folks usually confuse gender and sexual orientation, especially when it comes to gender expression and exaggerations! The readings for sexual orientation include a discussion of asexuality based on Dan Savage’sexclusion of this as a sexual orientation, Queertionary 2.0, and the Media Maker’s Salon: Espie Hernandez.

Before I started class for these themes I forgot to lecture on one topic that is important to discussions of sexuality. These are the Circles of Sexuality. We discussed each circle (5 in total) which include reproductive health, sensuality, intimacy, sexual identity, and sexualization. Each circle intersects with the other and we are at the center of that intersection. Reproductive health focuses on managing health care and understanding the postive and negative consequences of sexuality and sexual activities. Sensuality has to do with our sense (touch, vision, hearing, taste, smell) and awareness of our bodies and what we enjoy as well as others ability to enjoy their bodies and experience pleasure. Intimacy is about emotions and being able to create relationships with others (or animals). Sexual identity includes sexual orientation and gender. Sexualization includes using sex as a form of power and coercion to influence and manipulate others. This may include assault, rape, violence, but also things many of us do like flirting and seduction.

I then asked the class what they thought was missing?

I asked where they would put class, race, ethnicity, disability, immigration status, education level, incarceration history, language spoken, and other aspects of our identities. We agreed that these were vital parts of our identities that do inform our sexuality and sexual health in various ways. So, why weren’t they included? And where would they include them? Personally, I include these identities in the center of where the circles meet. Other students believed they would put others in various different circles. I think this is an important discussion to have with students to demonstrate that even in the field of sexuality not everything is included and there are ways to improve and expand the field!

Gender
To begin our discussion of gender I discussed the different between sex and gender. Sex being based on biological reproductive organs and genitals that is assigned to us at birth. While gender being more psychological, not having to be connected to the genitals. Yes, this is a very limited way of discussing gender. One of the reasons I begin these conversations in such a way is because I’ve learned that for the past 3 years teaching at this location, students have never had discussions on gender, sex assigned at birth, and trans communities as we will have in our class. I see these as small steps. These are doses of conversations that once begun can then be explored further and then challenged and critiqued. I completely recognize this is limiting, and I acknowledge that and build from a basis to help students unlearn and challenge assumptions and socialization as well as theories and critiques on gender and sex.

Sometimes I begin by asking students to take a few moments and write in their notes what the first time they realized their gender was like. Where were they? Who was there? What was the environment and context? Some students say “I just knew” and this is a useful discussion to have regarding gender and our knowledge of ourselves.

As many sociology courses are known to do, we discuss how sex and gender are social constructions; things that society creates and gives value, importance and meaning. I introduced the phrase “sex assigned at birth” (SAAB) as what we are given/assigned by physicians based on what our genitals look like which is how society has crafted fe/male identities. Because doctors and physicians are a part of society, this is one way SAAB is a social construction. SAAB may also be argued as a social construction because it is happenstance that the decision was made that females have vulvas and ovaries, et. al. and males have penis’ and testicles, et.al. Sometimes students ask “what about what the Bible says,” and my response to that is usually that people interpret the Bible differently, that some people interpret the Adam & Eve story as a transgender narrative. Another reply I have is that this discussion and our ability to have certain types of knowledge is one of the gifts we are given by the universe, god/desses, etc. Other responses I have is that these are arguments people make and they can choose to believe what they want, but they must understand people’s ideologies and why they come to these conclusions. Finally, SAAB may be argued as a social construction because we are able to change our sex, it is not ridged and static.

From here we discuss gender roles, expectations, and expressions. We create a list of how we are socialized into understanding and assuming we are to behave and act based on gender. From this list I introduce gender binaries and ideologies around gender and how folks challenge and affirm gender within these binaries. I then begin to discuss how gender is not just two different options/sexes/genders, that gender is significantly more complicated and to put them in these small spaces limits everyone.

We then begin to discuss transgender communities and refer to the reading by Julia Serano. In her introduction and first chapter, she discusses her reasons for writing her book, her goals, and what she seeks to put forth, challenge and affirm. We discuss masculinity and femininity, and how Serano argues for liberating femininity in specific ways, her challenging of gender binaries as an ideology and approach, and connecting back to SAAB.

This conversation was a challenge for some students. Many became confused with gender expression and identity. One student asked (and I’m paraphrasing) “but when I (a woman) go to play soccer I wear the same clothing as men, this does not make me a trans person or wanting to be a man.” This is a great point and an interesting perspective on where some of us may get confused. I was glad we had read Serano’s article as I could refer to passages she wrote where she states that women have more flexibility with expressing femininity than men are provided. That when men embrace any aspect of femininity they are ridiculed and isolated. We connect this to misogyny as Serano does, and the ideas that masculinity and things that are identified as representing men as being strong and powerful. That men are considered to be the “better” gender because of ideas about differences versus similarities. From this perspective of understanding misogyny, we can understand Serano’s argument that women having a gender expression similar/stereotypically associated with masculinity that it makes “sense” because men are stronger and more powerful, of course a woman would want to dress/behave/do what men do! After explaining this a bit more an connecting with the Serano reading it seemed to “click” for many students.

I then highlighted some of the terms and language that Serano used in her chapter. These included transmisogyny, cis, cissexual and cisgender, and sexism. As with many new terms that are introduced at certain points in our lives, they were a bit confusing for some, on how to properly use them what they represent, if they are adjectives, nouns, or verbs. I asked what their reactions were in discovering terms that may describe some of them, labels that trans people have come up with to identify them. I then referred to the Queertionary 2.0 reading that included terminology that has also been created by trans and gender queer people, these included ze and hir. We had a brief discussion of how language can also shift and change when we begin to challenge and question our socialization and build more inclusive and libratory communities.

One example of this limitation would be people who are intersex. This is when the third chapter of Anne Fausto-Sterling’s book is useful. I introduced intersexuality and defined it very generally as “ambiguous genitalia.” I often find that some students want to know specific details of genitals that are considered ambiguous even when they may not be clear what their own genitals look like! Instead of giving them specifics, we talk about how we may know if an enlarged clitoris is a clitoris or a penis. One way to know this is that a urethra passes through the penis and if one is present we understand that body part to be a penis. I also mention that there is nothing wrong with have a large(r ) clitoris and that these ideas are often connected to our ideas of “normalcy” which we all have a responsibility to challenge.

Instead of discussing each of the most common types of intersexuality that occurs, as Fausto-Sterling does a great job of outlining them in an accessible way in her book, we discussed a societal response to intersex people. We talked first about why doctors and parents may rush to perform surgery on babies, what motivations the doctors and the parents have and if they are the same. We also discussed in what capacity someone would know if they were intersex if they were not told, if the idea by parents and doctors is for them to have “normal” looking genitals how would they know what “normal” is? What images in our society and families may help us understand what “normal” genitals look like when we do not all live in societies where we show our genitals to others outside of specific encounters.

As part of their preparation for discussing intersex communities and experiences I had them watch a four part series of a documentary following Caster Semenya, a South African track runner (videos below). You may remember conversations about Semenya, as some of her competitors were suspicious on why and how she was so much faster than them and winning often (i.e. the faster in track is a few seconds). We discussed what was seen in the documentary, how Semenya coped with what was going on, how the world now knew what her chromosomal make up and genitals may look like (when ironically a majority of us do not know our chromosomal make up and some still don’t know what our own genitals look like because we have not ever looked in a mirror!) Many students vaguely remember Semenya, or what the societal and institutional response was to her. They were each disappointed in the response and all picked up on the fact that although Semenya was one of the fastest women runners in the world, she was not the fastest and she was not close to the fastest man runners in the world. I hope that if they one day find themselves in a position to support an intersex person they are able to remember our class and their experiences and responses to Semenya’s story.









Sexual Orientation
Originally I did not put these two topics after one another. The reason for that is because often students confuse sexual orientation with gender. I often like to do separate days and lectures for each topic, however, since we only meet three times a week for a few hours and I had some guest speakers coming in, this was one of the only options I had to discuss both topics in depth.

I began by making it clear that students understood WHY gender and sexual orientation were separate. I asked them why they thought they were different and heard their responses. We then made a list of the sexual orientations that they have heard about or are familiar with. The list we created as a group included: lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and queer. As is often something that happens the group forgot that heterosexuality is a sexual orientation. I used this opportunity to remind them that this is a good example of how we are normalized to understand and see heterosexuality as “normal” in our society.

I explained that sexual orientation is not just about sex. It is an attraction and a connection. That sometimes these connections and attractions are physical and/or sexual, but when thinking about how they identify their sexual orientation it is more inclusive and centers connections that are also spiritual, emotional, sensual, and fulfilling in various ways. That when we think of sexual orientation think of who you may want to spend your life with, build a family with, and find comfort. It is far more complex than engaging in sexual activities.

Part of their readings for this section was focused on discussing asexuality as a sexual orientation. One reading focused on Dan Savage recent ignoring of asexuality as a sexual orientation and how harmful and inappropriate that approach is for a sexuality educator. TheQueertionary 2.0 also acted as a good resource. Some students confuse asexuality with celibacy. So, I made it clear that brothers, sister, monks, and nuns may have their own sexual orientation, but their vow of celibacy means they are not acting upon their desires, but that does not mean they never existed!

We also discussed the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality. Some students did not see the difference and my explanation was that people who identify as pansexual may often “date the people they like” regardless of gender expression, sex assigned at birth, and identities. That often folks who identify as bisexual may be clear that they are attracted to a specific gender expression and sex assigned at birth, that the term alone is a good example of clearly being interested in people who are a part of the gender binary and that is ok!

I then went through a discussion of how trans people also have a sexual orientation. That being trans is a about gender, not sexual orientation; a completely different part of our identity. I explained that if a trans woman partnered with a another woman that would be a lesbian relationship; if a trans woman partnered with a man that relationship is heterosexual, if a trans man partnered with a man that is a gay relationship and if a trans man partnered with a woman that is a heterosexual relationship. Again, just as with intersex, some students get caught up on the genitals. These relationships are not always about genitals. I make it clear that it is none of our business what two (or three or four) people do in their relationship with their genitals unless we are one of those people. That to assume that a coupling would participate in certain sexual activities is problematic, and sexual behaviors do not define us. Since we had already discussed anatomy and physiology, we know where nerve endings are located on our body so it makes sense if some folks find pleasure in certain activities that we may not enjoy for ourselves. These are important things to know about ourselves for our partners, but they are not to be used to oppress other people’s pleasure, that is a misuse of power.

Now, some folks confuse these two: gender and sexual orientation, also because some folks may not perpetuate a stereotypical gender expression. That some people who identify as something other than heterosexual, that their gender expression challenges what we assume and are socialized to understand men and women presenting and exaggerating. I use myself as an example and share that my gender expression is very stereotypically feminine. Yet, my students do not know what my genitals look like or what my SAAB was just as I do not know what theirs is. We base those off of gender expression. Because I wear dresses, have long hair, my name is “feminine,” my voice is high, my body has fat deposited in places we assume is correct for “curvy” figures, and I wear make up (to name a few), I express femininity in this way. That does not mean that folks can assume what my sexual orientation is by looking at me. Some folks who are women may express their gender in what we understand to be stereotypically masculine qualities and that is also not grounds to assume anything about someone’s sexual orientation. Gender expression is about what we feel comfortable doing that day, how we wish to present ourselves to the world and for some people it is connected to gender, for others it may be connected to sexual orientation, or for others connected to both.

A video I asked them to watch before class was Jay Smooth’s “An Old Person’s Guide to ‘No Homo’” which I find to be accessible, and sadly, still relevant. Check the video out below:




They also watched the film Mariposa about Espie Hernadnez’s experience with planning her quinceñera (sweet 15). Some folks did not know what a quinceñera was so this was a new experience for them. Many of my students are from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean where quinceñera’s are not always/often celebrated as in other Central and South American communities. One question was if Espie was “pushing” her sexual orientation onto her parents. I explained that for this rite of passage it assumes heterosexuality, thus it is a heterosexist rite of passage, which also privileges heterosexual people. For Espie to request she be partnered with her girlfriend for her quinceñera is challenging hetersexism and also speaks to her desire to be true to herself and truthful and honest with her family. Check out Mariposa below:




The next class is a quiz (if you want to know what the quiz questions were to practice or quiz yourself let me know in the comments and I’ll send them to you) for the first hour in short answer format with a diagram for students to complete. We then discuss pregnancy and birth options with our first guest speaker!

Day 4
Quiz
Again, if you want to know the quiz questions, let me know! Some sample quiz questions I offered students to prepare and try to answer in short question format include:

1. What is the path sperm goes to exit the body?
2. Is PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) real? Support your opinion.

You’ll notice that we did not discuss PMS specifically when we discussed the menstrual cycle, however it was in the textbook readings and they are responsible for those readings even if we do not discuss them in depth in class. Also, in the syllabus are lists of terminology that are important to know. Many of these terms I discuss in class but if not they are in the text and readings and they are still responsible for know.

Pregnancy Options and Birth
Our guest speaker is someone that I’ve mentioned here before, my doula mentor Sparkle. I asked Sparkle to talk about her experiences working with pregnant and parenting people and providing support for them as well as what occurs during pregnancy and birthing options. To prepare for this session, students were reading Doula Right Thing: About Purportedly Gendered Body Parts which discusses how to work with trans and genderqueer people who are pregnant and how to discuss genitals without assigning a gender to them. They were also asked to watch clips from the documentary “The Business of Being Born” which discusses the medicalization of birth, home births, working with midwives and doulas, and how medication given to pregnant people at the hospital impacts the body and baby. The clips are below:




Before Sparkle began to present I defined three terms for students: fertilization, implantation, and human chorionich gonadotrophin (HCG). Fertilization is when a mature egg hooks up with a mature sperm. Some folks believe this is when “life” begins, but I am going to leave that definition of “life” up to individual students. Implantation is when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine/endometrial lining which helps nurture it and grow into a fetus. HCG is considered the “pregnancy hormone” as this is what is trying to be detected in home pregnancy tests and pregnancy tests at doctors and clinics. I made it clear that home pregnancy tests do NOT have to be expensive and that the dollar store tests work just as well as the expensive name brand ones.

One of the reasons I have Sparkle come to my class to discuss pregnancy and birth options (she came last year as well) is because it is one topic that I do not enjoy discussing. I’m honest with students about this (just as I don’t like discussing deviance in introductory sociology courses) but I do it! However, if I can get an expert who is excited about pregnancy and birth I’d prefer them to have someone to talk to versus myself who is not as excited about the topic. Sparkle basically went through this article and discussed each point in detail and incorporated a personal narrative and story when appropriate. In addition, Sparkle suggested this article about pregnancy and birth for future reference. She also took questions as they came up.

Sparkle shared that as a birth doula she may be present for the birth of the baby and the birth of the placenta providing pain management and support for the birthing parent. She also noted that she is also a support for parents after pregnancy where she will help with breastfeeding, cleaning, coping with parenting, and making sure the transition from being pregnant to being a parent is smooth.

Many students were surprised to hear that working with a midwife in a home birth or a birthing center is significantly less expensive than working with an OB/GYN in the hospital. They were also surprised to hear about how an episiotomy (when the perineum must be cut or severed to help the baby move through the vaginal canal) done by midwives who often allow the perineum to tear are more careful to stitch up the perineum than doctors are who cut the perineum which requires more stitches and a longer recovery time. I have one student who is a parent and chose to share her experience with childbirth with the class. She shared that she felt very empowered by her doctor who supported her desire for a “natural” birth (i.e. no medication) and that to this day she is proud of her accomplishment. It was such a privilege to have her share her birthing story and for it to be one that is positive as she will carry that with her for the rest of her life!

Day 5
Contraceptives and Birth Control

This session focuses on contraceptive and birth control options. For a social and historical perspectives on how these options have been used as coersive forms of population control among people with disabilities, working class and working poor people, and people of Color in the US (and abroad) we read a chapter from Dorothy Robert’s book “Killing The Black Body.” This chapter is called “The Dark Side of Birth Control” which focuses on how birth control advocate Margaret Sanger worked toward making contraceptives and birth control available but also how she aligned herself with eugenicists and the eugenics movement in the US that worked to eliminate racially Black people (and other non-white people) as well as those with disabilities. This chapter is very long! But it provides such an important amount of information about how people’s bodies were seen as valuable, disposable, and how racism, classism, ableism, and ageism played a role in the US history of reproductive health.

I then discussed the difference between the terms contraception and birth control. The term “birth control” does exactly what it says: prevents a birth from occurring. Contraception attempts to limit fertilization, an egg and sperm hooking up. As a result, birth control may allow fertilization and implantation to occur, however a birth does not occur. I then made a list of hormonal and non-hormonal methods and said that after we discuss each we will be able to identify which are contraceptives and which are birth control.

Hormonal methods discussed included a list that students provided: oral birth control pills (obcp), Depo-Provera (the shot), Nuva-Ring, Reproductive Patch, Mirena (IUD), Implants, and Emergency Contraception/Morning After Pill. The non-hormonal methods we discussed included male and female condoms, Paraguard (IUD), diaphragm, spermicides, natural family planning/calendar method, sponge, cervical cap, withdrawal, sterilization (tubal ligation, essure, and vasectomy), breastfeeding, abortion, and abstinence. One website I offered for students to check out prior to this class was Bedsider which offers a discussion of almost each method in depth and in an accessible way. I had samples of each (except for the cervical cap, sponge, implant, and Depo-Provera). We discussed each method, how it is supposed to work, what the side effects are, what folks like and do not like about the method and the cost.

When discussing EC, I shared that it is available over-the-counter for folks over the age of 16 in NYC and the cost may range from $20-60 depending on what that pharmacy chooses to charge. I also indicated that I’m not sure how men who go to the pharmacy to purchase this are treated and if they are given EC. I’m not aware of any men who have tried to get EC and what their experiences were (this may be a great social experiment for some of you reading!). I also noted that if men are not provided with EC when they request it, since men should also know about EC, that it is a good example of leaving contraception and birth control up to the person with the vulva, and that pharmacists are making assumptions about someone’s genitals based on their gender expression. The man in front of them may have a sex assigned at birth that requires them to need EC.

We also discussed how lesbians (some of which I have in my classroom) often think they do not need birth control or contraception, however, again we do not know what our future holds, and it may be that we find ourselves in a relationship with someone who is a woman but whose sex assigned at birth is male and that is a lesbian relationship, but one where if penetrative vaginal intercourse is occurring a barrier method and/or birth control option is needed. Plus, barrier methods like condoms, dental dams, gloves, and finger condoms are useful for many folks regardless of sexual orientation.

Finally we ended with discussing abstinence, which I defined as “waiting to have sex.” I shared that many people define abstinence differently and that “waiting” may mean waiting until you get condoms, waiting until you graduate college, get married, fall in love, whatever! That it is important for each of them to define abstinence for themselves and to be comfortable sharing that with any of their partners. It is also important to discuss what abstinence means to them and to their partner as they may have different definitions as well. We also discussed how abstinence may not work such as instances in domestic violence situations where a person who may not want to have sex with their partner may need to for safety and survival purposes, or when someone is a victim and survivor of rape.

Although I included abortion in our list of non-hormonal methods, I leave that up for a separate class lecture where we will discuss what the procedures actually include, laws surrounding abortion, and debunking myths. We will also discuss female sexual dysfunction and how that is diagnosed and discussed among the sexology community.