The Trouble With Normal Essay Questions

What is the relation between sex and shame?

According to Warner, sex always involves shame. What matters is what people do with that shame. Some people try to get rid of their shame by making sure others have more of it, and this leads to hierarchies of sex in which some sex is shamed more than others. In contrast, Warner wants people to acknowledge shame and let that build community that is inclusive rather than exclusive.

What is “in-group purification”?

Members of a stigmatized group might try to deal with their shame by scapegoating others within the group who seem to them more shameful than they are. This is what “in-group purification” means. Warner talks about it in relation to gays and lesbians who scapegoat and thereby further stigmatize members of their community who have “bad” sex, like sex across generations or sex outside of relationships.

Why is Warner opposed to gay marriage?

Warner thinks that gay marriage is a form of respectability politics that will increase stigma attached to non-normative sex rather than decreasing it. He is also against the “bundle” of rights and privileges that come with marriage. Tying them to marriage coerces people into forming certain kinds of relationships in order to get benefits from the state. He thinks these rights and privileges should be accessible to people whether or not they get married.

What is respectability politics?

Respectability politics refers to attempts by a stigmatized group to present themselves as "normal" in order to be accepted by mainstream society. It has been a part of the gay rights movement, according to Warner, from the Mattachine Society in the 1950s to the Human Rights Campaign in the 1990s. The problem, according to Warner, is that it asks for acceptance into society instead of demanding that society change. It also leads to the “in-group purification” discussed above.

What is the difference between shame and stigma?

Stigma is a more indelible, or permanent, type of shame. It is often associated with identities, so gays and lesbians, for instance, experience stigma in ways that Bill Clinton, although shamed for his sexual indiscretions, did not. Other identities unrelated to sex are also stigmatized in our society, such as racial identities and identities related to disability status.

What is queer space?

Queer space refers to public places in which queer practices and community are available. Examples include cruising areas of public parks, gay bars, and bathhouses. These spaces not only provide access to queer sex, but also promote safe sex, according to Warner.

What is the relation between queer space and HIV prevention?

Warner argues that queer space promotes safe sex and is therefore instrumental to HIV prevention. Queer people are more at risk for HIV, and that is why it is important that they have spaces to share information and resources relation to HIV. A good HIV prevention program will tap into queer publics in order to disseminate information.

How has the mainstream reacted to HIV in the 1990s?

In contrast to queer spaces, which promote safe sex, Warner thinks mainstream American society has gone a different direction in addressing HIV. Instead of trying to make sex safer, the mainstream tries to get rid of sex altogether. One way of doing this has been the criminalization of HIV, so that it is illegal for HIV-positive people to have sex without disclosing their status to their partner. Instead of this kind of legal stigmatization of HIV, Warner wants HIV prevention programs that address, rather than create, shame.

How does Warner recommend we approach HIV prevention?

Warner asks us to invest in queer culture in order to prevent HIV. Some people are driven to risky behaviors because of the shame attached to queerness; instead, we should be promoting spaces in which people can access safe sex resources and information without being shamed. Queer publics promote prevention and should be nourished instead of decimated.

What has happened to queer space in the 1990s?

According to Warner, queer space is under attack in the 1990s. This is especially the case in urban areas. Warner talks about zoning laws that prioritize the value of real estate more than the lives of people in a subculture. He also chastises the official gay rights campaign for supporting the closure or desexualization of queer spaces like porn stores and bathhouses.