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from Gay Activism in the Schools
School Counselor Analyzes Youth Who Navigate Gender-Variant Identities
June 26, 2006 - Samuel Marc Davidson, in "Exploring Sociocultural Borderlands: Journeying,
Navigating, and Embodying a Queer Identity," (The Journal of Men's Studies, Vol.
14, Issue 1, p. 13+, 2006) discusses the sexual journeys of teenage boys who
reject established standards of masculinity.
Davidson's essay is based upon his experience as a health teacher, school
counselor and a trainer of peer counselors. He also says his commentary is based
upon a "Critical Constructivist, post-modern understanding of multiple
masculinities and queer theories."
The author describes the case of a young Latino named Carlos (a pseudonym) who
rejects traditional masculinity in favor of a fluid bisexuality. Carlos, says
Davidson is repeatedly deconstructing and reconstructing his own masculine
identity. "Carlos moves in and out of relationships with sensitive fluidity,
reflecting his identity as a person of high standards and regard for others. ....
He has deliberately constructed his masculinity on a foundation of what he calls
'feminine knowledge and feminine intuition."
Carlos, says Davidson, "is quite clear that his sexual fluidity is not 'just a
passing phase or something you go through for awhile' but rather a permanent,
positive aspect of his sexual identity as a young man. He firmly states that
being strongly bisexual is an attribute rather than a deficit, and this sexual
identity and practice is not born out of confusion, yet he understands that this
view is often not held by members of either the heterosexual or gay/lesbian
communities."
Davidson believes Carlos' experience offers lessons for educators. He notes:
"The experiences and expressions of fluid masculinity found in the case study
and portrait of Carlos offers praxis as educators and school counselors overlay
a young man's face and lived realities on a theory that offers a broad continuum
made up of subtle nuances and practical skills in the embodiment of queer
masculinity."
Additional Reading: Homosexuality: The Essentialist Argument Continues to Erode;
Sex Differences In Flexibility Of Sexual Orientation;
Counselor Sheds Light On Helping Women With Same-Sex Attractions;
Canadian Transgender Activists Urge Legal Protection For Gender Fluidity.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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