Queer identities are an integral part of human existence that cannot be denied nor ignored.
Throughout history, they have been subjected to various forms of oppression due to their difference from the norm. One way this has happened is through the medicalization of queer identity, which involves treating it as a pathology that needs to be cured rather than accepted. This practice has reinforced harmful stereotypes and normative assumptions about gender, sexuality, and bodily legitimacy. In this article, we will explore how society's medicalization of queer identities reproduces normative assumptions about these issues.
One way society's medicalization of queer identities reinforces normative assumptions about gender is through the idea that gender is binary and fixed. The belief that there are only two genders - male and female - means that any deviation from this is considered abnormal or deviant. As such, people who identify as transgender or nonbinary are often told they need to undergo hormone therapy or surgery to become "normal." This perpetuates the idea that gender is inherently biological and immutable, when in reality, it is socially constructed and fluid. By forcing trans individuals to conform to rigid gender binaries, society reinforces the notion that being anything other than cis-gendered is abnormal.
Another way society's medicalization of queer identities reinforces normative assumptions about sexuality is by labeling certain sexual orientations as pathological.
Homosexuality was once classified as a mental disorder until it was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973. Similarly, bisexuality has been dismissed as simply a phase or a result of confusion, rather than a valid identity. By treating non-heteronormative sexualities as something that needs to be treated or cured, society perpetuates the idea that heterosexuality is normal and everything else is abnormal. This further stigmatizes those with different sexual identities and makes them feel like outsiders in their own communities.
Society's medicalization of queer identities also reinforces normative assumptions about bodily legitimacy. The belief that bodies should fit into narrow, prescribed categories means that any deviation from this is considered pathological. As such, people who identify as intersex or have genital ambiguity are often subjected to unnecessary surgeries and hormone therapy to "correct" their bodies. This reinforces the idea that there is only one "right" way for a body to look and function, which is harmful to individuals who do not conform to these norms. It also ignores the fact that gender and sex are separate concepts and that some people may identify differently than their assigned sex at birth.
Society's medicalization of queer identities reproduces normative assumptions about gender, sexuality, and bodily legitimacy. By forcing trans individuals to conform to rigid gender binaries, dismissing certain sexual orientations as abnormal, and imposing narrow ideas of what a body should look like, society reinforces harmful stereotypes and oppresses marginalized groups. To create a more inclusive world, we need to challenge these assumptions and accept all identities on their own terms.
In what ways does society's medicalization of queer identities reproduce normative assumptions about gender, sexuality, and bodily legitimacy?
The medicalization of queer identities is often seen as a way to reaffirm normative assumptions about gender, sexuality, and bodily legitimacy. When people seek medical help for their identity concerns, they may be told that there is something wrong with them and need to be "fixed" through surgery, hormones, or therapy. This reinforces the idea that non-normative identities are abnormal and must be corrected.