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Victoria Cendejas
Jennifer Rodrick
Queer Studies 115
17 October 2016

How and to what extent has space shaped queer identities, whether it be to conform
or, to be performative?

Since the 1970s, a key goal of lesbian and gay activists has been protection against street
violence, especially in gay neighborhoods.(Christina B. Hanhardt) Space has shaped queer
identities because they no longer feel like they are trapped in one place. They can finally feel free
and actually be themselves without being trapped. Religion, society, and family are the main
factors to which the LGBTQ+ community feels imprisoned within one another. By the second
date of the 21st century the presence of the gays and lesbians in urban areas is widely
acknowledged, mostly tolerated, but still rarely considered in public planning processes.(Petra
L. Doan) The presence of people form the LGBTQ+ community has been coming out more and
more on a daily basis which means that they are now more comfortable being themselves around
normal people.

The Duggars have held themselves up as a model of Christianity in America: wearing

their religion on their sleeves, the family is politically active, deeply conservative, anti-LGBT,
patriarchal, and anti-science. Some members of the family have adopted a particularly
evangelical bent to their faith, telling other Christians: if you arent as conservative as us, youre

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not real Christians. (Brynn Tannehill). Religion has shaped people from the queer community to
become more suppressed because they are not able to be themselves. Their religion doesnt allow
them to truly be who they are because it holds them back. This is slowly changing because
people from the LGBTQ+ community are starting to care more about themselves than their
religion.

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People who are both Christian and
part of the LGBTQ+ community
struggle more than others because
their religion doesnt allow them to be
who they are. "Real Christians" like
the Duggars would like to think
they're doing God's work. But if
they're judged by the fruits of their
tree, as the Bible teaches, they've actually driven Americans away from churches. And new
research indicates that their entrenched, anti-LGBT positions are part of why Americans are
abandoning the faith in record numbers and not coming back. (Brynn Tannehill) There are
people and families who are so devoted to their religion they wont accept anything that opposes
it. However, there are slowly people who are leaving their religion because of people like the
Duggars family. My gay best friend is both gay and Christian and I saw him struggle so much
because of his religion. He had many arguments with his parents because in the beginning, they
couldnt accept the fact that he was gay. He left his religion as a Christian and became and
atheist; his parents kicked him out of the house and he had to come live with me for a couple of
weeks. His parents later on regretted their decision and eventually let him back into their house
because they realized that they were wrong and that they wanted to see their son happy no matter
what his choice was.

On the other hand, not all Christians are not as understanding. I know a few of my friends
went through the same thing and their parents still dont talk to them or want anything to do with

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them. This is shaping them to become stronger and more independent, its also making them
realize that there are a lot of people who wont accept them for who they are and there are others
who will. Families and providers often believe that young people have to be adults before they
can know they are gay. Many assume that being gay is a phase that youth will grow out of as
they get older.(Caitlyn Ryan, 2009, p. 2)

Society has shaped queer identities because society doesnt allow them to be themselves
freely. The concept of normal has been a pervasive and debilitating standard by which
homosexuals have routinely and unfairly been judged. However, in an effort to be normal many
individuals in the gay community have embraced the politics of assimilation. (Yoshino, 2006, p.
77) (Kirsten E. Fricke, 2010, p. 43) Society limits them to as what they can do or be because if
they are different, they arent considered to be a part of a normal society. Even though there are
people who dont agree with people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, there are others
who will fully support them and their space. Space has helped the queer community because it
doesnt limit them to the different stereotypes they have. Stereotypically, the queer community
belongs to the art industry, however, now they are starting to become something else. There are
more engineers, teachers, and other careers that they are categorizing themselves into.
Society is slowly accepting the queer community and they have their own space
to be who they are. For example, they are being shown more often and publicly. They are now
being shown more on television and on social media. Of course, one of the earliest and most
visible representatives of the LGBT community was Ellen DeGeneres, who famously came out
on her television show Ellen in 1997 only to see her show canceled shortly thereafter. (Angela

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Watercutter) Even though her show was cancelled
after she came out, it eventually aired again. There
are also other shows that are supportive of the queer
community. Another example would be The
Fosters; its about a lesbian couple who fosters
children in need.

Space has shaped the LGBTQ+ community because it allows them to be free. Families,
society, and religion play huge factors in the queer community. However, most of the people
from the queer community are coming out more often because they began to choose their
happiness instead of staying suppressed. Space has encouraged the LGBTQ+ community
because they finally feel free and they are able to do whatever they want without being judged by
others.

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Works Cited
1. Subject, By. Safe Space | Duke University Press. Safe Space | Duke University Press.
Safe Space, n.d. Web 18 Oct. 2016.
2. Doan, Petra L., editor. Google Books. New York, NY, Routledge, 2015.
3. Tannehill, Brynn. How The Nonreligious Nones Are Driving LGBT Equality in the
U.S. Gay News, LGBT Rights, Politics, Entertainment. Advocate, 08 June 2015. Web. 18
Oct. 2016.
4. Fricke, Kristen E. The Influence of Society on Queer Identity Development and
Classification. UMV. N.p., Jan. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
5. Ryan, Caitlyn. Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
(LGBT) Children. LGBT Brief. Family Acceptance Project, Fall/Winter 2009. Web. 18
Oct. 2016.
6. Watercutter, Angela. How Pop Culture Changed the Face of the Same-Sex Marriage
Debate. Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 27 June 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.