- How does the visitor from the Philippines compare American young women to his own culture in the 1920s?
-He saw the “boldness” of American flappers as a radical departure from the modesty expected in the Philippines.
-The familiar way they spoke and interacted with men was often viewed as jarring or scandalous.
As we know, petting parties were the rage in the 1920s, but what about girls who didn’t want to partake? What similarities do we see in these girls’ letters to an advice columnist?
-Social Isolation: These girls often felt like “outsiders” or “wallflowers” in a high-pressure social environment.
-Fear of Unpopularity: Letters to advice columnists frequently mentioned the fear that refusing to “pet” would lead to a lack of dates or social invitations.
-Moral Conflict: They faced a constant struggle between their personal values and the desire for social acceptance.
-According to the very limited and skewed survey in 1930, did “petters” worry about social stigma, or were they immune to such authoritarianism?
The 1930 survey showed that “petters” were not immune to authoritarian judgment.
-Many participants expressed deep anxiety about their reputations.
-They often used secrecy and discretion to navigate the tension between their actions and societal expectations.
-We know that premarital sex increased among young women in the 1920s. How did respondents to this survey distinguish between “premarital sex” and “promiscuity”?
-Premarital Sex: Defined as physical intimacy occurring within a stable, loving relationship, typically with the intent to marry.
-Promiscuity: Characterized by casual or frequent encounters with multiple partners without emotional depth.
-Social Approval: Premarital sex was increasingly tolerated within the “engagement” phase, while promiscuity remained strictly stigmatized.
What was the focus group of the 1933 study about the movies’ sexual influences?
-The study primarily analyzed adolescents and young adults.
-It targeted individuals living in urban centers who had easy access to movie theaters.
What did these people say they learned at the movies?
-Technique: Respondents said they learned the “mechanics” of romance, such as how to kiss and flirt.
-Style: They used movies as a guide for how to dress provocatively and how to “vamp” like Hollywood stars.
What did people who learned from movies do about it?
-Social Modeling: Participants admitted to practicing these behaviors in their own dating lives.
-Emotional Scripts: They adopted the romantic “scripts” and gestures they saw on screen to appear more modern and sophisticated.
According to the movie production code of 1934, how was marriage to be protected in the movies?
-Marriage had to be presented as a sacred and permanent institution.
-Plots could not suggest that divorce was an attractive or easy solution to problems.
What kind of sex was explicitly prohibited from the movies?
-“Perversion”: Any depiction of homosexuality was strictly banned.
-Miscegenation: The code prohibited showing interracial romantic relationships.
-Lustful Acts: Intense kissing, “excessive” lust, and scenes of seduction were disallowed.
How were bedrooms to be depicted in movies?
-Bedrooms were required to be shown with extreme “discretion.”
-Married couples were typically shown in separate twin beds.
-If a couple was on one bed, the “one foot on the floor” rule was often applied to prevent any suggestion of sexual activity.
What did Harlem lesbians call themselves and each other in the 1920s and 30s?
-Women used the term “Lady Lovers” to describe their romantic identities.
-“Bull-daggers” was a specific term used for those who adopted a more masculine presentation or “butch” identity.
What did Mabel Hampton observe in New York “around 1938”? How was this pulled off?
-Women got married (one dressed as man) by gay pastor
-Buffet Flats: She observed private apartments used as underground social hubs.
-Strategic Secrecy: These gatherings were “pulled off” through word-of-mouth networks.
-Hush Money: Organizers often paid neighbors or local police to avoid raids or noise complaints.
Were New York City lesbians isolated or part of a community? Evidence?
-Organized Spaces: They were not isolated; they held regular “rent parties” and social gatherings.
-Cultural Crossover: The blues music scene provided a public venue for queer performers (like Gladys Bentley) to express their identity through coded lyrics.
According to Dr. La Forest Potter, how did heterosexual people respond to drag balls?
-Dr. La Forest Potter noted that many heterosexual people were fascinated voyeurs.
They attended by the thousands as spectators, viewing the event as a grand, exotic spectacle.
-There was a sense of “slumming”—where the upper and middle classes visited marginalized spaces for entertainment.
What was potentially unique about the Harlem Drag Ball circa 1933?
-Scale: It was a massive event, often held at the Rockland Palace, drawing up to 6,000 people.
Racial Integration: It was one of the few places in 1930s America where black and white participants mixed freely.
-Social Fluidity: The ball created a temporary environment where the rigid rules of both race and gender were suspended.
How was the sex change operation of George/Christine Jorgensen treated by the media when news first appeared in late 1952?
Sensationalism: The news was initially treated as a shocking “miracle” of modern science.
Front-Page News: Headlines like “Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty” dominated tabloids, framing the story as a transformative success.
Curiosity: The media initially showed a fascination with the technical “conversion” from a male soldier to a feminine woman.
What happened in April 1953 that changed American public opinion on transgender individuals?
Medical Revelation: Reports emerged clarifying that the “sex change” was not a complete biological reversal (i.e., it did not involve internal reproductive organs).
Public Disillusionment: Public opinion soured as the “miracle” narrative was replaced by a more clinical and often judgmental view of gender reassignment as “artificial.”
Was Jorgensen a “woman”? Why or why not? According to whom?
Jorgensen’s View: She identified fully as a woman, asserting that her “soul” and identity had always been female.
Medical/Legal View: Many doctors and critics argued she was not a “woman” because she could not conceive children and remained biologically male at a chromosomal level.
Public Perception: After 1953, the media often moved toward labeling her an “altered male” rather than a true woman.
Did the 1953 Time magazine report say that a male transvestite could live happily as a woman? Why or why not?
Negative Outlook: The report suggested that a “male transvestite” could not live happily as a woman.
Psychological Framing: Time argued that the procedure was merely a physical “masking” of a deep-seated psychological disorder that surgery could not truly cure.
Why did the 1950 US Senate Investigative Report say that homosexuals should not be employed by the US government?
Negative Influence: The report claimed they would “pollute” the office environment and recruit others into their “lifestyle.”
Why were homosexuals deemed a “security risk”? What is the Cold War context?
Blackmail: The primary concern was that homosexuals were vulnerable to blackmail by Soviet agents who could threaten to “out” them.
The Red Scare: During the Cold War, “sexual perversion” was linked to “political subversion.” If a person could not conform to social norms, they were viewed as potentially disloyal to the state.
-Are lesbians also a risk, according to the report? Why or why not?
Included as a Threat: Yes, lesbians were considered a risk, though they were often discussed less frequently than gay men.
Shared Vulnerability: The logic remained the same: any “hidden” life made a person a target for extortion and a liability to national security.
How was the government working to prevent homosexuals from being hired?
Stricter Screening: Intensive background checks and “loyalty” investigations.
Liaison with Police: The FBI and Civil Service Commission worked with local vice squads to track arrests for “disorderly conduct” or “perversion” to flag applicants.
How were Batman and Robin comic books promoting homosexuality, according to Fredric Wertham?
The “Homoerotic” Setup: Wertham argued the comics depicted a “wish dream” of two males living together in luxury without women.
Visual Subtext: He pointed to the domestic intimacy of their lives and the absence of female romantic interests as a subtle promotion of gay relationships.
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Columbus Meets Pocahontas in the American South19
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Interracial Unions in French Louisiana12
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Father Lafitau & the Iroquois2
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Baron & Hurons7
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Fr. Jayme & Spanish Colonial Sexual Violence3
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Native Peoples of North Carolina7
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Module 2 essays54
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Module 3 essays64
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Module 453
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Module 5 essays56
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Module 6 Essays48
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Module 746
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Module 851
