Re-Imagining Sexual Identity
“There can’t be peace on Earth as long as there’s war in love. Humanity has wrongly organized love, locked it into narrow cages of possession and fear, which is why it so often turns into anger and hatred. The global epidemics of violence ravaging this planet result from a culture that has inhibited love. The healing of love isn’t a private, but a political issue of the highest priority. We must find a new concept for love if we want decent survival on Earth.”
- Sabine Lichtenfels, Tamera: Peace, Research and Education Center
Sexual Identity is a big idea. So big, the Supreme Court of the United States was coerced into debate, and finally honored same-sex marriage, emblazoning the rainbow on its facade in early July of 2015. This symbol has been co-opted to represent a community of self identified souls. Some say LGBTQ, some say Gay, some say Immoral…and I ask…why are we discussing what is done in the privacy of intimacy?
Now, for the bleeding hearts who make the case for stopping the oppression of people who express their sexuality in uncommon ways. That’s fine. This re-imagining is not to negate that stance. We seek to enlarge the capacity for understanding. When asked of my orientation…I am not Straight, Crooked, or Loopty Loop. I am simply me. And your desire to know me, as opposed to your desire to categorize my behavior, is the crux of this contemplation.
Sexual identity begins with the awareness of sexuality as a tool of expression. At a certain stage of life we find ourselves suddenly the owners of a subtle and magical power called sensuality. A power we have always felt all around us, but that is now closer than ever to our own hearts.
The ways we express, receive and understand the exchange of this vital and precious energy makes up our identity. The labeling, branding and categorizing of these ways have hurt the human family in immense ways. What if we discarded all sexually identifying labels from being attached to people, and instead identify those wishing to label us, as being of chaos and discord.
We are organic, beautiful, flowing and growing beings…and what I am today and tomorrow are both free things that I may form as I wish. How did we lose this freedom trying to be what they want us to be? They being anyone you are not sexually engaged with…who claims the right to assume, project or interpret your personal sexual expression.
Walking down a windy path, I (dan) see fences on the left side of me. They are the fences of the local zoo, which are full of caged animals. To the right side of me there is free-flowing wilderness. Ironically, it is in these woods where homosexual men, for the past decades, have snuck away to meet with their lovers. Some of them married, with children, and a ‘normal’ life. To express their ‘true nature’ they are forced to hide in the wilderness.
In Thailand, while working in a primary school, we had a second grade student that identified as a lady-boy. As a means of survival, he was the class clown. Lady-boys were common when I was in Thailand, and accepted. However they often had to fit a certain identity. The older ones were often the ones that drank, and partied, the most. In the big cities, there was a high proportion of lady-boys that were prostitutes. They did not hide their identity, rather they celebrated it, literally, in some cases, rather poignantly
Currently, across the space continuum, there are 166/195 countries where Gay Marriage is still not legal. In Brunei, Yemen and Iran same-sex activity is punishable by death. In seventy countries it is deemed a punishable crime [1].
Anthropologists report that in many tribal communities, non-heterosexuality is common, and sometimes celebrated, as the individual has access to both the masculine and feminine powers. The Navajo honors at least four genders, and relatively recently coined a term ‘Two-Spirits’ to re-connect to their cultural heritage. Michel Foucault has done extensive research on how modernity has led to increased repression of sexuality. James Hillman explores sexuality, and repression, in a more mythical way. Judith Butler and other Queer Theorists, more scholarly.
What might the world look like if people were able to openly express their sexuality without judgement or evaluation? Would more people be bi-sexual? Would marriage, as we know it, be the same? Would divorce even be a concept? Would people be happier?
Lead Author: Brandon Marqrueal Correa
Star of the feature film “Kings Faith”, Brandon Correa was a relative unknown, when he stunned the screen with his portrayal of “Eli” along side the incomparable Lynn Whitfield. Born in Historic Rochester NY… Brandon is an adept occultist who also flexes his creativity as a recording artist under the moniker “Eerie Canal”. Most recently Mr.Correa has chosen to enter the realm of local politics, to better impact his community and at-risk and fostered youth, being he was a product of the same systems growing up. Stay connected to see what’s next for this amazing rising star.
Anchor Author: Dan Rudolph (final 5 paragraphs)
Daniel Rudolph is interested in exploring alternative, experiential learning opportunities for people of all ages. He is passionate about forming community, and building public spaces for meaningful, transformational gathering. Currently he is spending a lot of his time learning juggling and facilitating gatherings. He also enjoys writing and sharing poetry.
Dan, and a small team, are in the process of publishing a series of articles titled ‘Live Human Signposts’ that showcases individuals that have taken alternative paths to higher education and/or are pursuing regenerative livelihoods, which is being commissioned by the Ecoversities Alliance. In March, Dan will begin an apprenticeship in Vermont at the MAPLE Monastic Academy.
