Deck 6: Sexual Orientation and Inequality

Question 1

Historically, Western society has viewed:

A) sex, gender, and sexuality as dichotomous and interrelated
B) both homosexuality and heterosexuality as normal and natural
C) sexual classifications as varied and drastically changing over time
D) sex as involving categories other than male and female

Answer 1

sex, gender, and sexuality as dichotomous and interrelated

Question 2

Evidence of the fluidity of gender would be:

A) the Hijras of India
B) hermaphrodites
C) transgendered individuals
D) all of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

In India, "hijras"

A) are men who wish to be women
B) dress in women's clothing and may marry men
C) are stigmatized as a sexually deviant group
D) are female at birth but define themselves as male

Answer 3

dress in women's clothing and may marry men

Question 4

Transgendered individuals are:

A) those who define themselves as strictly male or female but are the opposite sex
B) those who wish to be women or men and who may or may not undergo surgery for sex reassignment
C) only those that have undergone a sex change
D) only men who dress like women

Question 5

Which groups violate the norms and are stigmatized by the "normal" homosexual community?

A) heterosexuals and transsexuals
B) lesbians and hermaphrodites
C) bisexuals and transsexuals
D) bisexuals and lesbians

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a factor that is attributed to the development of the heterosexuality/ homosexuality binary?

A) the institutionalization of working-class values
B) the secularization of state discourse on sexuality
C) the premium placed on reproduction within the nuclear family
D) none of the above

Question 7

Recent research on public opinion demonstrates that:

A) those that are not religious do not think that homosexuality is sinful
B) the majority of Americans now approve of gay marriage
C) a majority believes that adult homosexual relations should be illegal
D) homosexuality is becoming slightly more acceptable

Question 8

Research on attitudes towards homosexuality indicates that:

A) among college students, those in business and science are less homophobic than those in the arts and social sciences
B) women are more hostile towards homosexuals than men
C) while Blacks are more likely to be against homosexuality on moral grounds, they are more supportive than Whites of protecting the civil rights of homosexuals
D) a greater proportion of persons under 30 than those over 65 are homophobic

Question 9

Communities with gay-rights ordinances are more likely to:

A) be small
B) have higher median ages
C) have higher average incomes
D) have smaller proportions of Blacks

Question 10

Herek (2002) found that gay men are more likely than lesbians to be seen by respondents as:

A) being mentally stable
B) as potential child predators
C) more likely to make good parents
D) all of the above

Question 11

Which of the following is evidence suggesting that homosexuals are a status group?

A) They are given full citizenship in U.S. society.
B) Their differences are not viewed as that significant.
C) They are perceived as having an internal conflict that divides them.
D) The fears of contamination and contact on the part of outsiders.

Question 12

Arguments:

A) in courts at every level use a universally-agreed-upon definition of "sex"
B) about homosexuality no longer generate significant public controversy
C) in court are always careful to keep the definitions of sex, gender, and sexual orientation distinct
D) by those opposed to equal treatment of homosexuals often base their position on moral grounds

Question 13

Individuals in long-term same-sex relationships:

A) are legally recognized in most states
B) can fully control any hospital care that one of their partner receives
C) are at a disadvantage compared to married couples when it comes to tax and probate matters
D) are eligible for the same 1,138 benefits offered to heterosexual married couples

Question 14

On the whole, homosexuals appear to:

A) make up about 20 percent of the U.S. population
B) be more highly educated than the rest of the population
C) be more likely to live in rural areas
D) be none of the above

Question 15

Gay men:

A) are more likely to be self-employed than other men
B) have higher household earnings than heterosexual men
C) are less likely than other men to be found in white-collar, higher status jobs
D) are over-represented in traditionally "male" occupations as they attempt to overcompensate

Question 16

In terms of homosexuality in the military:

A) men have been more negatively affected than women by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy
B) a 2008 national poll found that 25 percent of the respondents felt that persons who openly admit their homosexuality should be allowed to serve in the military
C) a recent study by military officers argued that the presence of gays and lesbians would damage the morale, cohesion, or fighting ability of the armed forces
D) in recent years, gay men have been less likely than other men to be in the military

Question 17

Gays and lesbians most likely to attempt or seriously think about suicide tend to:

A) be victims of physical assault
B) have high self-esteem
C) have supportive families
D) have not "come out" yet

Question 18

The stigmatization of homosexuality can:

A) breed feelings of alienation
B) lead to recurrent headaches, depressive moods, and more serious psychological conditions
C) lead to problems in their families, religious practice, and the labor market
D) all of the above

Question 19

Globalization is related to sexual orientation in that it has led to:

A) a much more clear meaning of sexuality
B) peoples of varying ethnicities and cultural backgrounds leaving the U.S. to seek an environment more hospitable to homosexuals
C) the mass media promulgating a single images of sexuality
D) the development of a transnational network of gays and lesbians

Question 20

A great deal of attention has been paid to sexual orientation as a basis for inequality.

Question 21

Binary categories of sex and related genders are timeless, universal, and natural.

Question 22

Hijras exemplify the time-honored Hindu belief that each person possesses both male and female elements.

Question 23

Hermaphrodites lack an enzyme at birth that would allow them to develop male genitals so they are initially defined as female, even though male features begin to develop later during puberty.

Question 24

Transsexual individuals challenge the idea that men should be masculine and women should be feminine.

Question 25

Stratification exists among the homosexual community.

Question 26

The technical dichotomy of heterosexuality and homosexuality as we know it today dates back to biblical times.

Question 27

Up until 1973, homosexuality was listed as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association.

Question 28

Recent studies show that homosexuality is a good predictor of mental illness.

Question 29

Until very recently, some homosexual acts were illegal in most states.

Question 30

Gays and lesbians are far less likely to be partnered together as families than are heterosexual individuals.

Question 31

Those who view homosexuality as a chosen lifestyle are more sympathetic and are more likely to support homosexual rights and marriage than those who see it as something one is born with.

Question 32

More than two thirds of Black voters supported Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage in California.

Question 33

Individuals with lower incomes and education, who are older and from the North and urban areas, are more likely to feel that homosexuality is morally evil.

Question 34

Research finds victimization to be higher among older gay men than lesbians.

Question 35

Since as late as 1990, lesbian immigrants could be refused entry into the United States, and conscious attempts were made by border agents to identify lesbians.

Question 36

Those currently at the forefront of the gay-rights movement argue that homosexuality is a genetic condition.

Question 37

Evidence supports the conviction that homosexuals are more likely to be child molesters than heterosexuals.

Question 38

Sexual orientation has lower visibility compared to one's race and sex.

Question 39

Persons who have sex with others of the same sex are not necessarily considered homosexuals.

Question 40

There appears to be widespread agreement on the number of homosexuals in the U.S. population.

Question 41

Regional differences in prejudice against homosexuals may impact the reliability of the available data on homosexuality.

Question 42

Homosexuals are a fairly homogeneous group.

Question 43

Almost all gay men and lesbians have experienced physical victimization at one time or another.

Question 44

Research suggests that gay and lesbian youths are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts.

Question 45

Whites as opposed to Blacks and Latinos who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual experience greater continuing stress over their lifetime.

Question 46

Discuss the complexity of sexuality and gender and provide evidence as to why these concepts are socially constructed. Include a
discussion of the kinds of sexual identities exist outside traditional male/female, masculine/feminine categories.

Question 47

Discuss public opinions on homosexuality. What kinds of people are most likely to be the most and the least homophobic and why?

Question 48

Homosexual men and women are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have certain social and psychological
problems. Identify these issues, and discuss why this is the case.

Question 49

Why are homosexuals considered a status group? Discuss some of the negative consequences of the stigmatization of homosexuals.

Question 50

Discuss the impact of globalization on gender and sexuality.