SOGI Normativity

SOGI: sexual orientation and gender identity. (link)

Two summers ago, our son came into our house on a break from yardwork, headphones in place, lost in thought, and without breaking stride, looked me in the eye and said “heteronormativity” before walking off. It is not uncommon for him to blurt out whatever is on his mind, but this did catch me off guard. First, he has two Dads and lives in an all-male household, so the concept of heteronormativity is not the first word I have ever expected to have said to me. Second, it is not a word I commonly hear or use and am almost certain that he had not heard it in our presence until that moment. Third, although he identifies as heterosexual, his world includes friends, classmates, and even extended family that do not fall into this category. So, the fact that the world of a then-16 year old includes this term and its meaning was both eye-opening and refreshing.

Heteronormativity (link) is the concept or belief that the only normal form of attraction for two people is between opposite genders. The term actually incorporates a much broader framework of preconceptions and traditions: opposite-gender attraction, a gender binary, and gender roles.

Sexual normativity that exists is widely known (although far from universally accepted) to include a full spectrum of attraction, well beyond only opposite-gender attraction.

Gender binary (link). There being more than just two distinct genders is well established in science and becoming more widely accepted, albeit with notable resistance and significant political backlash in many areas.

Gender roles that follow the gender binary are routinely assigned for males and females. It has become far less distinct, but even in more “advanced” or “progressive” societies where official barriers are largely removed, there still exist clear expectations and preconceptions about the activities, choices, and behaviors of different genders.

When considering these, there are distinct characteristics of each person that must fully align to fit the traditional standard of gender-related normativity.

Physiology: both internal and external reproductive organs; body size, shape, and musculature; skin texture; facial shape; etc.

Identity: inward perceptions, i.e. how one views themself.

Presentation: outward display, i.e. how one presents themselves to others, frequently with certain cues such as name, hairstyle, clothing, and mannerisms.

Orientation: one's sexual attraction to opposite, same, or no gender (or no attraction at all).

When the first three align, we call the person cisgender. When any of these does not fit this normative model, a host of otherings come into the picture. For the last (orientation), there are many common (and frequently disparaging) terms for people who are attracted to the same or to multiple genders, but not for those attracted to opposite genders. Similarly for those who change their identities or anatomy. (Many of these have been codified in the acronym LGBTQ+, 2SLGBT+, or even LGBTQUIIAA2S (link).) Until recently, the two all-encompassing terms commonly used are normal and abnormal. Our concepts of what these terms mean is evolving along with our society.

What does this mean for design, and in particular the design of spaces? In Spring 2023, participants at an equity workshop at the A4LE state chapter conference were asked to define and explore the concept of heteronormative spaces. This exercise was brief but highly energizing as the overwhelmingly heteronormative-presenting group of about 100 tried to wrap their minds around it.

Three examples of these discussions and what emerged from them involve toilet room signage, safety in public spaces, and professional sports leagues.

PUBLIC SPACES

Such spaces – whether a sidewalk café, a public plaza or park, or any similar gathering place – invariably involve people in a variety of solo or group activities. Whether enjoying solitude, a picnic with family or friends, or a sports team playing or practicing, they are most commonly relaxing and being themselves. Such places are generally considered safe, for people fit in. In most communities, this means people who are – or who present as - heteronormative or gender normative don’t stand out from the people around them who present in similar ways.

For those who do not, such places are filled with stress and anxiety, and all too frequently, fear. Visible minorities of race, ethnicity, or religion experience the same thing. It is why people choose to gather in “ghettos”, gay, racial, or religious – safety and comfort in numbers. (Of course many were also forced into such places against their will). This also manifested itself in private clubs, bars, and bookstores. As laws and societal acceptance have evolved, so too have these places and businesses catering to specific groups declined in number and distinctiveness.

TOILET ROOM SIGNS

In recent years signage has moved away from text to graphics and icons, in many instances to serve multi-lingual societies as well as literacy. Additional focus has developed in response to acknowledging issues faces by transgender people. The terminology has expanded almost as quickly as the issue has exploded in public consciousness, from gender-neutral to gender-inclusive, gender-expansive, all-gender, etc. The icons depicted in this image however highlight three specific design-related issues.

Color

Since the 1950’s pink has become closely aligned with the feminine and blue with the masculine. In western culture, that is the norm, and those who violate that are frequently othered, or worse. Why should this be?

Gender roles

These are clearly implied with the icons: one implies a skirt and one pants. The clear assumption is that the skirt aligns with females and the pants with males. Why should this be?

Exclusion

Gendered signs, even to depict all or no genders, are almost without exception in everyday use the only type of sign that speaks nothing of the function, occupant, or nature of the space being signed. Instead, these signs speak to who is permitted - or not permitted - to go into which room. Only people who identify/present/genetically formed in one way go here, and those who are the opposite go there. (Notable exceptions, and not normally found in most people’s everyday experience, include places screening by citizenship or security-related clearances.) Why should this be?

Instead, why not offer toilet room signs that speak to the activities such as elimination, hygiene, grooming, or to the facilities such as toilet, urinals, sinks, etc.?

Conveniently, centering a discussion around design of toileting facilities based on activities, function, and characteristics such as safety and privacy can also help diffuse the debate and rigid positions of those objecting to the move away from design based on a strict gender binary.

SUMMARY

Each of these suggest another perhaps more fundamental question:

Why are designs, especially of public buildings such as schools, even suggesting how people should dress or identify?

Suggested further reading: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/heteronormativity-in-schools-jason-flom

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