The last time I posted here was on May 12, 2024, an essay called “The Incident of the Pacifier in the Crib.” I did not get the feeling that many people were reading my posts, and I was focusing a lot of attention on Indolent Books, the boutique literary press I founded in 2015.
Is it worth exploring the intersection between “queer ethics” and “heteronormative ethics” in as far as perpetuating the “community?”
Perhaps how ethics as we know it has a lot to do with perpetuating the dominant culture as a whole but not really the subcultures?
Maybe part of feeling bad about not meeting the ethical standards of the majority is because it wasn’t made for or took you into consideration to begin with?
That’s an in intriguing way of looking at it, Ryan. My personal experience of demoralization was related to a toxic marriage, and on the surface of it at least, it did not have a lot to do with queer versus heteronormative social structures or structures of morality or ethics. But from all these wonderful comments, I am beginning to get a sense of how little information I gave in this 500 or 600 word piece. I can see that I have a lot more to talk about in future posts. Thanks for your comment.
I was painting in far too broad of strokes. Clearly it maybe hit a little too close to home 😜.
I’m just very curious about how society, morality, and community can create institutions that have the ability to nurture, chastise, and traumatize us just by virtue of existing to meet the needs of the dominant and not the subordinate.
I’m also curious how we can look at ourselves while holding up a mirror to society and clearly define what morality could or should be for us as queers and people.
I empathize, and know of some resources for treating complex trauma, which it sounds like you are already doing -- treating. I like your concept of demoralization.
Same as Donna - I'd like to hear more --and I'm intrigued by Runkle's (and yours) take on demoralization.
Good piece, Michael. I would love to hear more about this.
Is it worth exploring the intersection between “queer ethics” and “heteronormative ethics” in as far as perpetuating the “community?”
Perhaps how ethics as we know it has a lot to do with perpetuating the dominant culture as a whole but not really the subcultures?
Maybe part of feeling bad about not meeting the ethical standards of the majority is because it wasn’t made for or took you into consideration to begin with?
That’s an in intriguing way of looking at it, Ryan. My personal experience of demoralization was related to a toxic marriage, and on the surface of it at least, it did not have a lot to do with queer versus heteronormative social structures or structures of morality or ethics. But from all these wonderful comments, I am beginning to get a sense of how little information I gave in this 500 or 600 word piece. I can see that I have a lot more to talk about in future posts. Thanks for your comment.
I was painting in far too broad of strokes. Clearly it maybe hit a little too close to home 😜.
I’m just very curious about how society, morality, and community can create institutions that have the ability to nurture, chastise, and traumatize us just by virtue of existing to meet the needs of the dominant and not the subordinate.
I’m also curious how we can look at ourselves while holding up a mirror to society and clearly define what morality could or should be for us as queers and people.
I empathize, and know of some resources for treating complex trauma, which it sounds like you are already doing -- treating. I like your concept of demoralization.