It’s true that evidence one has for classifying people’s sexual orientation can be different for men and women. Thus I have female friends who, if they were men and behaved toward men the way they now behave toward women, my beliefs about their sexual orientation would alter dramatically. But such behaviors don’t define heterosexuality. An Anglo-American man who compliments other men on their attractiveness, holds hands or is affectionate toward other men is giving us evidence that he is gay or bisexual. But these facts don’t make him gay or bisexual. Facts about who wants to have sex with and who he wants to have romantic relationships define his sexual orientation.
People really aren’t comfortable with their naive notion of heterosexuality? It’s true that these concepts, like all cultural and social concepts, might break down upon extremely close examination. There are often degrees and exceptions. But I think we can use them just fine.
I more or less agree with your interpretation but it seems to me that the crux of any disagreement you have with Alicorn may well be over your respective defintions of ‘straight’ for males and females rather than a disagreement over the prevalence of certain behaviours.
Examples of behaviours that are quite common between girls I consider ‘straight’ but I would consider an indication of homosexuality in (western/anglo-american) males: holding hands; kissing on the lips; sharing a bed; overtly sexual dancing; commenting on the sexual attractiveness of other females. Would you consider any of these behaviours evidence that your girlfriend is not straight? Would Alicorn consider any of them evidence that a girl is not straight? That’s where I think some clarification is needed.
I’m actually not sure how much my data point suggests a disagreement with Alicorn. After all this is my girlfriend and I’m still only 90% sure she is straight.
Actually, I think all of those behaviors are evidence of non-heterosexuality in women they’re just weak and easily trumped by other kinds of evidence. After all, pretty much every non-straight girl I know does these things and only some of the straight girls I know do them. None are, of course, constitutive of non-heterosexuality. Incidentally, none are a pattern with my girlfriend.
It’s true that evidence one has for classifying people’s sexual orientation can be different for men and women. Thus I have female friends who, if they were men and behaved toward men the way they now behave toward women, my beliefs about their sexual orientation would alter dramatically. But such behaviors don’t define heterosexuality. An Anglo-American man who compliments other men on their attractiveness, holds hands or is affectionate toward other men is giving us evidence that he is gay or bisexual. But these facts don’t make him gay or bisexual. Facts about who wants to have sex with and who he wants to have romantic relationships define his sexual orientation.
People really aren’t comfortable with their naive notion of heterosexuality? It’s true that these concepts, like all cultural and social concepts, might break down upon extremely close examination. There are often degrees and exceptions. But I think we can use them just fine.
I more or less agree with your interpretation but it seems to me that the crux of any disagreement you have with Alicorn may well be over your respective defintions of ‘straight’ for males and females rather than a disagreement over the prevalence of certain behaviours.
Examples of behaviours that are quite common between girls I consider ‘straight’ but I would consider an indication of homosexuality in (western/anglo-american) males: holding hands; kissing on the lips; sharing a bed; overtly sexual dancing; commenting on the sexual attractiveness of other females. Would you consider any of these behaviours evidence that your girlfriend is not straight? Would Alicorn consider any of them evidence that a girl is not straight? That’s where I think some clarification is needed.
I’m actually not sure how much my data point suggests a disagreement with Alicorn. After all this is my girlfriend and I’m still only 90% sure she is straight.
Actually, I think all of those behaviors are evidence of non-heterosexuality in women they’re just weak and easily trumped by other kinds of evidence. After all, pretty much every non-straight girl I know does these things and only some of the straight girls I know do them. None are, of course, constitutive of non-heterosexuality. Incidentally, none are a pattern with my girlfriend.