The Geography of Sexuality Sexuality as an Element of Culture

Sexuality A set of practices and identities that a given culture considers related to each other and to those things it considers sexual acts and desires. What is the geography of sexuality? encompasses the relationship and interactions between human sexuality, space and place (this includes the spatial distribution of prostitution (1) and the spatial constraints of homosexuality (2)

Prostitution “Sex work”, as it is commonly called, is spatially differentiated based upon the target clientele as well as systems of surveillance. Female sex workers who service an upper income clientele generally perform their work in the homes, hotels and other private areas of upper and middle class societies (brothels). Female sex workers serving a lower class clientele tend to operate within more public settings (“streetwalking”, “red-light districts”)

Kinds of Prostitution 1) Street Prostitution 2) Escort or Call-out 3) Sex Tourism

Legalities/Examples of Global Prostitution Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland) – Prostitutes are unionized professionals – Brothels are legal – Prostitutes must be 18 yrs of age – Sweden-prostitution legal, pimping is not – Norway-prostitution is illegal, client commits crime Middle East (Turkey) – Prostitution through gov’t-regulated brothels is legal

Legalities of Prostitution United States -Prostitution is illegal (except for Nevada, Rhode Island) -Drugs, violence and pimps often associated with American prostitution Washington D.C.-Street Prostitution where mortality rate is 40X higher than national average. 75% of street prostitutes are victims of incest. Sudan – Punishable by death for third time offenders Latin America (Costa Rica, Brazil) -Prostitution is legal, pimping is not Japan -Fellatio prostitution is legal Bangladesh -”verotia” (prostitutes) earn approximately $4/hr, prostitution is legal Australia (Sydney, Melbourne) -Five Star Brothels-legalized prostitution in an attempt to regulate industry; clients are inspected for STDs and are then instructed to shower. Prostitutes can have sex with as many as 10 clients per shift and earn approximately $170,000/year.

Homosexuality Gays and lesbians are reshaping the geography of many states and sub-states. Two ways in which they are doing so… – 1) gay and lesbian consumerism (Pink Spending) – 2) understanding homosexuality

Pink Spending Open expression of sexual preference in consumption. Use of the word pink is in reference to the pink triangle that Hitler required homosexuals to wear in Nazi concentration camps. Consumer support by gays and other consumers of openly gay businesses has led to the establishment of identifiably “gay” spaces (shopping districts and neighborhoods). Gay Spaces have… – Enabled gay communities in many core countries to gain significant political power (queer theory) – Allowed gays to unify against the dominant ideology regarding sexuality (heteronormative)

Understanding Homosexuality In contrast to heterosexuality, homosexuality is represented in social and cultural practices that go against the heteronormative. The central theoretical position of identifying sexual identities comes from the purpose of gender. Gender is now being looked at not as something we are, but something we do (how we portray our body to others)

Geography and Sexuality: A Map of Same Sex Couples

A Same Sex Couple in Minnesota year-later-both-parents-in-same-sex-couples- have-legal-rights/ year-later-both-parents-in-same-sex-couples- have-legal-rights/

Cities in America with Same Sex Couples

Legalized Gay Marriage See map… same-sex-marriage/

Things to Consider… What characterizes gay/lesbian culture? Has it changed recently? Are gays and lesbians indistinguishable from “heterosexual” individuals? Is the Christian “Right” becoming more and more accepting of the gay/lesbian lifestyle? If so, explain why. Has the integration of gay culture into the mainstream society led to the disappearance of conventional masculinity? Is gay marriage a cultural issue?