© 2007 Thomson Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning Queer Youth and Harry Potter Karrie P Walters, M.A, M.Ed. 2005

© 2007 Thomson Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning

Queer Youth and Harry Potter

Karrie P Walters, M.A, M.Ed.

2005


LGB Identity Models

• In today’s culture, most children are raised with the assumption of heterosexuality.

This assumption affects the development and acceptance of a lgb

identity for LGB individuals and their families. Models for both the individual and the family have been developed that illuminate this process. The two explored in this lecture are:– For lesbian and gay individuals: Cass (1979) Identity Model– For families: PFLAG’s developmental stages


Overview of Cass’s model

• Cass (1979) developed a six stage model of gay and lesbian identity development.

• This model is meant to be non-linear; some steps may be cycled through or repeated:

» Identity Confusion» Identity Comparison» Identity Tolerance» Identity Acceptance» Identity Pride» Identity Synthesis


Identity Confusion

• “Who am I?“

• Feeling different from peers

• A growing sense of personal alienation

• Recognition of same-sex feelings

• Denial and confusion


Identity Comparison

• “Maybe I’m gay”

• Recognizes possibility of being gay or lesbian

• Feelings:

– of not belonging anywhere

– of social alienation and separateness; “I am the only one in the world like this”


Identity Tolerance

• "I'm not the only one."

• Increased recognition of lgb identity, but this identity is tolerated rather than fully accepted

• Knowledge increases; beginning to have language to talk and think about the issue

• Seeks out lesbian and gay culture – Positive contact -> positive sense of lgb identity– Negative contact -> negative sense of lgb identity


Identity Acceptance

• “I am gay”

• Accepts identity; begins to view lgb sexual orientation as normal and valid

• Increased contact with other gay and lesbian people; start to form friendships

• Often evaluates other gays and lesbians more positively

• Selectively discloses sexual orientation to others; may come out to family members and close friends who are heterosexual


Identity Pride• “I’m gay and I’m proud”

• Has greater pride and involvement in LGB cultures and communities, often excluding heterosexuals

• Immerses self in gay and lesbian culture and is less involved with the heterosexual community.

• Develops an awareness of society’s oppression and discrimination of the lgbtq community; may feel anger at heterosexuals

• May take an ‘us-them’ stance on political and social views


Identity Synthesis

• “By the way, I’m also gay.”

• Develops holistic view of self, integrating sexual identity with other aspects of identity

• Continues to have a strong sense of pride

• Perceives less of a dichotomy between the heterosexual and gay and lesbian communities


Identity Development ofHarry Potter

• Watch videoclips:

– The Sorcerer's stone:• Scenes 1 – 5, and 35 (the final

scene)

– The Chamber of Secrets:• Scenes 1-2


Similarities

Queer community- Biologically based

- Parents can be either heterosexual or LGBTQ

- Considered ‘abnormal’ by majority culture

- As youth, feelings of ‘being different’, and, if raised in homophobic environment, taught to be ashamed of these feelings.

Wizard community- Biologically based

- Parents can be either muggles or wizards

- Considered ‘abnormal’ by majority culture (ex. Dursleys)

- As youth, feelings of ‘being different’, and, if raised in wizard-phobic society, taught to be ashamed of these feelings.


Similarities

Queer community

- A welcoming Queer community

- The necessity of keeping identities ‘secret’ in certain situations

- The presence of an active and healthy sub-culture

Wizard community

- A welcoming wizard community (ex. excitement during sorting ceremony)

- The necessity of keeping identities ‘secret’ in certain situations (ex. Muggle world)

- The presence of an active and healthy sub-culture (ex. Hogwarts)


Harry Potter:Example of Identity Comparison

• Hagrid “You’re a wizard, Harry”

• Harry: “No, you’ve made a mistake, I’m just Harry”

Hagrid then asks Harry about past feelings and behaviors, helping Harry recognize these as aspects of his Wizard identity.


Where would these experiences fit into Cass’s model?

• The look of shock on Harry’s face when the glass disappears on the snakes cage. (SS: Scene 2)

• Harry and Hagrid shopping for school supplies: Harry “Can we find all this is London?” Hagrid: “if you know where to look.” (SS: Scene 5)

• Harry response to seeing the Wizard world for the first time in Diagon Alley (SS: Scene 5)

• Harry and Hermoine boarding the train after school ends. Hermoine: “Feels strange to be going home, doesn’t it?” Harry: “I’m not going home, not really.” (SS: Scene 35)

• Harry to Dobby in Chamber of Secrets: “See why I’ve got to go back! I don’t belong here, I belong in your world.” (CS: Scene 2)


How do these experiences of gay and lesbian individuals fit into Cass’s model?

“I don’t think there’s anyone more isolated than queer kids. You don’t see yourself anywhere.” (Due, 1995, p 119)

“The slander, jokes and derision that were a part of

everyday life served the dual purpose confirming that gays

existed and educating me about their sinful lives…I

recognized myself in the put-downs. I saw myself reflected

in their jokes, but the reflections sickened me, frightened

me, left me praying to wake up as someone else.” (Warren, 2004,

p. 131)


Quotes cont…

• “When I finally figured out who I was at age twenty-one, I was really angry with the Board of Education for not teaching me about myself.” (Due, 1995, p 195)

• “I cannot remember a time when I was not drawn to women emotionally, intellectually, and physically. The first two were easy; the last I had to hide. I had kept those feelings locked up for so long that, once freed, every vision of womanliness was a whole celebration, whole because it encompassed my mind, my emotions and all my sense.” (Willison, 2004, p. 79)


Small Group Activity

• Compare Harry’s identity development as a Wizard to Cass’s LGB identity model. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

• Harry’s experiences do not completely match onto Cass’s model. Does every lgb person fit this model? Discuss how this model can be helpful, even if it doesn’t completely parallel every experience.


Family Reactions• When individuals share their sexual identity with

their parents and other family members, the family often enters a "coming-to-terms" process of their own.

Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a national support network.

PFLAG’s brochure “How to come out to parents,” identified a developmental stage model charting this process in its brochure.

Similar to Cass’s model, these are simply common stages and reactions. Every individual and family will follow their own unique process.


Family Reactions

• SHOCK: – Often an initial reaction– Can last from a few minutes to many weeks. – Common with family members and friends who had no idea

of the person’s emerging lgb identity.

• DENIAL: – May be brief or last for a long time– Types of denial: hostility, rejection, not caring, and refusing

to register the information– Often serves as a protection against something painful or

frightening; often the result of a belief that homosexuality is abnormal or sick.


Family Reactions

• GUILT: – Many parent blame themselves, asking “What did I do

wrong?”

• FEELINGS EXPRESSED: – After the person comes out, parent, other family members,

and friends often feel angry and hurt– In this stage, these feelings start to be expressed– These feelings are sometimes in expressed in a way that is

mean, and even cruel. – The positive side to this is that these feelings are being

acknowledged and brought out into the open. Sharing these feelings with the person coming out is, in some sense, agreeing to stay in a relationship with that person.


Family Reactions

• PERSONAL DECISION MAKING: – After the intense emotions will taper out, a degree of

rationality returns. – May enter a period of retreat to consider this new

information, and to deal with their options.

Common types of decisions: – Continued conflict with person regarding their sexual orientation. – Continuing to love and care about the person coming out while

making it clear they would rather not discuss the topic of sexual orientation/identity any further.

– Continuing to love and care about the person coming out, and to learn how to be actively supportive.


Family Reactions

• TRUE ACCEPTANCE: – Love and acceptance, with an understanding that the

person’s sexual orientation is just another part of the uniqueness of human beings.

– Actively supportive of person’s lgb identity

– Will sometimes become actively involved in the lgbtq

community, speaking out against oppression.


The Dursley’s: An example of Denial

In the letter scene, Mr. Dursley goes to drastic measures to keep Harry uninformed about Wizards, in the hope that this lack of information will keep Harry from becoming a wizard. – “We’re going away, far away, where they can’t find us.”

Mr. Dursley:

“There’s no such

thing as magic.”


Other Dursley Responses

• Mr. Dursley: “I’m warning you, any funny business, any at all, and you won’t have meals for a week”

• Mrs. Dursley “We swore when we took him in we’d put a stop to this nonsense”

• Mrs. Dursley (talking about her sister) “...I was the only one to see her as what she was – a freak. I knew you would be just as strange, just as abnormal.”


Parents of LGB youth speak…

“My wife and I felt like our world had come to an end. We hit the depths of our emotions. We had guilt feelings and thought that everything we had done with our children was wrong. For a brief time, we even thought about mutual suicide.” (Griffin, et. al, 1996, p. 2)

We always did have a good relationship when she was growing up. But it took me time before I could talk about her lesbianism without getting hysterical. Then there was a period when I never brought it up to her, and she never brought it up to me. Now I can even joke with her and tease her a little bit. I think that’s a real sign that I have accepted it.” (Griffin, et. al, 1996, p. 48)


Group activity

• Compare the Dursley’s responses to Harry being a wizard with PFLAG’s list of common family reactions to learning that a family member is lgbtq.


Follow-up Assignments

• Compare the wizard world with gay culture. What aspects of these cultures overlap?

• Discuss the effect of minority/majority status on:– The structure of these cultures– The relationship between muggles and wizards/straight and

gay populations

• If you were to design an intervention program for the Dursley’s, what would it look like? Who would be able to serve them most effectively, muggle or wizard?


More follow up Assignments

• Cass’s model was written in the late 70’s. Has the LGB culture, and society’s acceptance, changed since then? How have these changes effected the coming-out process?

• Research other identity models exploring sexual orientation. Compare these models to Cass’s 1979 model.

• A good assignment about multiple identity’s…Cass’s model does not touch on: bisexuality, trans populations, multiple identities such as being both an ethnic minority and queer.


References

• Cass, V. C. (1979). Homosexual identity formation: A theoretical model. Journal of Homosexuality, 4, 219-235.

• Due, L. (1995). Joining the tribe: Growing up gay & lesbian in the 90’s. New York, NY: Doubleday.

• Griffin, C.W., Wirth, M.J., & Wirth, A.G. (1996). Beyond Acceptance (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

• Sauerman, T. & PFLAG Philadelphia (1995). Accessed August 10, 2005. http://www.outproud.org/brochure_coming_out.html

• Warren, C. (2004). My Familiar. In E. Newman (Ed.), Small Town Gay. (p. 131). Memphis, TN: Kerlak.

• Willison, E. (2004). A Womanly Thing. In E. Newman (Ed.), Small Town Gay. (p. 131). Memphis, TN: Kerlak.

Documents

© 2007 Thomson Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning Queer Youth and Harry Potter Karrie P Walters, M.A, M.Ed. 2005