Introduction: Many people all around the world now know, acknowledge and pay much attention to the

bright, loud and colorful LGBTQ Rights Movement (otherwise known as the Gay Rights Movement) in these times. The Gay Rights movements, however, has been going on since the late 19th century. Over the last century, the gender movements have gained a lot of strength, especially the Feminist/ Feminine Rights Movements who have come far from their beginnings in the 19 th Century. To Most people, the Gay Rights Movements are relatively new and their ideologies relatively new concepts that people are not yet very educated about. Though Gay Rights Movements have been around for over a century, it has only broken major around forty years ago and is still going on today. The Gay Rights Movements began in 1987 with the founding of the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in Berlin by Magnus Hirschfeld. The committee campaigned for legal reform all throughout Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, with 25 local chapters by 1922. Two years prior, Hirshcfeld opened the Institute for Sexual Science, which specialized in sex research. This Institute anticipated other similar institutes by decades. Other similar organizations were also later on formed outside of Germany in the early 20th century in Britain and the United States. The Gay Rights Movements were very much like the Feminine Rights movements as gays suffered much of the same stigma and standard as females, though their struggles were not the same. Many homosexual acts were considered criminal. The visibility and the strength of the Feminist Movements considerable overshadowed Gay Rights movements for decades, likely because Feminist Movements and the female gender were more accepted in society at the time. Still, it took years for the Gay Rights movements to break true ground based on their ideologies, much longer than what it took the Feminist Movements. Like other movements, however, The Gay Rights Movements also started off with fighting du jure inequalities, targeting the laws, legislations, the constitution and the basic Human Rights foundations in order to achieve their goals, before pursuing the de facto change. In order to make a change, the movement had to gain attention and educate people still ignorant of what gays were and their actions and had to encourage the recruitment of members and much of their propaganda came in the form of newsletters and literature. The first of the gay movements wrote a lot of gay-friendly and gay dedicated literature since literature was one a platform that reached many people and a medium for which gays could be heard without too much negative ramifications. Books like Maurice from the early 20th century by E.M. Forster, for example, was one of the first books that was privately penned on the subject of Homosexuality but was not published until 1941, a reflection of how long it was until gay rights broke ground. Earlier than that, Walt Whitman published a collection of poems entitled Leaves of Grass in 1855. His fellow poets burned his book and Whitman was fired from work. ` Modern day writers have more freedom when it comes to writing and when it comes to expression of rights. Many of them still turn to literature for the ultimate expression as many writers (if not even more gay writers), due to the strength and the breakthroughs of their movements use literature to talk about their experience, a tool for education and for fighting for their rights and as tools

for encouragement of gays coming out. They have formed circles for poetry and books, where authors and writers come together to share LGBTQ-related literature and over the last few years the number of published and known gay literature has increased and suffer no more legal consequences. Theoretically as well, it is only lately when the gay movement and the gay agenda has been acknowledged that many theorists and scientists over many various fields particularly those in psychology , sociology and biology have studied and proposed concepts and theories to explain the phenomenon of gender identity, human sexuality and the processes that are involved therein. Most of the content of these works border on the feelings, sufferings and motivations of gay people. Most of the works in this paper, however, study the undertones of gay people coming to terms with their sexuality and identifying with it and coming out, as their poems and short prose talk about the struggles with this. From the sociological perspectives the process of becoming homosexual and coming out, to psychological identity theories and the defining Queer Theory, we will use these works to identify gay literature and to analyze various poems regarding coming out and the fulfillment of identity of the LGBTQ community.

Research Question: Does Modern Gay Literature give us cues on defining what is queer/gay and the formation and acceptance of gender identity from a sociological and psychological perspective?

Objectives: To analyze the text in the poetry for signs of gender identification and the process of becoming and identifying oneself as homosexual through sociological and psychological gender and sexuality identity theories To know if the processes and criteria ascribed by these theories are reflected in the literature To asses if there are commonalities in the text when it comes to the formation of identity And to infer which theory best suits the identity process in the textsif it is the psychological theory or the sociological theory

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: In analyzing the text used for the research of this paper, the researcher relies heavily on two theories. The first would be the sociological theory of sociologists Marshall B. Clinard and Robert F. Meier of developing a sexual identity by becoming a homosexual and the identifying as one. The second would be the Gender Schema theory by Sandra Bern which focuses on the concept of sex-typing. Both make use of the concept of Gender Stereotyping, however, the two theories differ as gender and sex roles are defined by society for the sociological perspective while the psychological perspective tells us

that gender stereotypes rely heavily on individual choice and the mental processes that occur when we respond to stimuli from the environment. The sociological perspective tells us that its society that dictates and influences norms and behaviors. In sociology, sexuality reflects learned behaviour. In sociology, sexuality is a social construction that has been learned in interaction with others (Plummer, 1975). Even distinctions of male and female refer to socially constructed categories, as does the conduct that arises from these roles. Sex roles (sometimes called gender roles) are collections of norms that define socially accepted male and female behaviour. Clear distinctions in the elements of sex roles provide useful separation and elaboration of peoples individual and group identities exist in the sociological perspective. In this view, it is believed that People begin to learn sex roles at birth through experience of the behavioural expectations of parents and others. Society has an ongoing instruction that sometimes begins as early as the choice of the color of the babys blanket, meant to convey certain expectations about his or her eventual sex role. The psychological perspective, however, focuses on the mental processes and how the individual interprets stimuli from the society and the environment. It does not tell us that the influence of for gender is caused by society but how the individual reacts to it. Its the individual choice on how to interpret and follow which behaviors suit them and their schemas of gender and their own personalities that shape the decision of which sexual and gender identities to adhere to.

Review of Related Literature: Homosexuality Acquiring a sexual identity involves the process of sexual development through a complicated process that involves the cooperation of three major perspectives: biological bodily and physical processes, psychological mental and behavioral processes that occur concurrent to a gender and Sociological which talks about the influences of society on gender and sexuality and the learned behavior as dictated by society. Homosexuality is defined as romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As an orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex. Sociologists define specifies it individuals who participate in a special community of understanding wherein members of ones own sex are defined as the most desirable sexual objects and sociability is energetically organized around the pursuit and entertainment of these objects (Goffman, 1963). Becoming Homosexual/ Sociological Homosexual Identity Formation Becoming homosexual is first defined with two concepts: Homosexual Behaviour which refers to sexual practices with partners of ones own sex -- and Homosexual Preference -- refers to subjective

feelings of stronger sexual attraction to a person of the same sex than to a person of the opposite sex. The particular combination of homosexual attraction and active homosexual behaviour may result from participation in a homosexual subculture. The extent of a persons participation in that subculture may determine the strength of acceptance of the role of homosexual. Many homosexual experimentation occurs at an early age and involves acts of homosexual behaviour but not all result in the identification of becoming Homosexual. To become a homosexual, Clinard explains that it must involve three concepts that make up a process to become a homosexual. A person must undergo sex-role adoption, preference and identification in order to accept the identity of Homosexuality. Sex-role adoption refers to active choices to adopt behaviour patterns characteristic of one sex or the other, rather than simply the desire to adopt such behaviours. Sex-role preference describes the desire to adopt behaviour patterns associated with one sex or the other, or the perception of this behaviour as preferable to alternatives. Sex-role identification a crucial process in developing homosexuality, indicates the actual incorporation of a given sex role and the unthinking reactions characteristic of it. People acquire homosexual identities, often through long, interactive processes that depend heavily on the actions and reactions of others. Primary homosexual behaviour often results from involvement in a particular situation. Secondary homosexuals tend to seek sexual gratification predominantly and continually with members of the same sex. These acts represent expressions of homosexual self-concepts and roles. Several crucial conditions influence development of a homosexual identity. Among these are: the expectations of others and the extent of ones identity with available role models both contribute to or impede this process, reactions of others and their attribution or imputation of homosexuality to specific individuals. Gender Schema Gender schema theory was formally introduced by Sandra Bem in 1981 as a cognitive theory to explain how individuals become gendered in society, and how sex-linked characteristics are maintained and transmitted to other members of a culture. This is a more psychological view of gender identity and gender identification. Gender-associated information is predominantly transmuted through society by way of schemata, or networks of information that allow for some information to be more easily assimilated than others. This theory argues that there are individual differences in the degree to which people hold these gender schemata. These differences are manifested via the degree to which individuals are sex-typed. The theory tells us that core gender identity is tied up in the sex typing that an individual undergoes. This typing can be heavily influenced by child rearing, media, school, and other forms of cultural transmission. It refers to four categories in which an individual may fall: sex-typed, cross-sextyped, androgynous, and undifferentiated. Sex-typed individuals process and integrate information that is in line with their gender. Cross-sex-typed individuals process and integrate information that is in line with the opposite gender. Androgynous individuals process and integrate traits and information from

both genders. Finally, undifferentiated individuals do not show efficient processing of sex-typed information (Bern, 1981). Being that gender schema theory is a theory of process and not content, this theory helps explain some of the processes by which gender stereotypes become so psychologically ingrained in our society. Specifically, having strong gender schemata provides a filter through which we process incoming stimuli in the environment. This leads to an easier ability to assimilate information that is stereotype congruent, hence further solidifying the existence of gender stereotypes. Despite the choice among a plethora of dimensions, but that gender schemas lead to the regulation of behaviors that conform to the cultural definition of what it means to be male or female. Additionally, this theory asserts that there is also a heterosexuality subschema, which likely encouraged the development of gender schemas. Most societies treat exclusive heterosexuality as the benchmark for proper masculinity and femininitythat is, heterosexuality is the norm. Furthermore, the heterosexuality subschema asserts that men and women are supposed to be different from one another. It is hypothesized that this is why cross-sexed interactions are likely to be coded sexually. Sex-typed individuals have a general readiness to invoke the heterosexuality subschema in social interactions, behaving differently towards individuals of the opposite sex that they find attractive versus unattractive.

Works used in the study: 1. Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns and other Poems by Andrea Gibson 2. Begging for it and other poems by Alex Dimitrov 3. Crush by Richard Siken

Analysis: In order to test my theory and out of my own interests as I have been exposed to numerous new gay poets via social networking and features on poetry websites and magazines, I have chosen three openly gay poetsAndrea Gibson, a lesbian poet, writer and activist as well as gender rights advocate, and two gay poets in the persons of Richard Siken and Alexander Dimitrov. These authors have gained acclaims for their wonderful writing and their contributions to gay literature. Each author has a published book of a collection of poems and each sight for gender rights through literature and activism. Alexander Dimitrov, for example, has started an all gay author poetry circle in New York City. Gay poetry has gained momentum as of late due to the strength of the LGBTQ movements and the openness of todays society to the flexibility of the definition of gender. Gay poets definitely have more room to express themselves and make their poems well known and they have a wider range of topics to discuss. The running trend among these authors, however, is the concept of romantic love, their experiences with the reactions of society toward them and finding themselves.

Though majority of these authors write as if they are speaking to the reader or to the person whom the poem is dedicated to, many lines have the tell-tale signs of trying to find self-acceptance and how the readers, people and to who the poems were dedicated to react to them or repeating their contentment with themselves, validating their sexuality and personality. Lines in the texts of these poems talk much about their personal thoughts on their gender and sexuality as well as their personalities which heavily suggest linearity to psychological processes and gender schema. Their poems carry the heavy sex-type of cross-sex type and they identify themselves as homosexual by referring to lovers and being attracted to individuals of the same gender. If you love me, Henry, you dont love me in a way I understand. Richard Siken, Crush The first man who kissed me also put his entire fist in my mouth. The last man inside me wouldnt even kiss me. - Alexander Dimitrov shell come up behind me Bang bang, bang bang. Well make love like fugitives. After well smoke cigars while the dog watches from his corner of the sex room. So youre into bondage? Ill say. Yes, shell say, patting my popcorned belly. James Bondage. - Andrea Gibson Each poem has a running trend of establishing their sexuality of being homosexuals. This signifies that these authors reject the norms of their sex and identify as something othersuch as lesbians or gays. How they came to ascribe to these identities, however, is difficult to pinpoint in their poetry. Though the poems carry a very personal note which supposedly suggest a strong psychological influence, this is surprisingly not the case. The theory of gender schema is weak as the poems do not suggest the mental processes that led them to their gender identities. What was more common in the poems, however, was the trend of being taught the expectations, responsibilities and the behaviors of the sex they were born with, rejecting said norms and adopting the behaviors and the expectations of the opposite sex and preferring it over their own. Eventually they will assimilate the behaviors of the opposite sex into their own mindset and their daily lives, identifying themselves as members of the opposite sex, joining groups of the opposite sex and

becoming part of the homosexual community and becoming homosexuals. The poem For Jenn by Andrea Gibson, for example, gives us an insight of her behaviors as she was growing up and tells a lot about her behaviors when she was young. Their more personal thoughts are more of self-validation and self-acceptance: I am always inside me. I am always inside. I will lovingly degrade myself. I will lovingly degrade myself for you. I will degrade myself, reader. For you. I will be loving. - Alex Dimitrov

You see, I take the parts that I remember and stitch them back together to make a creature that will do what I say or love me back. Richard Siken, Crush These hint little on the formation of a gender identity of these individuals based on psychological processes.

Conclusions: Based on the analysis of these poems according to both perspectives, the researcher concludes that the writers above consider personal decisions and feelings in acquiring sexual identity, saying that they knew about their desires even when they were young and have reacted with behaviors of the opposite sex despite being educated of sex and gender norms, they undergo sex-role adaptation, preference for another sex/gender and eventually performing acts that is pursuant to those preferred genders assimilating themselves to homosexuality. They adhere to this identity despite the lack of models for behavior, despite negative reactions from what is still the majority of society and proudly labeling themselves as homosexuals while attributing and accepting the expectations, responsibilities and behaviors of homosexuals. We can only attribute the gender schema theory in cooperation with becoming a homosexual as the poems are not clear on the personal psychological processes that are involved in the identity formation. We cannot fully exclude its effects, however, but insist that the sociological theory has more of an influence than the gender schema. The gender schema can only account for some of the mental processes that occur as reflected in the poetry. It is, however, weaker to the sociological argument.

References: Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns and other Poems by Andrea Gibson Begging for it and other poems by Alex Dimitrov Crush by Richard Siken The sociology of Deviant behavior 14th Edition by Meier and Clinard
Bem, S. L. (1981). Gender schema theory: A cognitive account of sex typing. Psychological Review, 88, 354364