Heteronormativity and Intersex

So this week we as a class have been discussing and examining issues of gender identity, sexual orientation, heterosexism, homophobia and heteronormativity in society and how they are projected through media. "But I'm A Cheerleader", the film we screened in class this week, really delved deep into these issues, especially heteronormativity in that the film revolved around a camp called "True Directions", implying that heterosexuality is the only "true" and therefore righteously and naturally acceptable sexuality to practice as a human being. As well this film is a prime example of camp in that through it, the form and content of Hollywood film are both zealously adopted and concurrently satirized for suggestive effect. This film exaggerates and blows out of proportion the idea of heteronormativity in an attempt to deconstruct and discredit its institutionalization in our society. A definitive quality of camp is it's overly emphasized, analytical references to ideas of sexuality and gender, which in my mind exhibits camp's political nature. Relating to the latter topics, we have as well this week briefly touched on the issue of intersex. Intersex is a broad definition for inborn conditions, usually apparent at birth, involving sexual anatomy that is conflicting with typical gender specific anatomy. Before this discussion I had no idea that intersex existed, much less the prevalence of the issue in a social context. Though the term "intersex" is used to designate a biological condition, it is by all means a socially fabricated classification of "Otherness" in that it opposes the dominant norm in a variety of ways. In our society sexual classifications are reduced typically to male and female to alleviate the tension and discomfort of social convergence, "intersex" as a classification playing the same role.