Queered Standards: Living and Working for Peace and Justice

When contemplating proposing a sexuality justice curriculum that is applicable in all locales globally, the authors of this chapter become nearly paralyzed. There is no standard understanding of sexuality worldwide, and many Western beliefs about sexuality in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East persist from the era of Western imperialism. An imposed Western standard of sexuality that was disseminated during the era of expansion and Christian proselytizing denies the variety of sexualities and sexual practices that colonists encountered in their travels (Murray & Roscoe, 1998). Similar miscategorization, oversimplification, and moralizing still occurs in 21st century dissemination of economic and social aid by international humanitarian groups (Vasagar & Borger, 2005). Western aid organizations and journalists sometimes bring unwanted attention and confl ict to local groups working for sexuality justice in countries outside of the United States and Western Europe, and frequently “get it wrong” when they advocate for outcomes that would isolate those not in traditionally heterosexual relations from their families, religions, and cultures (Roshan & Shemirani, 2006; Ahmed, Shafqat, Shemirani, & Toor, 2006). Various scholars have documented cultures where same-sex sexual practices have existed concurrently with heterosexuality and received acceptance and ritualized, codified significance in the cultures (Murray & Roscoe, 1998; Peplau, 2001). Because so many beliefs and understandings about sexuality exist, it is challenging to think or teach about sexuality in schools.