Demolay-Freemasons Centenary Lecture: Challenges Beyond: Biology, Culture & Sexualities

By Amy Sim

This book is based on a lecture presented at the Public Installation of Officers and Ceremonies of Filipino DeMolay Singapore Alumni Chapter no. 46, in conjunction with the Demolay-Freemasons' 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization.Demolay was set up with the mission of guiding the process of 'boys to men' going by its code of '1221' which indicates the age range it serves. It focuses on creating a collective social maleness for social good based on an understanding of embodied maleness. This provides the entry point for this lecture's themes of biology, culture and sexualities wherein the following questions are discussed.What is natural versus 'naturalized' in terms of human behavior? How were 'naturalized' codes for knowing and action created? What is the difference between nature and culture, biology as a given and biology as a field of knowledge? This short lecture briefly explores the frontiers of knowledge in tandem with developments in technology for understanding human genetic codes, their implications and the distinction between what is science and what is pseudo-science. What is maleness? What is masculinity? What are the connections between biology and gender? Why is heterosexuality socially and morally normative? What does the church have to do with biology, gender and sexuality? What is patriarchy and what are the myths that sustain patriarchy? Male domination is sustained by myths of inborn/innate male superiority. What are some of these myths and why are they considered myths? What is the role of the church as a bearer of morality and legitimacy? By tracing the emergence of the church after the death of Jesus Christ, we locate its position in competition with the state led by Kings and Emperors, for legitimacy and the moral right to rule. We examine an example, one of the discourses that emerged between the Church and the State, over definitions of virginity over the centuries from the 4th A.D., that arose out of this historic contest for ultimate authority and leadershipWhat impacts do the emergence of settled human communities, the discovery of agriculture, the rise of chiefs, kings, states, religion and the modern nation state have on how male and female bodies, how their identities are constituted and their sexuality disciplined? What is the role of everyday language in sustaining male dominance and what are the differences between the ways in which women and men speak, use language and how do these both reflect and perpetuate gender stereotypes? Why are females and males named differently and what does this say about the expectations for and the gendering of human beings that these names label?Why are there social struggles and moral panics over sexualities other than heterosexuality? Why is heterosexuality an indicator of masculine sexual identity? Is it true that only heterosexual intimacies exist in nature? Is there only one goal in all human sexualities, that of procreation? Are alternative sexualities immoral, genetically determined or lifestyle choices? Is it a 'sin'? Bringing together the roles of biology, culture, the Church and the formation of the state, and examining the impact of human interventions in the construction and interpretation on sexed and gendered bodies, this lecture challenges Demolay to extend its work and focus in the 21st century to beyond the limits of a biological maleness, to bring its assistance to all youth, and to promote a more inclusive view of humanity than one constructed on the 'impenetrable' division of female and male bodies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 109318714X
• ISBN13: 9781093187144
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"