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Scientific Racism - Coggle Diagram

- - - - At relatively the same point of contention amongst blacks and whites, the definition of Homosexuality was created. This was the first point in time in which sexuality was scene as a marker of identity.
        
        There is no doubt that the date of conception of Homosexuality plays a role in the associated science. The repressive norms translated into this new category of identity
    - - The late 19th Century was a relative highpoint of racial tension in America. "This was the moment, for instance, of Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that insisted that black and white races were separate but equal. Both a product of and a stimulus to a nationwide and brutal era of racial segregation, this ruling had profound and lasting effects in legitimating an apartheid structure that remained legally sanctioned for more than half of the 20th century" (Somerville 242).
        
        This was a point in time in which racism was inherently prevalent. The white community of America had no issues subverting those of color and this certainly played a role in the widespread treatment of homosexuals at the time.
  - - - Purpose
        
        The purpose of these stereotypes was to subvert minority groups. Not only meant to be hurtful and incite pain these stereotypes had the purpose of denying or restricting access to career, services and goods.
      - Effect
        
        Racial and Homosexual stereotypes had a profound impact on targeted communities. Members of these communities found themselves the victims of bias which severely inhibited economic opportunities as well as emotional wellbeing
        
        This effect had a more profound effect on people of color as skin color is passed on to offspring while sexuality is not. This made it extremely difficult for people of color to advance economically generationally.
- - - - Homosexuality - It was only until the late nineteenth century that individuals were defined as Homosexual (Somerville 241)
        
        Homosexual Acts - It was originally thought that homosexual acts did not define someone individually. It was thought that sexual acts amongst the same sex was a crime and not demonstrate a deeper insight into ones character.
      - Heterosexuality - Even though the modern world prioritizes heterosexuals, heterosexuality was not a relevant concept before the nineteenth century. There was no concept of sexuality, it was perceived that all humans wanted to engage in sexual activity was the natural way of things and homosexual acts were a crime like all others.
  - - - The punishments associated with committing homosexual acts were extremely severe; this laid the groundwork for the negative connotation and oppressive stereotypes surrounding homosexuals in the current world.
      - Religion had also contributed to a relative lack of research on sexuality. Due to religious teaching many scientists believed homosexuals as inferior so it was unnecessary to find real evidence to support this. This is obviously not true of all scientists but it is definite that religion inhibited the exploration of sexuality.
- - - - At this point in time there was also a theory concerning purity in race. This was a point in time in which the idea of eugenics was popular. There was a negative connotation concerning those of a mixed race, known as mulattoes and an emphasis on purity of ones race (primarily for whites).
        
        This directly translated to sexuality. Scientists used this similar concept to explain sexuality. They suggested that those who were heterosexual were pure while those who were homosexual were impure. This is another example of how scientific racism perpetuated injustice towards those who were not heterosexual.
    - - Miscegenation - Interbreeding of different races
        
        As the scientific basis behind physical characteristics becoming determinants of inferiority scientists explored other routes to further their agenda. One of these claims was that miscegenation was associated with higher rates of homosexuality.
        
        It had come to the attention of a select group of scientists that in "all-girl institutions, including reform schools, and boarding schools, Otis had observed widespread love-making between the white and colored girls" (Somerville 251). This led to the conclusion that there was a connection between miscegenation and homosexuality.
        
        This finding resulted in a predominant stereotype, that black women are more masculine than white women. This was another method of downplaying women of color while also giving "evidence" that black women were genetically inferior.
        
        This also served as a way of subverting homosexuals. There was already a widespread negative connotation to interracial relationships so this pushed this same negative connotation to same sex relations.
    - - Comparative Anatomy was used as a basis of science to explain inferiority. The major issue with many findings is scientists assumed people of color and homosexuals were inferior and sought data to support this foregone conclusion. This led to heavily biased results which lacked significant scientific support.
        
        Women - In the comparative anatomy of both heterosexuals/homosexuals and Whites/Blacks women were predominantly used to demonstrate differences. This was because there was little difference in men and this would counter the views of scientists.
        
        Sexuality
        
        Similar to the findings which supposedly differentiated black and white women these findings were supposedly found in homosexual women. Scientists claimed that lesbians had this same feature giving evidence to the claim that homosexual women were inferior.
        
        Effect - This "scientific" result had a similar effect on homosexual women. This scientific racism laid the foundations for the claim that homosexual women were genetically inferior.
        
        Race
        
        The predominant findings of comparative anatomy between white women and black women was concerned with the female genitalia and buttocks. It was stated that women of color had more "excess". They defined this as the protrusion of the buttocks and the development of the labia minora.
        
        Many scientists at the time focused on the protruding labia as scientific evidence of inferiority. These scientists often referred to the labia as an appendage, similarly to how male genitalia was discussed.
        
        Effect - The reference to male genitalia was not an accident. This was the foundation of which the argument of inferiority was discussed. At this point in time evolutionary biologists thought hermaphroditism was a sign of further evolution. Hermaphroditism is when the sexes of male and female are distinct. The distinction of the protruded labia as an appendage served as evidence that women of color were more similar to men and thus genetically inferior (Somerville, 248).
    - - Scientific Racism perpetuated many of the stereotypes and opinions surrounding people of color. Scientists sought to find empirical proof of inferiority and their bias nullified much of their findings. Even so, this had a profound impact on the view of African Americans and these effects can still be felt today.
      - Scientific Racism also had a profound effect on the public view of sexuality. Scientific Racism was used to explain sexuality resulting in a culture which oppresses those who do not coincide with heterosexuality.