Compulsory Heterosexuality at work...

Let me just start by saying that this is not a humorous blog post (so it's not for class). After this class, I intend to change this blog into a blog that focuses more and more on my area of studies and one that I can look back to for inspiration/advice for others.

Having said that:

So I attended the Diversity and Leadership Conference at UW Oshkosh today. I have always been one to admit that I know we all (but even I) have a long way to go when it comes to diversity and understanding.

So the keynote speaker, Brian Johnson (amazing speaker, really) also presented one of the small educational sessions. In this session he told a story. (I don't know all the details, but I'll repeat the story best that I can)

A long time ago, there lived a king and queen in a kingdom by the sea. They lived in their castle with their servants. The only way into the castle was to cross a moat built around it. In the moat, there were man-eating fish. So the only way across it was a boat or the draw bridge.

Guarding the draw bridge was a strong guard. One day, the king told his wife not to leave the castle, and that he would be going on an overnight hunting trip. As he left, he told the guard not to let anyone into the castle, and if he did, there would be extreme consequences to pay.

So the king heads out into the country. That night, the queen leaves the castle covered in a shawl to meet her lover. Upon returning, the guard would not let the queen in. The queen demanded to be let in, for she's the queen of the castle. The guard stood strong.

Frustrated, the queen found a local fisherman who owned a boat. The captain of the boat said that he would ferry the queen over for 1000 gold pieces. The queen did not have that on her, and said to the captain that she could pay him when they arrived on the island. The captain of the boat denied that option.

The queen then went to her lover and begged for the money. The lover refused as well.

Still frustrated, and now angry, the queen went back to the drawbridge and tried to force her way past the guard. The guard after trying to stop her, took out his sword and killed her.


After that story was told. We were divided into groups and told to rank, in order from 1-5 (1 being most responsible, and 5 being least responsible) who is responsible for the queen's death.

(The 5 characters are the king, the queen, the guard, the captain of the boat, and the lover)

While discussing, Brian Johnson was listening to all of our conversations.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, I felt that I was so good and not assuming...and yet...in none of the groups did the possibility come up of the queen's lover being a female. Everyone referred to the lover as "he" or "him". This, along with other sessions, really made me realize that as "advanced" as I thought I was, I still have a LONG way to go.