Uranus And Neptune Gender Roles
The two sailor scouts Uranus and Neptune have an undoubtedly amorous relationship and its importance as a piece of LGBT representation in children’s media is still evident today. Uranus and Neptune live in the world where their power comes from within and both in their social and magical lives they are not constrained by men. In fact, men hardly appear in the Sailor Moon series as a whole outside of villains and sailor moons love interest. These women transcend the bounds normally set for them in society and bypass the violence of compulsory heterosexuality through their unique place in the world as magical women. In addition, they have a very traditional butch/femme style, which effects at several points the way they are viewed in the series
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It is monumentally important for children, especially young girls, to see women unconstrained by patriarchy and gender violence. Allowing young women access to diverse narratives gives them a chance to overcome the damage and self-hatred inflicted by compulsory heterosexuality. In Adrienne Rich's Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence, she highlights men’s control over women’s bodies and what women must do in order to exist in a patriarchal world, especially as lesbians. Men control women in eight ways according to Rich, including denying women their own sexuality and forcing male sexuality upon them (Rich …show more content…
The lesbian existence is even more stifled than for gay women because of the lack of attachment to those male figureheads whose relationships are supposed to be more important to women than their relationships with other women (Rich 140). In this context, Sailor Uranus and Neptune are free to love and be role models to young women because this media is not for male consumption, they and their relationship are not for male consumption. Even so, the censorship of the 90’s television companies that aired the show in the US challenged their existence. Historically the stories of gay women have been silenced and are still being silenced and challenged today. It is perceived as an attack on men when women refuse to be available to them emotionally and sexually. In order to maintain this system media demonizes lesbians and depicts a false predatory nature that contributes to young women’s
It is monumentally important for children, especially young girls, to see women unconstrained by patriarchy and gender violence. Allowing young women access to diverse narratives gives them a chance to overcome the damage and self-hatred inflicted by compulsory heterosexuality. In Adrienne Rich's Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence, she highlights men’s control over women’s bodies and what women must do in order to exist in a patriarchal world, especially as lesbians. Men control women in eight ways according to Rich, including denying women their own sexuality and forcing male sexuality upon them (Rich …show more content…
The lesbian existence is even more stifled than for gay women because of the lack of attachment to those male figureheads whose relationships are supposed to be more important to women than their relationships with other women (Rich 140). In this context, Sailor Uranus and Neptune are free to love and be role models to young women because this media is not for male consumption, they and their relationship are not for male consumption. Even so, the censorship of the 90’s television companies that aired the show in the US challenged their existence. Historically the stories of gay women have been silenced and are still being silenced and challenged today. It is perceived as an attack on men when women refuse to be available to them emotionally and sexually. In order to maintain this system media demonizes lesbians and depicts a false predatory nature that contributes to young women’s