Cultural patriarchy and heteronormativity often negatively impact sexual and relational development — but they can be difficult to recognize and challenge.

On this episode of the Empowered Relationship podcast, we're talking about gender and its construction as we examine our society’s cultural backdrop of hetero-normativity. Joe Winn joins me today to explore the principles to consider as we question ideas, notions, and messages that we receive around gender.

Joe Winn is a licensed clinical social worker, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, and supervisor of Sex Therapy whose practice is outside of the Boston and Cambridge area. Joe has also lectured nationally and internationally on consensual non-monogamy, BDSM & kink, gender, and relationships. Joe is also a faculty member of The South Shore Sexual Health Center, an AASECT-approved training program for clinicians working towards certification in sex therapy.

Check out the transcript to this episode in Dr. Jessica Higgin's website.

In this episode:

05:01 Why gender is such a problematic construct in our culture

07:45 Gender as viewed from a heteronormative perspective, and why people often perceive an LGBTQ+ alternative as an attack on their beliefs.

11:43 Joe’s thoughts on whether patriarchy is at the foundation of the gender construct and the ways the discomfort and fear feed into homophobia

19:55 Why we need to allow ourselves to step into the transformative process of understanding our needs to better develop authentic relationships

23:50 How to start engaging with people interested in alternative concepts of sex and gender and seek out meaningful dialogue.

31:05 The importance of self-care, tuning into ourselves and putting ourselves at the center of our experience so that we can also support our partner

35:26 How to recognize moments of discomfort around gender and why we should turn towards them

40:00 Strategies we can use to learn and reset if we have been indoctrinated by society with rigid beliefs

Mentioned

• South Shore Sexual Health Center website

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Website: josephwinnlicsw.net

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joewinnlicsw

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