Question

What are the ways in which the documentary Out in the Night grapples with (1) gender expression, (2) sexual orientation, (3) social class, and (4) race. (Make sure to address all parts of this question.) Answer in two paragraphs.

Answer 1

OUT IN THE NIGHT:

Description of the story:

This documentary covers a real life incident of 4 African American lesbian friends, who were been sentenced in jail in 2006, for committing gang assault. These women attacked a man by stabbing him with a knife for defending themselves, as this man attacked them and threatened to rape one of them. But at the end, the man was projected to be the victim, and these women were put in prison for several years for attacking him.

Gender Expression:

It includes a person's behaviors, manners, interest and appearance that are associated with a particular gender, i.e to identify and express oneself as Masculine or Feminine. In this documentary, the man wanted to show off his masculinity by calling the woman to satisfy his sexual desires, and when the woman resisted, he attacked and threatened to kill them.

Sexual Orientation:

It is the person's sexual or romantic attraction to others, usually to the person of opposite sex or the same sex (gay or lesbian). People still have some undesirale attitude towards LGBT community and act indifferently towards them. Since these 4 women were lesbians, this might have been one of the reasons that made them deprived from getting justice.

Social Class:

These women might have belonged to a middle socio economic status, due to which they were unable to take any further actions or appeal further in the court to review the judgement against them.

Race:

These women were Afrian-Americans and belonged to the Blacks, this could have been the most important reason for such injustice to happen against them. Since these women were non-Americans and that man was a American, the judgement was given in favor to the man inspite of him committing the crime of attacking and threatening them.