In the first point, he introduces is why people want to be normal. I can’t think of a time when things like statistics weren’t shoved in my face that outlined who the majority is, in turn telling me who I should strive to be. I was not previously aware of Quetelet’s statistical methods creating the medicinal norm and sparking desires to meet that standard. I agree with Warner that this thinking is flawed, but I think it does outline they patterns of thinking people have in terms of wanting to fit in and be “normal.” As Warner says, “to be fully normal is, strictly speaking, impossible” (54). The statistics give us the proper ranges, but they don’t outline desirability of those normalcies. I definitely need to reflect on my own desires and ignore society’s ideals. To think of myself as normal in some way would be to think of others as pathological, a powerful insight Warner gives on page 60. This is something I want to shy away from because as we’ve been discussing in class we are all queer.

The second point I was drawn to was his summarization of how the gay movement has been afraid to be queer – that “instead of taking part in a queer movement, we become part of a gay trend” (70). I think that people should be able to marry whomever they want; I don’t think that anyone has the right to dictate how people live their lives. However, I think Warner makes an interesting point in questioning the norm. Warner bluntly states, “To the national audience of the United States, it may seem that the gay movement is more visible and powerful than ever. To queers on the ground, this monumental appearance feels as fake as the marbleized facades of 1990s corporate architecture” (79). The movement, from what I have seen, only has desire for gays and lesbians to be seen as normal. But not everyone who identifies that way wants to be included in these normalized standards. As I previously mentioned, we are all queer in some way. We all have a lot to learn from each other.