"I'M GAY" and "I AM FAT": The Boundary Politics of Everyday Life

The physical bodies of people that traverse borders (cultural, legal, territorial, moral, etc) are subject to the forces of power and domination in a way that someone that safely sits at the 'center' of their community cannot fathom. Those forces that sustain 'commonsense' boundaries inscribe the bodies and mark the flesh of those that dare to trespass them. At one time in the history of America, those that tread on sexual mores were compelled to wear the scarlet letter on their body and clothes. They and their deviance were marked for all to see and all to shun.

Today, the bodies of those that trespass highly politicized boundaries are still targeted by normalizing forces. If he could speak, Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath would attest to that fact.

The body of an 18-year-old fraternity pledge who died of alcohol poisoning was defaced with numerous anti-gay epithets and obscene drawings, according to a medical examiner's report.

Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, died after ingesting large amounts of alcohol at a pledge party at Lambda Phi Epsilon house in December 2005, authorities said. Phoumarrath's body was found the day after....

The Travis County medical examiner's office reported that partygoers used green and black markers to write "FAG," "I'm gay" and "I AM FAT" on Phoummarath's head, face, torso, legs and feet. Someone also added drawings depicting naked men and women and blackened his toenails.