What this is basically saying is that both God or spirits and scientific facts, like quarks and embryos—are made real through how people engage with them. It’s not that one is “real” and the other is just “belief.” Postcolonial theorists like Chakrabarty argue that being human means we can call on God without needing to prove He exists first—God is real because people live with that reality. Latour, makes a similar point about science: quarks aren’t just discovered out of nowhere, they’re fabricated through experiments, instruments, and institutions. What ties these together is the idea that reality doesn’t just exist on its own—it’s always mediated through human practices. The key issue is that Enlightenment thinking made us separate “fact” from “belief,” when actually both are different ways of making things real.

This passage is powerful because it flips the script on what we usually assume about LGBTQ+ advocacy. Massad is suggesting that the Gay International doesn't just "liberate" pre-existing identities, it actually creates them through a specific Western framework. In doing so, it may erase or suppress other ways of expressing same-sex desire that don’t fit neatly into the labels “gay” or “lesbian.” What’s really compelling here is how he draws attention to the idea of sexual epistemology, the ways in which knowledge about sexuality is formed and structured. He challenges the idea that Western LGBTQ+ identities are natural or universal, and shows how these identities are tied to particular historical and cultural developments.

This passage clearly examines how radicalized ideas like "civilization" and "primitiveness" were used to justify medical racism and social hierarchies. This describes both degrading and idealizing "primitive" peoples was a common factor of colonial and racist ideologies. These caused real-world consequences and still do today. This influenced medical practices and polices that contributed to racial disparities in healthcare.

I have seen a lot of changes through acupuncture by going for myself. I have acute pain in my back most days and getting acupuncture was one of the best things I have done for it. Also I have witnessed this helping my dad after he had gotten rear ended by a delivery truck. He suffered nerve damage through his left arm and down his hands. He went for about 10 sessions, and started to feel a difference. Unfortunately during that time he had alopecia, which he also treated with acupuncture.

Surplus health research—which aims to expand medication consumption—rarely prioritizes reducing medication use, even when it could be beneficial. Instead of conducting trials to deprescribe or reassess risk categories, the pharmaceutical industry often reinforces the need for more medication. This made me think back to Purdue Pharmas case in the early 2000’s regarding OxyContin and the opioid crisis. Purdue aggressively marketed OxyContin by reframing chronic pain as an underrated medical condition. Doctors, influenced by misleading research, aggressive marketing, and patient expectations, were pressured into prescribing more opioids. This critiques the way pharmaceutical companies shape medical guidelines and research to sustain medication dependence rather than reducing drug consumption when possible.

This analogy presents the pharmaceutical industry as a powerful but multifaceted entity that different stakeholders perceive differently. The industry's financial growth suggests continued expansion, but the metaphor subtly implies the challenges of incomplete understanding and differing priorities among those interacting with it. Scientists may focus on research and innovation, while policymakers see regulation, and patients experience cost and accessibility concerns.

The Abertura refers to a period of political transition in Brazil during the early 1980s when the military dictatorship had ruled the country. During the earlier years of the military dictatorship, Brazil experienced widespread repression. Abertura coincided with severe economic difficulties in Brazil where they faced high inflation, unemployment, and growing social unrest. This was a pivotal moment in Brazil’s history because it represented the military regime’s decision to begin transitioning away from authoritarian rule.