The Falsity of the Notion of the Sex Binary

The concept of a gender binary, the notion that you are either man or woman, has been thrown into public discourse enough times that it is now considered to be debunked in many respected academic circles. Many parts of society have already started moving past the notion of fixed roles and expectations based on your sex at birth, which is supposedly determined by your chromosome combination. This is seen in the slow acceptance of the existence of transgender people, with life and identity-affirming accommodations becoming more commonplace. These include the gradual embracement of concepts such as someone choosing to undergo hormone replacement therapy, bottom and top surgeries, and asking for preferred name and pronouns, regardless of how it may appear in identification documents. However, what is far less discussed is the falsity of the sex binary, the idea that you are either a biological male or female. Even within trans circles, there exists the misconception that your biological sex not only exists, but it cannot be changed. It is said that XX chromosomes mean you are female, and XY mean you are male. This concept is not as rooted in biology as some people may think it is. The very existence of intersex people debunk this construct; their very existence showing how sex is far too nuanced to be arbitrarily grouped into just two categories.

Intersexuality, as defined by the Intersex Society of North America, “is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male” (https://isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex/ CITATION NEEDED). It is estimated that “approximately 1 or 2 percent of children are born with mixed or ambiguous sex characteristics” (GENDER AND GENITALS CITATION NEEDED). This means that anywhere between 79 to 158 million people on this planet do not squeeze into this archaic binary that we know as sex. The notion of the sex binary implies that you are either biologically male or female. If you are male, you must have XY chromosomes, a penis, testicles, and an Adam’s apple. If female, you must have XX chromosomes, a vagina, a set of breasts, and ovaries. Intersex people may have some combination of the above-mentioned traits, or just entirely different traits altogether. One such example of this is the existence of people with XXY chromosomes, known as Klinefelter Syndrome (CITATION NEEDED https://isna.org/faq/conditions/klinefelter/). The fact that people can have a different combination of chromosomes than that which the gender binary mandates the arbitrary grouping of is enough in of itself to debunk this myth altogether. Additionally, it is important to note that referring to people with XXY chromosomes as a syndrome is stigmatizing and it is only seen as such in the context of a gender binary, being perceived as a sort of sickness, rather than a valid form of identity.

People whose biological makeup does not conform to the sex binary continue to be mutilated as newborns without the ability to consent. Hubbard writes, “In the last few decades, in conformity with the binary paradigm, medical interventions have been developed to try to
‘correct’ the genitals of infants who manifest any form of sex ambiguity” (GENDER AND GENITALS CITATION NEEDED). These operations are, admittedly, sometimes necessary for health reasons, such as to surgically create a urethral opening, as some intersex newborns are not capable of passing waste on their own. Despite often having a physical makeup that poses no immediate risk to the infant in question, their genitals are operated on in order to conform to the sex binary, meaning that they will be shaped into either a penis or vagina. Such operations are done without the consent of the patient, as newborns cannot consent. These procedures are more for the sake of appeasing the society around the patient than it is for the patient’s own wellbeing. The notion of a sex binary justifies the mutilation of vulnerable people, leaving them with more questions than answers as they grow up.

Society needs to undergo massive changes so that this notion of a harmful sex binary is abolished. It is not rooted in biology, as the very existence of intersex people disproves that. It is used as justification in order to violate the bodies of newborns. Schools should teach about sex as a spectrum rather than the black-and-white dichotomy of male and female. On the medical level, an intersex newborn should be operated on as minimally as possible, with procedures being decided upon as medically necessary.

The Manifestation of Injustice

What is a housewife? By definition, a housewife is a woman whose main job is caring for her family and managing household affairs while her partner goes out to work. This modern occupation is a modified version of the “traditional” responsibilities of women that have persevered throughout history, though the duties involved have changed little. If anything, women are now expected to not only take on the role of a housewife but to also work to earn their keep. This diverges from the traditional belief that women ought to stay at home, thus many have proposed a modern solution for this modern problem. They affirmed that since women are increasingly becoming active members of the economic class, they should perform both duties expected of them — responsibilities pertaining to the family and economy. Such propositions generate unfair treatment of working women and give rise to a phenomenon called the “third shift”. Ultimately, in present-day society, women are subjected to the roles of being both their family’s primary care provider and active breadwinner. 

According to “The Feminine Mystique” written by Betty Friedan, in the past, a woman’s biggest ambition in life was to be the perfect wife to their husbands and mothers to their children. They gloried in their role as a housewife and longed to live life like the American suburban housewives depicted in pretty pictures. However, the feminine perspective has changed with time and fighting for their husbands was no longer a top priority. In stark comparison with the past, women now desire independence, and they have the means to do so. Throughout history, women have been shunned from the streets, and a working woman meant her husband was incapable, hence bringing shame to the family. Now, things are different. Unfortunately, despite the advancements made in women’s rights, society doesn’t view things quite the same way. Someone has to cook the food, clean the house, and take care of the baby. They ponder, why should it be the men who have always worked when we have women whose original jobs were to do these things anyway. If they want to work so badly, then they can just enact their “roles as women” and do work on the side if they must. This dangerous chain of thoughts works to exploit women; society would have the means to gain free housemakers while simultaneously increasing the working population. Women are on the losing side no matter how you look at it. 

The term “third shift” refers to the domestic chores women are held accountable for in addition to their daily work shift(s). They work during the day just like their male counterpart, but once home, women have to manage domestic affairs while men get to relax. Sadly, this vicious cycle of unfair treatment is not only reinforced by male members of society but also by fellow females, in the form of internalized misogyny. Through years of oppression, they have come to accept the sexist stereotypes and are in turn demeaning other women as a result. Distorted thinking is a tell-tale sign of this where they may think — “I’ve been through this too. If I can make it through then so can you”. Oftentimes, this sort of behavior is demonstrated by older members of society, by mothers or grandmothers, who are usually guiding figures in the eyes of children. This, inevitably, leads to a deformed self-image and sense of self at a young age for girls and faulty thinking in boys. 

To stop this trend of unjust, some have suggested shifting the gender role so that men can become househusbands. At first glance, this may seem like a plausible solution, however, it has little effect on the issue in the long run. Having men become househusbands only changes the victim of the “domestic burden”. With the men in charge of the chores and childcare, and the women earning the wages, one might be dissatisfied with the number of responsibilities the other has. There’s no way to compare the work of cleaning the house and the work of filing papers, and this can lead to bickerings over who did more work.   

More feasible solutions in combatting the issue at hand would be to compromise the workload between both parties and to eliminate internalized misogyny overall. First, labeling chores as a responsibility of both parties will significantly reduce thoughts regarding gender roles. Then, the work should be split to accommodate individual schedules and become a shared duty. This method involves a lot of compromises and acceptances since it won’t work if one side starts arguing over the amount of work done. Secondly, sexist stereotypes should not be reinforced by individuals deemed as model figures by children, such as parents and teachers. Just because you have been through the hardship brought about by male dominance and female misogyny does not mean you can assert dominance over another to ensure they suffer just as much as you did.

References:

Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. 2006

the perpetual war of being a woman. -blog post 3

The perpetual war of being a woman.

            Man, vs woman, white woman vs black woman, rich vs poor, fat vs skinny, modest vs revealing.

All these words highlight the internal battle on what it means to be a woman. More importantly, they emphasize the idea of intersectionality and double standards within femininity.

The fight for equality for women is no longer a sole battle of simply being a woman. Society has constructed an internal war within womanhood on what it means to be equal. Women are no longer simultaneously fighting for equality with men but now against each other. The two-course readings “Excerpt from Feminine Mystique” and “Black Feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domination,” shed light on the inconsistency within femininity and what it means be both powerful and powerless at the same time as a woman. Understanding the effects of intersectionality in feminism is imperative to recognize the overlapping discrimination and oppression that occurs with being a woman of color, which Patricia Collins reveals in her article. She focuses on the notion of knowledge and the connection to power by emphasizing that race, class, and gender are interlocking systems of oppression. Society continues to construct this idea of equality by creating a new level of inequality, which is amplified in analyzing intersectionality and double standards within feminism. The fight for equality is not limited to just man vs woman, it is also woman vs woman. We turn women against each other through the ideas that are upheld from double standards and forget about those that face overlapping oppression from not only existing as a woman but also for their race. My goal is to show that women continuously live in a spiral of oppression through a closed funnel of inequality. In comparing the “Excerpt from Feminine Mystique” which was written 15 years ago to our society today, the similarity is that no matter what a woman chooses to do they will face oppression. Understanding intersectionality and double standards exist for women emphasize the idea that the fight for equality for women can be compared to trying to get through a door that will never open.

The “Excerpt from Feminine Mystique,” shows how women during the time after WWII were nothing but a cherished housewife. It highlights that their sole purpose was to be “perfect wives and mothers,” whose dreams were left to question “Is this all?” This glorified occupation of being a housewife and a stay-at-home mom is now a prime example of the internal battle women face from double standards. The book “Mommy Wars: Stay at Home and Career Moms face on their choices, their lives, their families,” shows the effects of double standards on women. The continued shame now raises the question of women’s choices: to work or be a stay-at-home mom. The novel presents the two sides of the endless war for women. The internal battle of women against women is shown through the shaming of one another. However, Leslie Steiner explains that “There is no good reason for working moms to treat stay-at-home moms like dirt” (Steiner). The oppression of women prevails through the control of individuals who are not women, which is exemplified in the “ongoing debate in the U.S about the benefits of working versus stay-at-home motherhood by experts, that are not women and aren’t even parents”(Steiner). The once glorified occupation of a housewife is now being shamed, yet working mothers are also being questioned. The fight for equality for women can be compared to trying to get through a door that will never open.

The two pieces of literature reveal that no matter what a woman chooses to do she will be shamed yet glorified, questioned but supported, and ultimately powerful and powerless at the same time. However, this is when an intersectional framework is needed to point out the effects of not only being a woman but a woman of color, who will end up facing double oppression. As Kimberly Crenshaw states “We’ve got to be open to looking at all of the ways our systems reproduce these inequalities, and that includes the privileges as well as the harms” (Crenshaw).

Intersectionality in feminism is understanding that a woman of color is experiencing overlapping oppression, which Patricia Collins shows in her article “Black feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domination.” Her focus on the knowledge being a vital factor for social change underscores my argument of the importance of intersectionality. Intersectionality within feminism is best explained as “Viewing the world through a both/and conceptual lens of the simultaneity of race, class, and gender oppression and of the need for a humanist vision of community creates new possibilities for an empowering Afrocentric feminist knowledge” (Collins). Understanding the interlocking systems of oppression proves once again the fight for equality for women can be compared to trying to get through a door that will never open. 

Man, vs Man/ Woman vs Woman 

 Women vs Society

Be a lady they said.

 

Works Cited

Be a Lady They Said – Girls. Girls. Girls. Magazine – Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ZSDS7zVdU.

“Excerpt from ‘The Feminine Mystique’.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2006, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/us/excerpt-from-the-feminine-mystique.html.

“Intersectional Feminism: What It Means and Why It Matters Right Now.” UN Women, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters.

Steiner, Leslie Morgan. Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007.

 

Gender stereotypes and influence

 Linxin Jiang

Even in this so people called modern society, 2021. There are many hidden and visible gender stereotypes that happen every time, every day. No matter what gender or sexual orientation you are. You are being hurt by gender stereotypes. For a long time, people have had a gender model in their minds. It means men should be powerful, rational, hard working, and good at repairing things. Women are emotional,  good at housework, they can be less educated as long as they are getting married. In our society, everyone should follow this model, whoever didn’t follow this rule can be the target.

For women, gender stereotypes are very harmful. Women can be ignored in the work environment because they used to be labeled as emotional, unprofessional but good at raising children. Gender stereotypes hurt women so bad. Some women don’t even have the right to decide if they want to have a child or not. When a female decides not to have a child. Her family can give them enough pressure to make them give up what they really want. The reasons can be ‘every woman goes through it’, ‘you are so selfish if you don’t have at least one child’，‘when you are getting older, you will regret it’. However, marriage is not as simple as a fairy tale. As a woman who is breath enough to get married and have a child. If she goes to work just like her husband. There is a very big chance that she still needs to do all the housework and cook for everyone in the family.

As a female who majors in Computer Science. I have been questioning since the first day when I picked this major. No one believes that I picked this major because I love coding, they question me if I have good logic to write code. When they finally accept that I want to become a programmer. They suggested to me that I can be a front-end developer because it required less logic. When I answered by saying I hope I can be a front-end developer, it is only because I love building user interfaces. They always have an ‘I told you’ expression on their face, they want to tell me how ‘smart’ they are for giving such useful suggestions.

Most men, a lot of them believe that they don’t need to fight for anything. But the reality is that many of their rights are gone without notice. According to this quote from my People and Language class. One of the articles points out, “Many researchers have reported that both sexes engage in gossip… but its cultural meaning (for us) is undeniably ‘feninine’. Therefore we might expect to find most men avoiding it, or disguising it as something else, especially in mixed settings where they are concerned to mark their difference from women.”(Cameron)

Men get upset when women try to fight for getting their power back. Some men claim that women got a lot of power if we compare nowadays with history. They are stigmatizing feminism by saying women who support feminism means women are asking more than they deserve. Women are taking men’s rights and power. Women want money and take less responsibility when women are talking about feminism. They don’t feel that women have been treated prejudiced. Something they claim women even have more rights or power than men. However, they can’t be denied that our society is a patriarchal society. 

Does it mean men don’t need to fight for anything?

The answer is surprisingly yes, everyone in this society needs to fight for themselves. 

It is because men ask women to follow the gender model. That means they should be powerful, rational, work hard, and good at repairing things. When men ask women to stay at home to take care of children and do housework. They are asking themself to work harder to feed everyone in the house. When they ask their wife for anything. Their daughters may be in the same position when they grow up and get married.

If there are no gender stereotypes. LGBTQ community doesn’t need to go through what they have been through.

At first, the church was against homosexuality. Although we can no longer know the real reason. But the following are some popular conjectures. For example: ‘church wants to have better control’, ‘stable population’, ‘against the Bible story’. When something becomes common sense, it is very difficult for us to break it down. 

Michael Lynch said when she thinks about Marsha P. Johnson. She thinks Marsha is someone who kids today who are gay know nothing about which is a shame. Because she‘s one of the reasons they are sitting in all their liberty glory. Marsha paid the price for who she was.

Marsha P. Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights. She was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

One big thing in Marsha and Sylvia’s life as they had formed a group called STAR (Street transvestite action revolutionaries). They were able to operate an apartment as a shelter for homeless transgender youth. The youth were kicked out of their home for being transgender.

During the interview, Michael said: “I’m not intending to live 20 more years. I don’t want 20 more years of this wonderful life of disco romance. They call me a legend in my own time because there are so many queens gone that I’m one of the few queens still left from the 70s.”

Feminism is never just for women. People who are controlling this game want us, people with different gender identities, to fight with each other with small things. Therefore, they can take away bigger things(rights) from us without notifying us. 

 

References:

Cameron, Deborah. Performing Gender Identity. 1999. 

Representation is Important for Us All

One of the clear messages that we’ve seen in today’s society is that representation in the media we consume is extremely important. Personal traits such as race, age, body type, weight, gender, and sexuality matter when it comes to shaping who we are as people. These traits are not exclusive to individuals and the need and desire to have these traits represented in the media has become important in how we see ourselves in society. Demographic changes and social movements are some of the more dynamic reasons behind new influxes of media representation, but these new influxes can be marred with issues. While representation is important, how this representation is executed is even more important. There needs to be an important emphasis on the nature of this representation so that the impact of the representation can have positive impacts on the people and communities being represented. 

Take queer representation in the media, for example, as it has seen a huge influx in recent years and people that consider themselves LGBTQ+ are being represented in all forms of media, particularly movies and TV more now than ever before. Despite this, the representation of these groups in the media hasn’t always been the most positive or progressive and this type of representation only serves to further perpetuate negative stereotypes of these communities. The Youtube video titled, AVP Courageous Conversations – Disclosure shines an important light on the topic of queer representation in media. In the video, one of the interviewees featured in the trailer at the start of the video makes an important point about trans representation in particular. She states in the video that, “There is a one word solution to almost all the problems in Trans media, we just need more. In that way, the occasional clumsy representation wouldn’t matter as much because that would be all that there is” (9:19 – 9:27). This statement in particular addresses the idea that LGBTQ+ representation needs substance in conjunction with numerous instances of exposure. Essentially this means that problematic Trans representation will also be a factor, but more representation overall means representation there will be room for more positive representation as well.  There is no doubt that Trans representation has progressed in recent years, but there are questions that arise. Has trans and other forms of LGBTQ+ representation come far enough? Who benefits from this representation? 

Representation starts somewhere but it is important that it progresses and adapts as time goes on. This progression will ensure that the more impressionable members of the queer community, possibly young closeted LGBTQ+ members, see people that they relate to in a positive light.  In AVP Courageous Conversations – Disclosure, one of the panelists Jazzmun Nichcala Crayton points out that LGBTQ+ people youth often face issues like homelessness, and that lack of true LGBTQ+ representation in the media aids in these issues being overlooked and ignored by Hollywood and the media. She also points out that an increase in this representation could aid in actual LGBTQ+ individuals getting access to resources that can improve their lives (26:00 – 27:30). In this way, the representation would improve not only the way queer people are viewed and portrayed, but it would provide economic opportunities for LGBTQ+ in the process. Positive representation in the media is important not only to the individuals being represented but also to the people that may not be members of that particular community. Exposure to social groups and communities that we aren’t a part of can alleviate the anxiety and biases that we develop from not venturing outside of our “in groups”. Representation can spark important conversations within our society that benefit us all. 

Although representation in itself is important, it is important to note that representation needs to be more than just “diversity hires”. In Queer written by Karen Tongson it states that, “Aren’t-we-GLAAD approaches to quantifying queer visibility—that is, measuring with exactness how many gay characters, shows, and actors are on TV or in films, and whether or not these portrayals are positive or negative—have created their own set of limitations around our encounters with all forms of media, not just explicitly queer representations with identifiable queer bodies, characters and ‘acts’” (2). I agree with this sentiment. LQBTQ+ representation needs to have some significant backing behind it. It simply isn’t enough to just add a LGBTQ+ character into a movie or TV show. There needs to be more to their stories than harmful stereotypes or biased and unbalanced representation. It is clear that LGBTQ+ identified people are a part of our society, but it needs to be clear that these people also have unique experiences that deserve attention as well. 

 

Citations 

“AVP Courageous Conversations – Disclosure” YouTube, uploaded by New York City Anti-Violence Project, 22 Feb. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXWzGcxBW2E

Tongson, Karen. “Queer.” Keywords For Media Studies, 20 Mar. 2017, keywords.nyupress.org/media-studies/essay/queer/

Blog Post Draft 2 Dana Balakirova

Gender is on one hand complicated, and on the other, quite simple. The norms of our world are what makes breaking with gender stereotypes a traumatic experience for many. Although we have heard the phrase “just be yourself,” if your version of your best self does not coincide with the norms of the time, then that advice is sure to lead to ostracization. All people want to feel included, especially in their most intimate communities. Judith Butler’s “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory,” the author delves deep into the history of societal gender norms; her paper, alongside contemporary examples from popular culture, can show readers how gender norms are not as set in stone as our culture purports them to be.

In Judith Butler’s essay “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory,” the author explains that despite the way gender has historically been linked with one’s birth sex, it has never been a steady identity in and of itself. Instead, gender and the cultural norms surrounding it are perpetuated and evolve through social agents. Butler names a number of these social agents as being language, gesture, and symbolic social signs (Butler, Judith, 519). Gender is not set in stone, but rather is a spectrum. Recently, I have been going through and watching the late Patrick Swayze’s filmography. I believe he was a good example of what Butler was talking about. As a horse rancher and chain-smoking stoic, he fits all of the stereotypical trademarks of manliness. However, he was also a classically trained dancer. During interviews, especially during the press run of the film Dirty Dancing, often talked about how people back home often didn’t understand how a man like him could be into ballet. Funnily enough, they accepted it because he was from such a tough family, and himself, from a very young age, showed a lot of grit and determination. Artists have always been generally progressive on subjects such as gender identity. To make art means breaking down one’s world and critically analyzing the norms in it. Throughout the years, there have been many artists who have exemplified Butler’s feminist theory.

Gender identity is kept rigid in our society because allowing full expression of one’s gender identity means breaking down the norms that govern our entire reality. Butler writes, “One may want to claim, but oh, this is really a girl or a woman, or this is really a boy or a man, and further that the appearance contradicts the reality of gender” (Butler, Judith, 527). The musician Arca, who makes an experimental noise-pop and has collaborated with major figures in the music industry such as Kanye West and Lady Gaga, often portrays herself as a non-binary machine in her music videos. Arca said she identifies as a trans woman, going by she/her pronouns, yet in the music, she embraces technology as a metaphor for being off the binary of not only gender but the limits of what can be considered pop music. She plays with images of computers and wires, using them as cultural symbols for both the new age, yet also a sort of soullessness. However, she embraces that lack of emotion not as a hindrance, but rather as a way to transcend one’s humanity, including negative emotions, such as bigotry or self-hatred. Arca does not see herself as succumbing to technology, but rather as an organism adapting around it. This relates to the aforementioned section of Butler’s paper, where she mentions cultural symbols and how they can be picked up by individuals and internalized as part of their identities. Although Butler is specifically referencing gender expression specifically in her writing, I believe her theory could be easily re-contextualized to fit many aspects of one’s personality. The media we consume and our aesthetic interests often define us to one extent or another. For an artist as forward-thinking as Arca, for example, her futurist beliefs are directly intertwined with her gender identity. While for a man such as Patrick Swayze, dancing was his way of balancing out the rigid and traditionally macho lifestyle, as well as a way to connect to his mother; yet most people are still struck by how easily he was able to channel feminine energy during his romantic films, which is what made him such a star in Hollywood. This shows how gender expression, in addition to social variables such as language and symbols, can also be adopted simply through one’s relationship with technology, family, or any number of outside influences.

Butler concludes that deviations from the performance of gender often lead to ridicule. She compares gender to a theatrical stage here by mentioning how theatrical performances can be met with censorship, bad criticism, or even violence (Butler, Judith, 527). This definitely parallels the experience that many trans people have when coming out. Although the concept of being trans has been normalized a bit since it first hit the public discussion, there are still many places in the United States and abroad where stepping out in one’s desired gender expression can mean retaliation. This risk doubles for marginalized communities. Unlike artists like Arca, who have the privilege of wealth, people in a poor socioeconomic position are incredibly at severe risk of being victimized. Seeing gender as a performance and making that the norm would give a lot of people a lot of emotional freedom since it would allow them to try things they had always wanted to do, yet were afraid of being ridiculed over.

Gender should, by the end of this paper, feel much more complicated than it appears at first. For one, the intersections between race and gender are evident. Artists of a certain caliber are allowed to express themselves openly because they have the favor of the public behind them. Individuals without public support are always living in fear of whether to live authentically or to conform in order to avoid any backlash. Looking at Butler’s essay, in conjunction with how artists of an elite economic hierarchy express themselves, shows how economics, as with anything else in our hyper-capitalist society, is intertwined with gender.

WORK CITED

 

Butler, Judith. “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory.” Theatre Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988.

Radicalism Behind TERF – Valerie Kominer

Radicalism Behind TERF

Throughout time, people have clung to the idea of normalcy. People often treated normalcy as a standard, a sort of ingroup sense of belonging. While this may seem like a positive attribute in society, the reality is the completely opposite. Normalcy, as an idea, was set by the straight white wealthy man. As a result, it was in their favor to set the norm to fit their template. Therefore, anyone who did not fit that same template was left not only in the outgroup, but facing all sorts of discrimination. One community that has faced and continues to face scrutiny is the transgender community. For years, the trans community was not able to even be considered a thriving part of society, with their existence marked as unworthy of a seat at the table. From a twenty-first century progressive perspective, it may seem insane to think that people were seen as “not human” simply because of their sexuality, yet transphobia has been and continues to be a huge issue in our society.

In Julia Serano’s article, “Thoughts about transphobia, TERFs, and TUMFs,” Serano goes into great detail discussing the various types of transphobias and how they affect society as a whole. That being said, it was shocking to hear how the very movement that credits itself with societal progression, is the one that is feeding into transphobia. TERF is “an acronym for “Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists,” a subgroup of radical feminists (who sometimes self-identify as “gender critical” feminists) that are strongly opposed to transgender identities, experiences, and rights” (Serano 7). It was very interesting to hear how their reasoning for their inherent transphobia juxtaposes the one used by the alt-right community. Rather than using religion or societal norms as their justification, they reinterpreted progressive ideals to fit their own narrative. They believe that gender is a man-made class system that thrives through the oppression of women. While the toxic nature behind gender is an idea that is common in the progressive community, they managed to twist it to make trans people the oppressors rather than the victims. They believe that the transgender community reinforces the class system, specifically trans women who infiltrate the “women’s spaces” (Serano 4).

I have always known there are exceptions to every rule. We, as a society, do not have a definitive mold on how a group of people think. The right can have left-leaning views and the same can be said vice versa. However, the ideology behind the TERF movement was so bothersome to me, as it was yet another example of how people act high and mighty strictly for the sake of pushing their viewpoint forward. It is so disheartening to hear how women who stand up for gender-based injustices are not willing to do the same for people who go through the same issues. You would think that there would be some sort of compassion towards people who are clearly suffering, especially in the progressive circle. One mainstream feminist even went as far to say, “trans women are not women,” it is not because they adhere to a unilateral radical feminist perspective that asserts that the goal of feminism is to bring an “end to gender,” and that trans women (as well as sex workers, feminine women, sex-positive feminists, etc.) are “reinforcing gender.” (Serano 5). As discussed in class, there is a spectrum of thought when it comes to progressivity. However, saying that trans women are any less of a woman due to their genitalia goes against all ideas of inclusivity. Additionally, making these claims about sex workers and feminine workers is ironic given that these women are embracing their femininity/sexuality, which is exactly what started the feminist movement to begin with.

Reading this type of material only reinforces the idea that victims of inequality, such as the transgender community, face hardships that are very difficult to overcome. When you are scapegoated by the public from every side, it is difficult to find a safe haven to belong to. Therefore, it is important to remember that despite radical opinions, a human being needs to be treated with the utmost compassion and respect, no matter the genitalia.

Work Cited:

 

Serano, Julia. “Thoughts about Transphobia, Terfs, and Tumfs.” Medium, Medium, 23 Oct. 2019, https://juliaserano.medium.com/thoughts-about-transphobia-terfs-and-tumfs-b77a18c1a225.

What does religion say about being gay?

The majority of major religions around the world condemn being gay and believe being gay will send you to hell. With major religions comes religious culture and many religious cultures encourage homophobia and transphobia. Religious culture is a culture that is built around the beliefs of religion but is not an actual following or rule within a religion. An idea many people who believe in religion seem to believe is that people are not born gay, they choose to be gay.  A simple yet effective argument to refute this is to mention how people in many countries are stoned to death for being gay, and even in recent history people were sent to mental institutions for being gay, so why would anyone willingly choose to struggle? We must ask ourselves how can we understand and empathize with those who are facing religious abuse because of their sexuality, and what can we do to help? 

 

Young adults apart of the LGBTQ community are at high risk of facing religious abuse. A recent meta-analysis by Friedman et al. (2011) found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents report higher rates of abuse, victimization, and bullying than their heterosexual peers. LGBT young adults also report higher rates of mental illness, suicidal ideation, and self-harm when compared to their non-LGBT peers. When living with religious families many children never come out to their parents because they are afraid of the risk of being kicked out, disowned, or even physically assaulted, and for those who do come out to their families these risks become their reality. 

 

Besides not being able to come out to their families many religious people do not believe in struggling with mental health and suicidal thoughts, they believe turning to God and praying will solve all your problems. “The majority of Americans (57%) identify religious belief (belief in God) as a requisite for moral judgment (Kohut, Wike, & Horowitz, 2007). Due to these factors, LGBT persons who mature in a religious community context report experiencing increased discrimination and internalized homophobia (i.e., negative attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and stereotypes about LGBT people that is directed inward by someone with same-sex attraction or feelings of discontent with one’s biological gender.” In western countries, many religions have made exceptions to accepting the LGBTQ community and are in support of gay marriage, but this is not the reality for many third world countries where it remains legal for someone to be killed because they are gay. The aim of a study that was conducted was to investigate how religious upbringing impacts suicide and internalized homophobia. “The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to determine if religious and LGBT identity conflict indicators are associated with suicidality, 2) to investigate if internalized homophobia mediates this relationship, and 3) to determine if a religious upbringing is associated with suicidality.” The data indicated that identity conflict that comes from dissonance felt between religious beliefs and LGBT identity was associated with a higher risk of suicide. All three indicators were associated with suicidal thoughts in the last month, parental anti-homosexual religious beliefs were associated with chronic suicidal thoughts in the last month and two indicators (i.e., leaving one’s religion and parents’ religious beliefs about homosexuality) were associated with suicide attempts in the last year. There are countless things we as a society can do to assist those who are suffering at the hands of religious abuse, we can open shelters for runaways, provide more government-aided therapy, build community centers, and most importantly educate ourselves. 

 

Homophobia within religious communities is strictly religious culture as no religion encourages targetting people apart of the LGBTQ community or murdering them, these horrific actions are justified with religion. As newer generations become more westernized, acceptance of persons of LGBTQ has become more prominent, even with religion. There are endless sources and means of education for one to learn about what it means to be gay and how it is not a choice. We as adults in this generation must make changes that previous generations did not make. Regardless of what one might believe in, we must empathize with people especially when we do not know what they are going through. We must stop speaking on their behalf and start giving them platforms to teach us how we can become better allies. We must stop justifying violence towards the community because of religion because no God who is supposed to be merciful and loving would ever condone the actions of those who inflict pain on others simply because of love and attraction. Mental health resources must be more accessible so that those who can’t be open to their families can at least have someone they can talk to about what they are experiencing. 

 

References 

Gibbs, J. J. (2015). Religious conflict, sexual identity, and suicidal behaviors among LGBT young adults. Archives of suicide research: official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706071/. 

Hidden Rage – Eliza Gonzalez

Hidden Rage

Women for so long have had to burrow and suppress their rage. To be angry is to be impolite. To be rageful as a woman is disagreeable. It’s controversial and almost always never taken seriously. While men are acclaimed and respected for raising their voices on topics they’re passionate about, women are viewed as crazy and unstable. While anger in men is seen as decisive or done with purpose the opposite can be said of women. Why is it that when women express such an important emotion they are seen in a negative light? “Because we expect women to be kind and communal, we sometimes like them less when they’re assertive or forceful. In contrast, we expect men to act like this, so they don’t face the same pushback.” This is most often observed in women that run for government positions. When anger is displayed the candidate is told she is uncontrollable and unfit to uphold such an influential position of authority. While on the other hand, men are encouraged to have such emotions. If they did not they would be seen as weak.

They would be seen as a woman.

The worst horror for men, something that keeps them awake at night, is the thought of being compared to a woman. To lack anger is to be feminine and to be feminine to men is the most shameful thing in the world. Men frequently declare that women are too emotional, then go on to complain that as men they are not allowed to show emotions. What many of them forget is that anger is also an emotion. A strong and compelling one at that. Countless men use anger as a substitute for all and any emotions they feel. While they have had full reign over the emotion women have had no opportunity to make use of it. Anger and rage have been the leading cause of so much change in the world when used correctly. In the 1960s, women of the time used their anger and rage to push forward in their fight for equality. Anger and outrage are such important tools that when used correctly they can change the outcome of almost any situation.

While women are taught to shy away from anger, women of color are the most affected when showing even the slightest form of it. Hurtful and harmful stereotypes begin to develop in communities that still exist today. Like the feisty Latina or the angry black woman. Each stereotype demeans the woman’s anger and puts their feelings or emotions on the backburner. They are seen as a joke and something to be wary of.

It’s important to not only feel all emotions but have them heard by the people around you. Anger and rage are common emotions that all people feel and should be taken seriously no matter what gender one identifies with.

Abrams, Allison. “The Power and Shame of Women’s Anger.” Psychology Today, Sussex            Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/202002/the-power-and-shame-women-s-anger.

Chemaly, Soraya. “How Women and Minorities Are Claiming Their Right to Rage.” The   Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 May 2019, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/11/women-and-minorities-claiming-right-to-rage.

DeANGELIS, TORI. “When Anger’s A Plus.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological              Association, Mar. 2003, www.apa.org/monitor/mar03/whenanger.

What Makes Them Any Less Human?

The term Hijra has roots from the Arabic term “hjr” but has been borrowed by Hindi and it translates to “eunuch” or “hermaphrodite” however it is an umbrella term, often used to refer to the transgender, intersex, homosexual, asexual, eunuch, and hermaphrodite communities of South Asia, specifically India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Hijras have officially been given the status of the third gender and are not recognized as either male or female. In Gender and Genitals: Constructs of Sex and Gender, Hubbard also mentions how hijras are able to live as a third group rather than being categorized with the typical form of recognition for gender identity. Although Hubbard writes that there is acceptance of the third gender in non-western countries, there is also a downside to this acceptance. Life has not become any easier for them despite being recognized as a third gender. In fact, their gender identity creates more problems for them because of societal norms. In this piece, I will be writing about some of the struggles that are experienced by the hijra community in South Asia.   

To survive in any society, it is important for an individual to be socially accepted for who they are but considering the universal treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, it is obvious that not many countries are interested in advocating for their social acceptance. Even though hijras have been legally recognized as a third gender for being “different” yet they have to live as an outcast regardless because the norm does not allow for them to be respected in ways that other members of society are able to do so because of their heterosexuality. Hijras have been recognized in South Asia since even before the Mughal empire. They held highly respectable positions during the Mughal empire serving “as caretakers of royal harems, masters of art and culture, and trusted as messengers, watchmen and guardians” (Chaudhry et al, 2553). However, sadly this is not the case anymore as many hijras have to struggle to just make a decent living. Most of them are left with no choice but to take to the street for begging or prostitution. They have to take all sorts of risks with their bodies because their work requires them to do so. This is because the governments may recognize them as a third gender but do not necessarily provide them with any resources and no one seems to respect them enough to give them a job. This is so disgusting and infuriating considering how there was once a time when they were able to hold a respectable position but due to colonization and other factors, they have to live as outcasts.   

Furthermore, not only are hijras forced to live in poor conditions but they are also abandoned by their own families as societal acceptance is prioritized over one’s child. Hence the reason why it is so difficult for hijras to live in South Asian communities especially in Pakistan which is the Islamic Republic and often people use self-interpreted religious beliefs to excuse the hateful behavior towards the hijra community. Although in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, hijras have officially been given the right to vote, the reality is that despite government recognition, they have not received any official ID cards (Jain & Rhoten, 11). Nonetheless, voting is one of their last concerns as most of them struggle to even feed themselves. Hijras are not only deprived of employment but also education which is a basic need for anyone to function in today’s societies (e.g., jobs) and it is also considered one of the basic human rights by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Hijras like other people should be allowed to attend schools to attain education which could potentially create more opportunities for jobs in the future. It is so vile and inhumane to even think of treating a human being the way hijras are treated. They are unable to have a normal childhood because they don’t “fit in” and struggle their entire adulthood just trying to survive. “If my fate were in my own hands then I would have been someone like my brothers, if it was in my hands then I’d be happy to be an animal just so I could live with my mother,” says Chahat, a member of the hijra community in Karachi, Pakistan.  

Why is it so hard for us as humans to be accepting of people who do not fall into the set social constructs made by us? Why is it so easy to be an aggressor than being thoughtful of one another? The things that “normal” humans are often able to do without much hindrance and are of as much importance for hijras but people think they don’t deserve to live like that. Thus, marriage is also an obstacle; the truth is that they often have to leave their partners because of cultural principles. They are treated way worse than a human being should be and people blame them for their situations. It is so sickening and the only reason they are tolerated by society is because of the superstitious beliefs. The idea of being “different” is so hated by society that they don’t realize the extent of their actions and how it hurts people. As someone who has personally witnessed the inhumane treatment of hijras, my heart breaks whenever I talk about this. Why can’t society acknowledge hijras as human beings just like everyone else? Just because they choose to lead a different lifestyle than what’s normalized, it should be not an invitation for them to be seen as someone less worthy of respect. In every aspect of life, they are met with unbeatable obstacles.   

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