Gender is all around us. It is actually taught to us, from
the moment we are born. Gender expectations and messages bombard us constantly.
Upbringing, culture, peers, community, media, and religion, are some of the
many influences that shape our understanding of this core aspect of identity.
How you learned and interacted with gender as a young child directly influences
how you view the world today. Gendered interaction between parent and child
begin as soon as the sex of the baby is known. In short, gender is a socially
constructed concept.
Gender identity
refers to “one’s sense of oneself as male, female or transgender.” When one’s gender identity and biological sex
are not congruent, the individual may identify as transsexual or as another
transgender category. The word transgender was first coined as a way of
distinguishing gender benders with no desire for surgery or hormones from
transsexuals, those who desired to legally and medically change their sex. More
recently transgender and/or trans has become an umbrella term that is popularly
used to include all people who transgress dominant conceptions of gender, or at
least all people who identify themselves as doing so.
In college, one of my friends announced he was gay. I
honestly thought he was going through a phase, but instead Robert began to
dress in women clothes and bind his genitals. On his Facebook profile, he
announced he’d changed his name to Kendra. Today my friend “Kendra” has
undergone surgery to remove her male genitals. She now lives in a safer environment
and seems a lot happier. If you were to
talk to her she would more than likely tell you how her life has improved and
the differences she has made in life. I am so happy that she made this choice
because if she didn’t her life would had not been the same as today.
Every year hundreds and thousands of beauty pageants have
stage the world. Millions of women compete
to be crown as Miss America, but when 6’1 Jenna Talackova enters into the
competition, she was not able to compete because she was not born as a “natural
women”. She was transgender. This video below demonstrates how Jenna Talackova's life as transgender and how it affected her career. Many people have gone
through many difficult situations and have managed to overcome difficult
obstacles similar to Jenna’s.
Gender, like you mentioned, is socially constructed. The true and difficult question is if society is willing to change their concept and outlook on gender? We know of many people who are against homosexuality and any type of gender variation. It is sad to see so much discrimination and know of so many negative feelings towards people who are different. The video included really helped show that negativity. An innocent individual who had gone through such an identity crisis as a child should not continue to be hurt; they should be accepted and supported. Yet we see how even at a world competition the discrimination remains. There have been changes made to Miss Universe Pageant policies, but the negative connotation of not being a “naturally born woman” will always continue as long as someone doesn’t stop reinforcing that belief. Society has many changes that need to be made, we simply need to first think of each other and support one another, just as long as they don’t hurt themselves or others in any way.
ReplyDeleteYes it is sad to see such discriminations within people that are homosexual or any type of gender variation. However it may be hard to be stuck in a man’s body when in reality you fee 100% women. People should understand that for them is not a choice is the way they feel inside. Having to deal with a situation like this one is hard enough; it is hard for them since they don’t know how society would treat them. We individual should not judge, yet consider being in their shoes and treat them as who they are not how they are.
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