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Jul. 8th, 2004 11:07 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
finallyfree89.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
trans'speak strongly what you believe today, and do not be afraid to speak your beliefs just as strongly tomorrow, though they have changed completely.’ ~ emerson (paraphrased)
Beyond pink or blue
By: Cherice “Paul”
It starts as soon as we are born, you come out of the womb and they pop you into either pink or blue. Does this categorizing really help though? You sit in front of that major state wide exam as you contemplate those little circles on the sheet that label “male or female” they base this on genitals; does it really matter what is between your legs? On your driver’s license it reads ‘Male’ or ‘Female’, on your passport it reads ‘Male’ or ‘Female’. When traveling do people really have to know what genitals you have or don’t have, does it really matter. Stores are broken up into the Men’s section and the Women’s section. Who has the right to give clothes gender? And does it really matter if I bought I pair of pants from the Men’s section are they still men’s pants if I (born ‘female’) wear them. If a male buys girls pants are they still girl’s pants if they are worn by a male.
What exactly is the point of these gender restrictions? You hear homophobic remarks and people saying things like “it’s gross because they are two guys” take away the genitals and they are two people that love each other. You here girls called butch or tomboys, take away the girl factor and they are just masculine people. Because this is what society has known for ever it can’t be totally taken away. You hear people say androgynous people are ‘weird’ or ‘freaks’ just because they are happy filling neither masculine nor feminine roles. They walk the line that only few dare to venture. ‘Females’ and ‘Males’ (only referring to the genitalia part) get mocked and criticized for dressing how they are comfortable, or for being masculine or feminine. Just because they are supposed to go together, males are by society supposed to be masculine and females feminine. I’m speaking of terms the average person has never herd of, terms we all should, but are taken as jokes for those who have not lived or experienced it. How many have herd of the term transgendered or intersexual or transsexual or how many are really strong enough to ignore their fears that society has brought on and say “ I was born male but do not fill that role” or “ I fill neither masculine nor feminine roles” . How many people would really admit to feeling that they were born in the wrong body. That instead of feeling safe with pronouns given to them at birth, they betrayed or left out. That people are afraid to admit that they walk the line that they don’t match male or female, the two biggest ways of categorizing human beings and to be none of those two choices we are brought up with.
Some don’t see the strength people have because they are to busy making fun of or mocking people. The fact that just because something is ‘weird’ or ‘strange’ or ‘different’ doesn’t mean there isn’t something real to be fought for. Those people that sit there and hate pronouns like ‘he’ or ‘she’, the people that sit and on the question ‘male’ or ‘female’, those people that stand there in between the guys department and girls department wondering to go for the societal right or the more comfortable, that is what is worth fighting for, they all, all humans deserve one thing that’s their own freedom. Freedom from labels whether they have to do with gender or sexuality or religion or ethnicity. Instead of just dismissing someone as gay or Christian or male we should be letting people tell their part in what labels they want. People don’t know everything and the world is not just black and white, it does have many hues of gray. Listen and learn from others, then make your choice.
Beyond pink or blue
By: Cherice “Paul”
It starts as soon as we are born, you come out of the womb and they pop you into either pink or blue. Does this categorizing really help though? You sit in front of that major state wide exam as you contemplate those little circles on the sheet that label “male or female” they base this on genitals; does it really matter what is between your legs? On your driver’s license it reads ‘Male’ or ‘Female’, on your passport it reads ‘Male’ or ‘Female’. When traveling do people really have to know what genitals you have or don’t have, does it really matter. Stores are broken up into the Men’s section and the Women’s section. Who has the right to give clothes gender? And does it really matter if I bought I pair of pants from the Men’s section are they still men’s pants if I (born ‘female’) wear them. If a male buys girls pants are they still girl’s pants if they are worn by a male.
What exactly is the point of these gender restrictions? You hear homophobic remarks and people saying things like “it’s gross because they are two guys” take away the genitals and they are two people that love each other. You here girls called butch or tomboys, take away the girl factor and they are just masculine people. Because this is what society has known for ever it can’t be totally taken away. You hear people say androgynous people are ‘weird’ or ‘freaks’ just because they are happy filling neither masculine nor feminine roles. They walk the line that only few dare to venture. ‘Females’ and ‘Males’ (only referring to the genitalia part) get mocked and criticized for dressing how they are comfortable, or for being masculine or feminine. Just because they are supposed to go together, males are by society supposed to be masculine and females feminine. I’m speaking of terms the average person has never herd of, terms we all should, but are taken as jokes for those who have not lived or experienced it. How many have herd of the term transgendered or intersexual or transsexual or how many are really strong enough to ignore their fears that society has brought on and say “ I was born male but do not fill that role” or “ I fill neither masculine nor feminine roles” . How many people would really admit to feeling that they were born in the wrong body. That instead of feeling safe with pronouns given to them at birth, they betrayed or left out. That people are afraid to admit that they walk the line that they don’t match male or female, the two biggest ways of categorizing human beings and to be none of those two choices we are brought up with.
Some don’t see the strength people have because they are to busy making fun of or mocking people. The fact that just because something is ‘weird’ or ‘strange’ or ‘different’ doesn’t mean there isn’t something real to be fought for. Those people that sit there and hate pronouns like ‘he’ or ‘she’, the people that sit and on the question ‘male’ or ‘female’, those people that stand there in between the guys department and girls department wondering to go for the societal right or the more comfortable, that is what is worth fighting for, they all, all humans deserve one thing that’s their own freedom. Freedom from labels whether they have to do with gender or sexuality or religion or ethnicity. Instead of just dismissing someone as gay or Christian or male we should be letting people tell their part in what labels they want. People don’t know everything and the world is not just black and white, it does have many hues of gray. Listen and learn from others, then make your choice.
