Gender Brand Insensitivity

[Jabba 18389]

Just responding to this article:

 

http://www.embracethechaos.ca/2011/06/preschool-pursues-equality-by-banning-terms-him-her-sweden-gender.html

 

Just like the "Cultural Revolution" of the Mao era, there exists a school in Sweden that tries to eliminate gender identification. So, I like to entertain stupidity as much as the next person, but here we have a government sanctioned institution dedicated not only to theoretical vanity but to an incompassionate unloading of adult paranoia.

 

Let's go the distance here and follow the Mao model. Gender-specific icons such as clothing, haircuts, jewelery, pronouns, drinks, food, cars, movies, decoration, furniture, paint, phones, clothing, hygiene products, sexual toys, ...oh, you get the idea!

 

Who dreampt up this kind of insanity?

Let's say, for the sake of argument, we trust our children in the safe arms of these lunatics. We are lulled and rendered emasculfeminated (my own patented term btw) by this non-gender-specific & well-intentioned teaching structure. Our children march in goose step formation and tonelessly inform us that there are no sexes.

 

Our kids will soon learn that marketing has a different education awaiting. An education in consumerism that prays on the inate insecurities (read needs) of the genders. Just what they need - another school to unlearn someone's idea of political correctness.

 

What do you think?

[TGirl-Kay 7485]

Speaking as some one who was raised as the wrong gender and who attended school being expected to behave as if they where a gender that did not fit, I like the idea of giveing children a chance to grow into the people that they are and tell us what their gender is. Gender isn't just male and female, some of us are intersexed, some xxy masculien http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter's_syndrome

and some are transsexual like me.

Gender like every thing else has a large grey area between the end points. Forcing some one into a gender that doesn't fit them is a terribly unkind thing to do.

[Guest S**a*Q]

My parents were really cool when it came to gender roles.

 

I was the boy hunting and fishing with dad, covered in brambles and scratches.

 

Whereas my brother was the one baking cakes with mom.

 

I was also TOLD BY MY parents, at 15, that it was okay that I was gay...

Even though I wasn't. Lol. *(Awkward moment for them.. Hehehe!)

I just said I liked both, they were content with that because I was happy.

 

I don't think that gender is specific. We do what we feel is right and as long as you don't hurt anyone, that should be fine. I don't get why people want to crap all over others, just because they don't fit societal molds.

[April Dawn 12207]

I don't think media would have such a huge effect on kids if they were raised and schooled that way. Maybe we'd get out of the horrible consumer, fake and overtly sexualized mind frame most people are stuck in!

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[Guest S**a*Q]

Speaking as some one who was raised as the wrong gender and who attended school being expected to behave as if they where a gender that did not fit, I like the idea of giveing children a chance to grow into the people that they are and tell us what their gender is. Gender isn't just male and female, some of us are intersexed, some xxy masculien http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter's_syndrome

and some are transsexual like me.

Gender like every thing else has a large grey area between the end points. Forcing some one into a gender that doesn't fit them is a terribly unkind thing to do.

 

A transsexual, whom I slept with once and I still love, changed my view on everything sexual when she told me...

 

"Gender and sexuality, have nothing to do with each other."

 

I stick by that saying 110%

And on that note... Chicks with dicks ROCK!!! ;)

Love you Jazzi, even though you aren't on here.

[Nathalie L 112512]

"Gender and sexuality, have nothing to do with each other."

 

Interestingly enough, that might not necessarily be the case! We like to dichotomize gender and sexuality, and talk about how sexual orientation has 'nothing' to do with gender identity, but it might be more complicated than that (things usually are eh)

 

While this is the case for many people, especially those raised in the West, I recently met an Aboriginal person who identified as two-spirited... totally threw my mind in for a loop! She preferred not to dichotomize sexual orientation and gender identity...and was explaining to me how they overlapped and intertwined in really meaningful ways!

 

I tend to agree with her. I'm really really attracted to a particular kind of woman, based on their gender presentation...(check this video out - I totally feel the same way:

). That being said, I can't really say my sexual orientation/the object of my desires is completely separate from my gender identity!

 

I love how sex, gender, and sexuality is just so darn complicated. Any/all confusion is beautiful to me!

 

Like November, I think it's really great that they would attempt to eradicate gender stereotypes by promoting a neutral-pronoun environment. The costs of doing so are minimal, and it will really create a safe-space for gender-nonconforming kids!

[Guest s******ecan****]

hmmm a small group of self appointed puritans trying to impose their judgment (or insecurities) on others......sounds familiar

[April Dawn 12207]

Not really since androgeny has been around for an extremely long time.

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[Guest gagagaga]

Unfortunately I think this is just another case of "As the Pendulum Swings". One of the worst things about humans is that we generalize all the time, exaggerate everything, and over react constantly (I hope the sarcasm hasn't been lost there)

 

For generations, boys and to be , and girls should be girls, and there should be no mixing of these ideals. Boys have play with GI Joe and trucks and wear blue while girls have to wear skirts and play with dolls. Obviously this is stupid. There will always be members of either sex that stray from this "norm"...that doesn't make them odd or weird; it just makes them an individual, which is something I thought we wanted them to be.

 

Now, there are a group of people that think it is a good idea to de-gender there children. In my opinion, this is just as stupid; not because androgeny is a bad thing, but because there is ultimately a society out there. This society is still evolving very slowly, and is filled with losers, but it is important that our children see these losers too. They will encounter them there whole lives.

Keeping a child separate from mainstream society is just as detrimental to the child as bringing them up with prejudice. What I have seen is that if you put a GI Joe and a Barbie on the floor, its about 50/50 which toy a boy will play with if he is alone. When he is with other boys he may feel pressure to play with Joe...when playing with girls he may play with barbies. Ultimately it doesn't matter. What's important is that the boy was exposed to different situations in which he encountered different stimuli and then made a choice. Developing this ability is what makes this child grow as a person , not what we as adults force on him.

[Guest tr*****e]

I really like the idea they're trying to promote here - a society that lets people just be themselves. To me, this is how societal change seems to begin: with just one group that decides to change the way things are done. I do wish my parents were more like yours, Sara. In fact, why can't all people be cool about it like that? That's a rhetorical question. I hope this ball keeps on rolling - diversity is good, but accepting changes to society to minimize the hurt to others is the best goal we can have on a grand scale. I feel I was born & raised in the wrong body, so now I'm exploring ways to tweak myself towards the outward appearance I feel would reflect the inner moi.The looks, laughs, and discrimination, are all very disorienting. I think if it wasn't for the odd thing like this showing its (beautiful) head, I'd be easily fooled into thinking that my bathtub is a portal to a dimension where fanatical mores are enforced with hate-mobs. I'm glad I'm wrong, yet again.:)

[Cleo Catra 178382]

I admit it, if I'm shopping for a little boy, I'll lean toward trucks and things he can smash, and for a girl, I'll turn toward dresses and things she can bake.

 

However. As a kid I both played in the kitchen making cakes, and I also was the kid who could put the bait on everyone's fishing hook, and WATCH OUT if you caused me to miss Transformers or He-Man on television.

 

So. When I have kids, I flat out admit I may initially turn toward the gender-biased presents. But if my son throws down his action figure and tells me he wants to wear a dress, I'll grab my purse and dress-shopping we'll go. I think kids should be able to wear/play with whatever and however they want, but I also think it's impossible to expect people to not have pre-conceived notions.

[Jabba 18389]

I was very interested in all the responses.

 

There are nuances in sexuality which I did not explore by my original post. That was intentional as I only wanted to promote discussion. I do not wish to appear insensitive or to offend those who are transgender or who have a desire to transcend gender stereotypes.

 

My thought here was to challenge the school of dis-invention. De-invent gender, de-invent gender commercialism, de-invent gender convention, de-invent gender class. But is this genderless school the right path?

 

I understand that we need to challenge conventionalism - otherwise, we would continue to accept that government is absolutely right, pollution is best for GDP....etc. Believe it or not, I come from a generation that was absolutely overturned by these concepts. Gradually, political hacks realized they had to pay attention and had to start a political process regardless of the social stupidity. Pollution probe, Peace Corps, Subsidized Living (the projects)...are these success stories??

 

Give me something to believe in.