This is rather random, but my friends and I made a video for Ellen’s Dance Dare and we’re hoping Ellen Degeneres sees it! Just thought I’d share since I’m really excited about it and it was such a fun project to be part of! Hope you enjoy!
Beyond the Between
more than there seems
I think we can all recognize that the “it’s a joke excuse” is the most dismissive, self-righteous loophole, created by those who refuse to examine their power, and assume they have not only the right to say whatever they want to people, but the right to control how other people react to what they have said.
Loose Talk: You can take your “just joking” and shove it. (via shitkrieg)
I will always reblog this when I can.
(via racemash)
(Source: xuananigans, via just-smith)
Dye me like a Sunset: Pretty Boys and Handsome Girls
When it comes to androgyny and blurring gender lines, a lot of people criticize the inherent masculine power in society and culture.
Often, I’ll hear people make the comparison that women wearing men’s clothes is more acceptable than men wearing women’s clothing, because masculinity is seen as…
Yes. I think feminists and women all too often erase the experiences of men simply because the oppression of women seem so much more visible. I agree that we walk a dangerous line when we ignore the oppression of men by turning it back into a sign of female oppression.
And also, just a fun sidenote: the other day, a middle-aged Taiwanese woman called me 帥妹 (shuai4 mei4) or “handsome girl” hahaha. Way to be different…
The Taiwanese Binary
Upon first arriving in Taiwan about 8 months ago, I discovered (to my true and utter surprise) the overwhelming number of women passing as men within my city. I will see half a dozen or more same-sex female couples every time I walk down the street and the formula is always the same: one ultra “femme” and one super “butch.” Sometimes, I don’t even realize it isn’t a heterosexual couple until passing close by. A Taiwanese friend told me that not too long ago, a news report ran talking about the “lesbian epidemic.” Now…I’m not even going to start in on how problematic that label is. But their justification for this “epidemic” (implying that it’s a disease…) is that Taiwanese men are too feminine, and therefore Taiwanese women are filling in that void as the “masculine” partner.
This explanation bothers me.
Are we all programmed to fit into relationships defined by binaries? Why is their “explanation” based on a fact only assumed to be universally true? Also, are Taiwanese men to fault for being more “feminine” than acceptable? How can their behavior bring about something so extreme as entering a same-sex relationship, purely based on outer appearances?
Maybe the binary comes into play when examining traditional Chinese/Taiwanese values. Perhaps fitting each member of the same-sex couple into a more “traditional” role makes it more acceptable?
Huh. I don’t really have any explanation of my own. Only my personal observations that, despite spending a significant amount of my life in one of the most liberal states in the US, I have never seen so many openly same-sex couples before.
What’s interesting to note is that this only applies to women, not men. I have not seen a single male same-sex couple who are obviously a couple in my time here. This harks back to the argument that women have more freedom than men when it comes to gender performance.
Either way, I’ve just always thought this was interesting and relevant. *Shrug*
"Academia Transformed"
Trying to explain to your older relatives that you plan to pursue higher education in a field entitled “Women and Gender Studies” is a tough sell. Trying to explain in stumbling Chinese is even tougher.
Trying to explain to random strangers that, no, you’re you’re not a man-hating feminazi who eats pussy all day and burns bras can be even more frustrating. Especially when one of the first questions they ask (right after your name and age) is your major, so they know nothing else about you. So many misconceptions exist about this field, many of them negative.
Despite all these popular and demeaning opinions, I still feel very passionate about gender studies and would like to explain what we’re all about. Obviously, there will be a range of opinions when it comes to the world of academia, this is simply what I’ve gotten out of it so far.
It is not a vendetta against men based on the oppression of women. Instead, it is a questioning of patriarchy and its effect on all people. It is the recognition of many modes of oppression, not limited to gender. The recognition of oppression based on race, age, size, ability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and more.
Critical Thinking. This is the number one most important lesson learned after 4 years in Women and Gender Studies (WGS). Despite also receiving a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology, I feel that my science courses only pushed me to accept research without truly questioning what they present as “Truth” with a capital “T.” Though the research presented portray trends, the penchant for discarding outliers stymied me. I always wondered, weren’t they significant? What do they mean? If they exist, why are we ignoring them? How can we disregard these points that swerve off the “line of best fit?” (Disclaimer: yes, sometimes we make mistakes in the lab and it results in outliers. My point is, sometimes, they might not always be the results of contamination or other human error. Furthermore, it’s just a metaphor)
I found that in WGS, we don’t discard, instead we examine, analyze, and discuss. Instead of looking at the fact that pink is for girls and blue is for boys, we ask where this designation comes from.
We look at minority voices, those who have historically faced oppression, and ask for the majority to hear these voices speak. We recognize that all experiences differ, and therefore, do not impose personal experiences onto someone else’s. We learn to never assume and always to ask, then listen.
These are the reasons why I think Women and Gender Studies is such an important field. Not only is it interdisciplinary, derived from many knowledge bases, but it also questions the epistemology and the gathering of the knowledge itself. It provides a new way of thinking, valuing respect for different experiences, and in turn, all differences. Perhaps, this is what we need to reach for that ideal of true egalitarianism.
Don Your Capes: r0bertbrowniejr: Yesterday my mom posted a picture on Facebook of my 5...
Yesterday my mom posted a picture on Facebook of my 5 year old brother Sam wearing a pair of shoes he picked out for his first day of preschool.
She explained to him in the store that they were really made for girls. Sam then told her that he didn’t care and that…
Unfortunately, we often feel the most pressure and judgment from our loved ones. If the judgment came from random strangers on the street it’d be much easier to ignore. Despite all that, I’m so glad the mother responded the way she did. This brings to question: would they feel so opposed to a little girl wearing black sneakers with teenage mutant ninja turtles from the boys section? Probably not. And “turn him gay”? Your sexual orientation (the “gay” she refers to) really doesn’t have relevance to your gender (which is challenged by the shoes he chose to wear). Lastly, it is so difficult to prevent this type of social priming when kids start school, so I am so grateful his mother doesn’t contribute to these social pressures and supports his decisions from such a young age.
(Source: batmansbutt)
Tomboy (2011) - Movie Review
I just watched the movie Tomboy and I highly recommend it. It’s a beautiful movie showing the conflicts that arise when one doesn’t conform to one’s biological sex at a young age. What I loved most about this movie is that they never try to impose a motive or purpose behind the main character’s actions. They don’t try and tell the audience that the character is transgender, or that the character is doing it out of a necessity for protection, or any other reasons. What they do show is that these are simply kids, and along with that, their very realistic actions and reactions. The motivations for the character remains ambiguous, and I’m really grateful for that. The film also portrays absolutely beautiful moments between siblings that truly care about each other, something very rarely portrayed in such a quiet and genuine manner. I think the best ways to describe this film is beautiful and candid. I am so excited that there are filmmakers out there creating such incredible pieces.
Dye me like a Sunset: Strong Females vs. "Weak" Females..?
At lunch today, my coworkers began talking about strong females in film, which caused one of them to start ranting about a book wherein the main female lead was “traditionally feminine and timid.”
She went on to list the problems with the character, being “weak willed” and “subservient,” and how…
Well put! The importance behind an identity lays in that it should be a choice. An identity shouldn’t be imposed upon an individual simply due to society, biology, or any other factors, including those attempting to be “progressive.” Imposing “progress” harks back to colonialism and the imposition of religion and culture upon peoples who did not choose to believe the same. Great post! (written by one of my best friends from high school ..^__^.. )
The Other
I was sitting in the lounge/reception area of the school I work at when I suddenly heard a commotion coming from inside a classroom. The little boy of a coworker, just 3 years old, walked out following one of our younger teachers. I still have no idea what they had been discussing, but it ended with the 3-year-old spitting out “At least I’m not A GIRL” at which she had no clue how to respond.
Positioning of girls and women as “the other” starts from a very young age. This is not a natural state and embodies a sense of exclusion and isolation. Oftentimes, when we think in terms of binaries, we have the “good” and the “bad.” When positioned in this way, there is no neutral field. Perhaps in the world of gender, men take up the position of both “good” and “neutral.” Simply looking at the way language is used identifies unknown individuals as “he,” taking on the role of a neutral being. In the scheme of things, shouldn’t an intersexed individual embody the position of “neutral?” But I suppose that’s asking for far too great of a logical leap.
This positioning of “the other” harms more than just girls and women. We are all accustomed to hearing about the suffrage movement, the housewives of the 1950s, and many ways where women have suffered at the hands of othering. However, the position men are ushered into also creates undeserved stress as they are placed on pedestals and held up as those who must take responsibility, as those who must be economically supportive.
Tomboy girls are oftentimes looked upon as trendy or simply just unnoticed whereas feminine men are ridiculed, not only by fellow men, but also by other women. “Stop being a girl.” “Strap on a pair of balls.” “Be a man.” “Did you trip over your vagina?” Men are not allowed to step into such an exclusionary feminine role whereas masculine women are somehow justifiable since they want to enter into an acceptable role and away from the other. This is not saying that masculine women do not also face violence and rage, but is a recognition of an issue that might not be often addressed. Women and men alike don’t give men a chance to explore other identities, whether it might be the role of a nurturer (I had a stay-at-home dad, which was hard for kids to understand), or a musical theater enthusiast, and any other typically “girly” role.
Othering not only alienates women, but all those who don’t feel a full distinctive connection to one group. The idea of “the other” perpetuates the commonly upheld binary of men and women, leaving little room for those who might not feel a sense of belonging in a category. As kids, we heard many insults thrown around on the playground, “eeeew boys have cooties,” “boys are gross” and on and on. However, the fact that simply being a girl constitutes an insult saddens me.
Othering isolates people into very specific labels, not allowing a gradient, not allowing a shift of what is or isn’t acceptable. If one day, we can look beyond the other, and playground insults only consists of which kid just picked his nose and ate it, or which kid likes red when we all know orange is the best color in the world, then that will be a triumphant day.
One teacher's approach to preventing gender bullying in a classroom
Alie arrived at our 1st-grade classroom wearing a sweatshirt with a hood. I asked her to take off her hood, and she refused. I thought she was just being difficult and ignored it. After breakfast we got in line for art, and I noticed that she still had not removed her hood. When we arrived at the art room, I said: “Allie, I’m not playing. It’s time for art. The rule is no hoods or hats in school.”
She looked up with tears in her eyes and I realized there was something wrong. Her classmates went into the art room and we moved to the art storage area so her classmates wouldn’t hear our conversation. I softened my tone and asked her if she’d like to tell me what was wrong.
“My ponytail,” she cried.
“Can I see?” I asked.
She nodded and pulled down her hood. Allie’s braids had come undone overnight and there hadn’t been time to redo them in the morning, so they had to be put back in a ponytail. It was high up on the back of her head like those of many girls in our class, but I could see that to Allie it just felt wrong. With Allie’s permission, I took the elastic out and re-braided her hair so it could hang down.
“How’s that?” I asked.
She smiled. “Good,” she said and skipped off to join her friends in art.
‘Why Do You Look Like a Boy?’
