A modern-day movement is attempting to erase gender norms in America. However, the ultimate goal appears to be headed toward a desire to erase genders altogether and for everyone.
Lifestyle
Since the beginning of time, males and females have existed as necessary to populate the earth. After all, without the copulation of a biological male and a biological female, society would cease to exist. For centuries, some biological males have not felt as if they were a man and some biological females have not felt as if they were a woman. Throughout the ages, these humans have floated between genders and often coexisted naturally among males and females within society.
For example, Native American culture has long believed in the “Two-Spirit” gender tradition which acknowledges 3 to 5 gender roles: Female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male, and transgendered. The term originated when LGBT Native Americans wanted recognition within their respective tribes but did not want to be grouped into a specific gender and officially adopted the term Two-Spirit from the Ojibwe language.
So, the co-existence of males, females, and “others” has a long history in America.
Now, some believe merely co-existing is not enough and want to do everything within their power to eliminate gender completely.
The movement from gender specificity to non-binary is already underway.
.
“Genderqueer, also known as non-binary, is a catch-all category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary and cisnormativity. Genderqueer people may express a combination of masculinity and femininity, or neither, in their gender expression.” – Wikipedia
.
In January, the US House of Representatives passed a law eliminating the terms “he” and “she” in all congressional language in place of what they consider to be more “gender-inclusive” terms.
In New York City, certain businesses (particularly in the entertainment industry) have established non-binary restrooms that are designed to be inclusive. These facilities have multiple sinks and mirrors inside one giant room, but also individual “toilet rooms” the size of a closet for those needing more than a sink.
“Gender is dead to me,” said Gerard, a budding dancer and openly gay “male” in New York who prefers the pronouns ‘They/Them/Theirs’ in place of anything that might identify them as male.
“I hate masculinity because it’s so toxic and limiting. I was assigned male at birth and I never liked that. I want a world without genders so I can be as free as I want whenever I want.”
Gerard added that “they” were somewhat effeminate growing up and regularly teased/bullied for not fitting masculine norms along with other kids. So, now as an adult, they consider all masculinity as “toxic” and wants ALL males to reject their connection and identity to manhood.
Is this really fair? Is this at all “inclusive?”
If masculinity was a negative experience for Gerard growing up, that doesn’t mean it was a negative experience for every male. In fact, scores of males embrace their masculine identity as a way of life for themselves — just as those who identify as “they/them/theirs” embrace their non-binary identity as a way of life for themselves.
.
“I’m not uncomfortable being called male. To be honest, I recently changed to being called ‘Them’ because my circle of friends were doing it so I did it too.” – Justin
.
Humans are free to identify however they want. They can be male, female, other, Black, White, mixed, tall, short, thick, thin, or “Cablinasian” (whatever that is) as Tiger Woods once called himself. However, the call to eradicate all genders for the sake of making a certain segment of society comfortable and/or vindicated for past behavior is likely not the answer.
Interestingly, Gerard shared that he disapproved of Rachel Dolezal, the woman who identified and appeared as Black but was “outed” as White. “You can’t just go around picking what race you are,” Gerard said. However, when asked to explain how Rachel Dolezal was wrong to identify as a race other than the one she was born into, but he was right to identify as a gender other than the one he was born into, Gerard immediately went silent and appeared perplexed from the obvious double standard.
Perhaps everyone should just be whoever they want to be without any one group attempting to erase others’ feelings under the guise of being “inclusive.”
Hmmm…
Interestingly, Gerard shared that he disapproved of Rachel Dolezal, the woman who identified and appeared as Black but was “outed” as White. “You can’t just go around picking what race you are,” Gerard said. However, when asked to explain how Rachel Dolezal was wrong to identify as a race other than the one she was born into, but he was right to identify as a gender other than the one he was born into, Gerard immediately went silent and appeared perplexed from the obvious double standard. […] -DJ
Gerard going “immediately silent” and also appearing “perplexed from the obvious double standard” doesn’t surprise me at all.
And we wonder how a dangerous idiot and headcase like Trump ever got elected to be President of the Unites States…(sigh)!