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My family is also very stereotypical, they don't like girls who act a little bit like guys, or guys that act a little like girls. They are against homosexuals, which I think is wrong. They would always comment on someones sexuality or how the act or dress when they see it. Although in a different language of course so no one could understand them.
My sister brought her gay friend over once and my parents flipped out. I always tell them theres nothing wrong with homosexuals and that they aren't bad people, but they never listen to a word I say. Mainly because my grandma is very religious and taught them to live life normally or something like that. Every time my family gathers they always have a main topic they talk about. Kind of like gossiping, they sometimes talk about certain people, even their own family remember when they are not around. I find it very wrong and I try to stop it whenever I see it. Sorry if I went a bit offtopic >< |
Not really, but sometimes I'm seen as weird because I like cute things. It doesn't really bother me, though.
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This is generally a societal thing. Gender is very strange, I completely agree with the title. What we make of gender is generally reinforced by stereotypes and upbringing / traditional gender roles. I think we've been progressing well in acceptance that gender isn't the defining part of a person's identity, although more complex concepts like "gender != sex" are a long way yet, if ever (especially for more conservative people). However, that's generally for women acting like a man is expected to, though it'll still get you labelled a butch. Men who act feminine are generally treated worse in my experience. I have seen and heard some absolutely horrible, ignorant things aimed at women too.
One problem is that for most people, gender is intrinsically tied with biological sex and sexual preference. There's this belief that a relationship is made up of a man and a woman at the heart, and someone must fulfill the role (even in a lesbian relationship, it's stereotyped as butch x femme..) I know this is getting a bit tangential, but as a bisexual girl, I often see other women identify as butch, femme, etc. If anything this is just a label to describe types of behaviour. It's so silly to me that a woman isn't "feminine" because she cuts her hair short, wears man clothes, and is assertive. And yet even in the lesbian community she is categorised as "butch", even if she is very much a woman, and proud to be a woman, and happy with her femininity. In the end, it's just a commonly accepted matter of semantics. I think it's damaging, but it's pretty much inevitable for now. |
Should any type of steryotypical roles or ideas exist at all?
no. Do they exist? Yes. :C Now why is that? ....I- I don't know? I mean, I don't see a need for it. Oh, you don't see a need for it? You know why that is? I dunno, why? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT STUPID. It's outwardly ridiculous (in a bad way :D) about how much people go around and label people about how they should act, do, and be interested in. Because thier rather insecure about themselves, they grew up in a family that brainwashed them into thinking this way, or they're stupid all on thier own. The only difference I see in men and women is thier body structure. Sure, I find myself being more engaged in more male-orientated activites, but that's because I'm me. I'm not feminine. People should look at the person for them just being themselves, instead of a freak of nature. I mean, girls can be more of a dominant partner while guys can be submissive partners sometimes, it all depends on the person. Not everything follows the social grind of normality, in fact, many things don't BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. It's just that most of society frowns upon it, because they can't handle "different." I'm proud to be "wierd," because it means I'm an individual, and not dime a dozen. Gender should never matter. Neither should race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, where you live, etc. |
I can pretty much agree with the majority viewpoint in this thread. Gender roles exist. They're not necessarily bad things. Being ridiculed for not fitting into your biological gender role is lame.
I'm just amazed at the amount of passion that most of you guys have over this issue. I was a boy born and raised in a politically accepting environment (in Texas no less...talk about defying stereotypes) and I eventually embraced a generally masculine gender role. I've had values instilled into me from a young age (by my dad...a staunch Republican no less) to judge people solely on their character, not on any labels I perceive them having, so it was...interesting reading these stories from people who have genuinely had to face such hardships in their life. |
Personally I find many of the 'harmless' male stereotypes annoying. People ask me to do heavy lifting or physically demanding jobs/favours instead of a girl simply because I'm male and therefore, should be stronger. Additionally, the assumption that all guys should like sports is ridiculous, but I'm faced with it all the time. I really don't like sports, I don't like playing then and I don't like watching them, yet people find this weird and really it gives me nothing to talk about with most other guys...no wonder most of my friends are female.
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Yeah, I'm trans, and I want to be a girl. And even if I'm trying to go into a different gender role, I'm not going to follow it. Oh wait, I don't even believe in gender. To me, gender is what one really is (sex is the physical indicator). Or something. I don't really care. I am who I am, and if you don't like it, tough. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Theodor Geisel One of my favorite quotes right there. |
Yeah, there are waaay too many stereotypes.
And it's really weird, because: 1.I'm the only girl that doesn't wear make-up 2.I still am better than all the boys at running 3.I wear jerseys and soccer shorts 4.I like war games Kinda creepy, isn't it? I'm the ultimate tomboy. But often when I go on forums and don't say if I'm boy or girl, people always refer to me as a "He". Hmm. SometimesI wish I was a boy, too, because everyone keeps expecting me to like Volleyball over everything, love pink, etc. And, really, only a FEW girls are like that! Grrr.... |
Honestly, I feel that if society could be educated in a way that defines gender as the sex of the character and nothing more. Then we could further expand upon the idea by saying that girls don't need to be girly, and boys don't need to be boyish.
That being said, I never did feel as if the stereotypes themselves were completely flawed. They're just enforced improperly. I believe it's been found that being Female is the default gender of the human body, and you don't become male unless you inherited the Y chromosome from your father, which is left largely up to chance...and the rules of genetics. |
That is true. But that only applies to the physical part; mentally, it can still different.
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I just read the title and not the discussion, but I think the origins of gender is kind of strange. If we came from single-celled organisms which are asexual, at what point was it more efficient for there to be 2 different genders needed to reproduce physically?
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That's the you've been raised, now move on and, should you have kids, raise them as you please, without gender stereotypes. |
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I think that the social roles that exist all come from sensible causes, such as the idea (that's being destroyed now) that women should be at home with the children... why did that develop? Because the man would have been out hunting and the babies needed looking after or protecting. Perfectly reasonable at that time, but now it's a belief that is no longer valid, as we have other people to look after our children and we have other jobs that mean we can only work when they're at school for example.
Other views like 'I won't hit a girl' are ones that I still find valid - girls might playfight with brothers or cousins or whatever, but on the whole, if a male hits a girl in a way that hurts her, it will make a big impact to her, physically and mentally. Physically, women are weaker than men and because most of us don't do the whole rough-and-tumble thing as kids, we bruise easier and are generally hurt easier. Mentally, we see the male hitting us as a sign that we did something wrong or that we're inferior, which I would guess is different from how males take it. Obviously I'm speaking generally about what I've witnessed and stuff, and obviously there are exceptions (female wrestlers etc), and I'm only really talking about the developed world, not about the places where genders are still separated or treated very differently. I wouldn't say gender roles are taking away our individuality, I actually think we're coming into an age of time where individuality is the most important thing in our society. I think that definitely, certain gender roles no longer serve the purpose they used to and, along with certain gender stereotypes (girls wear pink, boys play with action figures etc), they should be ignored and removed from society. By the same means, I don't think they should all be removed, some of them are there for reasons, and as many people have stated before men and women are different, which inevitably means they should be treated slightly differently and expected to do slightly different things. I hope our society changes so that instead of people doing what they're expected to do, they do what they want to do, in all areas. I don't think old expectations should restrict people from doing specific jobs or fulfilling specific roles in the family because of their genders. |
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Well, there are times when I fail to notice gender, probably because most individuals now don't seem to fit into any stereotype (and of course, gender stereotypes), so I tend to forget that they even have a sex (it's a little hard to explain. It's like I see their essence as a human being more... okay, creepy.).
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It has been proven, that when a woman has a boy in her womb, it treats the boy as a foreign object, and send antibodies that makes the baby more feminine, causing its gender to be somewhat altered. So there is no 100% boy. But what happens is if the baby has an older brother, then, the body gets used to the foreign object and knows what to do, and the women sends MORE antibodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PooEhBxh0NY |
The whole issue seems sort of strange to me. I guess it's sort of hard to find overarching gender features and roles when you simply want to look at people as individuals.
I'm a guy, yeah. Do I like feminine stuff? I don't know. Do I like masculine stuff? I don't know. It's sort of hard for me to find the blurry lines that divide people eternally when common bonds are so much more delightful. |
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Perhaps the only part of the fetus that it's attacking are cells which secrete male hormones or cells related to reproduction. Of course since the fetus does possess it's own immune system after a certain point, it may be able to fend the antibodies off long enough to develop them properly. I'm not a doctor so I don't really know what the antibodies and antigens are attacking exactly. Perhaps you could research that?
To be honest I'm the second male child that my mother had, she lost the first about halfway through the pregnancy, but that's training enough for any immune system I'd say. Not to mention that I've always had feelings for guys too, so yeah. I'm bisexual. (Though I try to avoid male relationships when it's possible, but it is sometimes hard to do if the one I like is gay or bi himself.) |
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Maybe it's a necessary part of development though? This is something I want to look into now, among other things. |
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EDIT: Info! It could also not be a physical change, because people who have grown up with non-biological older brother, also turn up gay sometimes because of a psycological change in them, I think it imposes on people telling the boys what it good and what is bad for them. |
Hell, I was the second son, and now I'm on my way to becoming the first daughter. That may say something.
That, and I am built quite femininely. Maybe it was the extra 3 weeks I was in the womb. ;) |
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