Alantis Crabtree
Professor Cantrell
Composition II
18 April 2018
Gender Normalities are of the Past
In recent years, gender and identity have become a prominent topic of discussion. Even though people have a choice on what gender they identify as, many people do not agree and argue over there being no possibility of there being more than one gender. Some people simply do disagree that a person may not feel like either a male or female but as something else. There is a social stigma that somehow dictates who someone can or cannot be, which is why gender has been considered to be controversial. While biology does determine the sex of a child, I believe over time, as our personalities change, our genders can become fluid as we decide who we are. Society has built a box that is a norm for gender, but newer generations are breaking open that box by putting themselves into newer categories of their own. While we are born with a specific gender; we can change as we grow into our identities.
Gender norms are becoming a thing of the past as people of all social statuses are coming out about who they really are. This has caused a significant increase in people coming out of their comfort zones and embracing who they are due to the overwhelming support many celebrities have received. However, some celebrities have not had it so easy. Lady Gaga and Caitlyn Jenner are among those who have embraced a new self identity by showing that it is okay to be different (Soriano). They have often faced scrutiny and been targeted for rude comments, but it is these comments that motivate these two celebrities to continue their efforts to provide equality of genders. With Orange is the New Black becoming popular, actress Ruby Rose has been put in the spotlight, along with several other non-gender conforming co-stars, to show a little gender difference doesn't hurt anyone, she is quoted saying, “I am very gender fluid and feel more like I wake up every day sort of gender neutral” (Ruby Rose). There are so many genders out there for anyone who just doesn’t feel like they fit in.
So who are we to say that a person fits into two categories of gender when they do not feel comfortable conforming to traditional genders? “As it becomes more common to be nonconforming—and as slang spreads at lightning speed online—the list of labels people use has grown. In one large-scale survey released in 2016, respondents were asked to write in the term that best its their gender, and researchers received more than 500 unique responses” (Steinmetz 53). A person is whatever they want to be and what they feel they are, according to the new society of the newer generations. There are so many pronouns for each individual that some people has gone as far as to introduce themselves as their gender followed by their individual pronoun that they would like used. It has become so that a persons “identity is outside what has become known as “‘the gender binary”’, and you are neither man nor woman but something either in between or entirely other” (Ditum 2). This idea is becoming more and more common in society and is a confusing topic for some.
At a young age we are not openly exposed to different genders but as we age we get more insight on different identities and with that comes confusion as to what the different genders are and who we really are. “Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they're finished. The person you are right now is as transient, as fleeting and as temporary as all the people you've ever been. The one constant in our life is change” (Gilbert 05:41). I classify myself as a female in a females body so I am just a typical gender, however; my friend, for the sake of confidentiality we will call her Patsy, describes herself as gender fluid because she doesn’t see herself as a specific gender but she still uses feminine pronouns. Social media helps us to see the different genders and how they interact. “The Internet and social media, which many young people do not remember life without, have only increased early exposure to different types of people. … Social media has also made it easier for young people to find themselves—and each other” (Steinmetz 52). Biology sets a foundation for gender but does not always fit the person. For example, a young child may not realize that they feel out of the ordinary, but once puberty kicks in and they decide maybe they aren’t who they are typically assigned to be, they may want to take hormone blockers to become someone who they want to be. However, this is very controversial because some feel as if parents are not parenting the way they should be by allowing their young children to block their hormones. However, a parents job is to "accomplish the goal of shaping their children’s lives” (Gopnik 10) and I feel as if these parents are helping their children become themselves.
Some people would argue that there are only two genders. However, “the differences between men and women sex differences, not gender differences. After all, our species has biological sexes—typically defined by gamete size, genital morphology, the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, and normative sex hormone levels. For sure, there are atypical (and uncommon) variations in sex chromosomes and in pivotal hormonal experiences during sexual development that can make defining one's sex unclear” (Schmitt 68). Many people don’t accept that they are something other than a typical gender for fear of being rejected and I feel as if people who do not accept someone for who they are make it difficult for others to truly be themselves. If I wanted to classify as anything other than female, I would fear that my peers would see me differently and that I would be given an unfair advantage in the work environment due to peoples differing opinions. Variations and experiences in development are what can make one's sex uncertain and so it is up to a person to decide who they are and what they want to be and no one else.
Over time, as our personalities change, our genders can become fluid. We are born with a specific gender; even though, it can change as we grow into our identities. All in all, different genders are going to have their fights due to inequality like any other group that doesn’t fit the average social normalities conducted by age old values that not many people hold anymore. They have a fight, but with handwork and dedication, they can accomplish anything. Though genders aren’t accepted everywhere, it is hoped to be acceptable in the future. People have a right to choose whatever they want to be and that is simply how it is. No one can tell anyone who they are and who they can be because everyone is different and that is what makes it so much more important. Works Cited
Ditum, Sarah. "Why Gender Became the Ultimate Forum for Self-Expression." New Statesman, vol. 146, no. 5354, 17 Feb. 2017, pp. 33-34. EBSCOhost, 199.245.164.25:2048/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=aph&AN=121315645&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Gilbert, Dan. "Transcript of "The Psychology of Your Future Self"." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.ted.com/talks/ dan_gilbert_you_are_always_changing/transcript.
Gopnik, Alison. “A Manifesto Against 'Parenting'.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 8 July 2016, www.wsj.com/articles/a-manifesto-against- parenting-1467991745.
Sadaris, David. “Loggerheads.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/07/loggerheads.
Schmitt, David, P.H.D. "SCULPTED EVOLUTION." Psychology Today Nov 2017: 66,73,92. ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2018
Solomon, Andrew. “How the Worst Moments in Our Lives Make Us Who We Are.” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, www.ted.com/talk/ sandrew_solomon_how_the_worst_moments_in_our_lives_make_us_who_we_are#t- 1038086
Soriano, Michelle. “15 Genderfluid Celebrities You Need to Know.” RebelCircus.com, 29 June 2015, www.rebelcircus.com/blog/genderfluid-celebrities/.
Steinmetz, Katy. "Infinite Identities. (Cover Story)." Time, vol. 189, no. 11, 27 Mar. 2017, p. 48. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=121897742