I have to say I rather like the large number of comments from people who are 'just me' and 'don't get gender'. I also expect many of them are quite a bit younger than I (51). I know exactly what it is people are talking about; what it is they want from me as a female and what a lot of folks mean by gender. I just don't much care. And I came there through lots of struggle. If I had a dollar for every time my mother criticized me for not behaving more like a 'lady' I'd be pretty darn well off. It was a very different time.
Human beings seem to have an inherent need to sort, categorize, and label. I'm really good at -- it used to be my job. But I was a cataloger/classifier of printed material, not people. Trying to apply labels to human beings is a pretty futile process. I mean, we change you know? Sometimes I wear girly dresses and cook elaborate meals from scratch and paint my fingernails. Other times I wear jeans and watch football and swear like a sailor. And then too, sometimes I paint my nails while watching football and swearing like a sailor. :-) I do those things because I like them. Neither I nor my husband fulfill stereotyped gender expectations.
As I said, I like that so many people commenting here don't 'get' it. They got where I am without as much struggle and damage as I took. Progress!
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Date: 2003-11-10 12:14 pm (UTC)Human beings seem to have an inherent need to sort, categorize, and label. I'm really good at -- it used to be my job. But I was a cataloger/classifier of printed material, not people. Trying to apply labels to human beings is a pretty futile process. I mean, we change you know? Sometimes I wear girly dresses and cook elaborate meals from scratch and paint my fingernails. Other times I wear jeans and watch football and swear like a sailor. And then too, sometimes I paint my nails while watching football and swearing like a sailor. :-) I do those things because I like them. Neither I nor my husband fulfill stereotyped gender expectations.
As I said, I like that so many people commenting here don't 'get' it. They got where I am without as much struggle and damage as I took. Progress!
MKK