Although in recent times the idea of changing gender and/or sex has gained more acceptance, probably simply from the increased visibility and knowledge the general public has experienced, still too often people are unaccepting of this and feel it is wrong, sick, or otherwise strange. Most, if not all, of those who transgress gender lines have experienced what it is like to go out into public and be "read" by others, which means they see you as a genetic member of the opposite sex from that which you are presenting. The response when this happens ranges from indifference, to double or triple takes, to perhaps a wry smile, to outright laughter, name-calling, or worse. It is rather sad that this happens, but it is a factor of our society. In the second part of this essay we learn that in other parts of our planet, and in past times, the "transgendered" phenomenon is treated with awe, respect, and reverence. Our birth sex is totally random; there is no "mystery" behind it, and it is also quite fluid. Hormones dictate all of our bodies' development into male or female--society teaches us how to act accordingly.
In our culture we feel the need to instantly determine a person's gender, as that will be the basis upon how we treat them. In Saturday Night Live, we laugh at the skit with the androgynous character "Pat." Never mind that "Pat" is a slobbering, drooling idiot, we feel that the humor lies in the inability to determine the gender. We also smile in shows when a man walks up behind a person with hair down to the middle of the back and makes a pass, only to find out, embarrassingly, that it was another man. For males growing up it is an 'insult' to be labelled a sissy, or puny, or weak, or 'girlie.' Young males playing with dolls and strollers is 'wrong,' as they should be playing cowboys and indians, or with G.I. Joe. Certainly as adults, there are some areas that males can not cross in everday life. Let's look at a few of these:
Question: Pink for girls and blue for boys, right?
Question: Is having long hair feminine? Even if it is curled or otherwise fashioned?
Question: Is wearing makeup feminine?
Question: What is 'feminine" clothing?
Each of these areas is not only not fundamentally feminine, but also has been accepted as normal by both genders in the past. Yet a genetic male today wearing a wig, makeup, heels, a dress, and carrying a purse is the recipe for a "crossdresser." In recent years this alone could result in being arrested. Of course, there are women who do not subsribe to any of this, and wear pants and flannel with short hair. This is currently acceptable, but was not always so. The REAL story behind why Joan of Arc was burned at the stake is because she would not stop dressing as a man in the fashion of the time. It was determined that she was "possessed" and her body was destroyed.
This page was written on: November 25th, 1996. You are the
Answer: Prior to World War I, girls wore blue and boys wore pink. It was thought that blue was a "light, dainty color" and pink was a "stronger, bolder color." This began changing between the wars and the complete reversal was in place after WWII.
Answer: I think most people would agree it is not, as perms are now 'in' for both genders; many women have very short, boyish cuts. In the British courts even today the judges wear long, curly wigs, as they have for hundreds of years. However, there are places that will not hire a male (military, for one) who has his hair in a long style, or will tell him to "get it cut." And a male with a scrunchie, barretts, or flowers in his hair is a no no.
Answer: The entire cosmetics industry is obviously bent toward females, and a male wearing such items as lipstick and eyeshadow to work is not too acceptable. Yet in past centuries it was the aristocrats of both genders who powdered their faces to appear young, or "untanned" as they were not in the sun like the slaves. Actors and guests appearing on television often wear makeup. For a male to walk into a store, though, wearing "classic red" lipstick with matching fingernails would raise a few eyebrows in most places.
Answer: In ancient Greece, both genders wore the same long dress. In Scotland today, men still wear 'kilts,' which are remarkably similar to miniskirts. Louis the XIV (or something) was the first to wear high heels. British boys wear knickers, or stockings. And what exactly is the difference between a purse and a shoulderbag?
To read the next part of this essay, go here.
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