Gender The development of a human being in a mother's womb is a wondrous thing. Not only do the cells grow and multiply to form an incredibly complex biological entity, but by some incredible manner becomes a recognizable human infant having arms, legs, fingers, etc., plus all of the internal organs required to be a living person. If that isn't enough of a miracle the tiny person who enters into the world comes with a selection of personal characteristics. The infant is born with unique capabilities for music, or not, athletic ability, greater or little, an aptitude for mathematics and science, or not, artistic ability, or not. The child will be most adept with the right hand or with the left hand. All of this before any nurturing, training or conditioning starts to take place. Incredible! It is interesting that all of this diversity is accepted by society without question. There are no academic studies done, (that I know of), to determine why a child has an aptitude for music rather than hockey. It's just the way the child is. The father may be disappointed that his son is not going to be a hockey player but I doubt that any father would send his young son to a psychiatrist to try to effect a cure. If the father did so, society would think the father is nuts, not the child. It is true that there was once a time when left handed people were considered evil and even burned. We have grown out of that mind set for the most part. However, a short while ago I was talking to a man in his early 30's who said he was not forced to write "right handed" at school - but while all the other students received help - he did not. Prejudices and taboos die hard. Considering all of the diversity society accepts, and sometimes celebrates, in the characteristics of our fellow humans one has to wonder why the same diversity is not accepted, and celebrated when it comes to gender. Our sense of self is just one of many formed as we developed in our mothers womb. We have no problem waiting to see if a child has an aptitude for science or the arts. Why can we not wait a while to discover whether the child will develop a masculine or feminine personality and celebrate what ever is realized? Perhaps if society could look at gender in a much larger context society would follow the same path as it has about "left handedness". It's no big deal. Let the child become the mature person that was formed in the womb. |
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