No, the comments are really the source of clarification to your point, but I'll rephrase here ('cause I guess there are a fair number by now, eh). I'm not saying gender roles are useless; what I'm saying is that they're too limiting, and oftentimes destructive. I'm also not saying that someone -- who is not me -- does not (or should not) have the choice to take on this or that role, or live up to whatever gender construct as they feel comfortable. What I am saying is that I refuse to play along, and that I staunchly defend my right to defend anyone else within my sphere of influence who also wishes to be free of gender constructs/constraints. IOW: I won't stand by and watch someone else have gender roles shoved down his/her throat.
I think what's possibly most constructive, when it comes to gender constructs, is to simply be an example, and live life pushing at those limitations, to show that one can be all kinds of things usually associated with 'masculine' and still be undoubtedly feminine, or vice versa. For the majority of society to see that neither should have sway over the other (ie, "masculine behaviors are bettah"), I can't change all that but I can act as living proof that you don't have to play the game.
Which is great, because I'm not going to play the game anyway, but it's nice to believe that perhaps it might serve to help someone else realize it's possible to refuse to swallow the cultural constructs wholesale -- and to still be a happy healthy person.
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Date: 8 Mar 2010 09:04 am (UTC)I think what's possibly most constructive, when it comes to gender constructs, is to simply be an example, and live life pushing at those limitations, to show that one can be all kinds of things usually associated with 'masculine' and still be undoubtedly feminine, or vice versa. For the majority of society to see that neither should have sway over the other (ie, "masculine behaviors are bettah"), I can't change all that but I can act as living proof that you don't have to play the game.
Which is great, because I'm not going to play the game anyway, but it's nice to believe that perhaps it might serve to help someone else realize it's possible to refuse to swallow the cultural constructs wholesale -- and to still be a happy healthy person.