Perhaps you've heard of Jenna Talackova, a BC beauty queen who changed her gender from male to female at the age of 19. She began horomone therapy at age 14 and is currently in the running for the title of Miss Canada.
Although this is a major win for the LGBT community, I can't help but disagree with some of what these pageants represent. The women who participate in these events seem to be ideal women: large breasted, neat, well-kept hair, straight, white teeth, etc. They are philanthropic and usually have goals to better our world. But are the interviews and the televised question-answer a cover for a glorified beauty contest? Isn't that how these pageants start with young children? Some children compete in pageants where they are solely judged on beauty, and later, when they're older, they show off their talents which can range from dancing, acrobatics, singing, etc. But let's have a look at the main events of beauty contests.
In beauty pageants for young ladies, there is an Evening Gown component where ladies dress up in elegant gowns, walk around the stage and illustrate their poise and regal beauty. In some there is a talent portion and/ or a national or themed costume where ladies perform a talent or show off their national representation via costume or a fun themed dress. There is also a swimsuit portion, which consists mostly of fabulously shaped bodies in scanty bikinis. And the interview where contestants illustrate their mental prowess and hopes and dreams for their future and the future of their world.
It seems, with all of the physical display of these fantastically, symmetrical women, that the interview is a bit of a cheap shot by creators of pageants. Everyone wants to raise young ladies who are thoughtful in addition to beautiful, but do we need to endorse large breasts, expensive dresses and fake tans?
Part of the reason why I would like to see Miss Jenna Talackova as Miss Canada is because she represents a change in gender thinking. Although she conforms to society's definition of female beauty, she has effectively challenged and broken down a barrier for the LGBT community. I hope that her involvement in this competition will provide many other transgender individuals with empowerment.
Thursday 31 May 2012
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Have you seen this???
Take a gander at this lovely lady you see in the photo above. No, she's not an ex-beauty pagent queen. Nor is she the wife of a prominent Asian leader. She is Aung San Suu Kyi, world leader in democracy and advocate for Burmese migrants. She won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, among others, for human rights and used her winnings to establish a trust fund for the Burmese people.
She was privileged in that she was able to attend British and American universities - lots of girls today don't get a chance to finish highschool, let alone go on to study in a local post-secondary institution (if there is one). But Suu Kyi did not take her education lightly, she used it and her power as a human being to fight for the Burmese people. How many people do you know who would walk towards a squad of guards pointing rifles at them? Begin a hunger strike to ensure the safety of students and advocates of democracy? Not see their husband, dying of prostate cancer, because they would never be allowed back into their home country, never be allowed back to fight for their people?
To me, this woman is a pillar of strength that we can all admire and aspire to be like. To me, this woman shows us that Feminism is not dead; women working to achieve rights for their people (men and women) is still happening, and must continue to happen. So, my dear "Anti-Feminists", take a good look at this woman and think of the years and years where women were not allowed to speak publicly or to go to school or to enter politics. Think about these things and then ask yourself if the world really would be a better place without Feminism.
Trans-jailed
I've been slightly addicted to watching Louis Theroux documentaries on YouTube, and I just have to delve into one about the San Quentin prison. It mostly concerns racial segregation and how people of various races find protection within their own race groups in the jail, but I was deeply interested in an inmate who preferred to be known as Deborah.
A woman in a men's prison? Not quite. Deborah is a transgender woman. My mind was blown. A man, living as a woman, in a men's prison? What I found particularly interesting was the "home-life" she spoke of. Deborah said that the men in the prison who have transgendered cell-mates are appreciative of the feminine air of the cell (not to mention any other physical benefits); she says it's similar to coming home to a sweetie at the end of a hard day, like out in the real world. I wonder what would come of placing Deborah in a women's prison, since she considers herself to be a woman. Would she become a top-dog in a women's prison because of her physical capabilites? Or would she blend in? I wonder if there are any qualities that rub off on her while she is in prison with so many other men. Does she engage in fights? Or is she protected by her partner and other transgender women? From the video, it seems like the conversation Louis has with the couple could have taken place on a porch in a cute suburb. I suppose prisoners, being locked inside for most of the day unless it's their 2 hours of yard time, need someone to connect with sometimes.
After seeing Deborah and her partner together, I wonder what a transgender male would be like in a women's prison. Depending on his physical capacity, he might not be very welcome in the prison. In fact, he might be unwelcome due to his sexual orientation. Who knows?
I find it fascinating that people who spend most of their time shuffling around in a cell all day are able to find a connection with someone on a romantic level.
One homosexual couple that Louis interviewed hadn't slept together, yet they remained an item. They say they're geared more towards companionship. Is all this just desperation to find someone to love? Or is it a true, absolute change of heart towards another gender, or transgender?
A woman in a men's prison? Not quite. Deborah is a transgender woman. My mind was blown. A man, living as a woman, in a men's prison? What I found particularly interesting was the "home-life" she spoke of. Deborah said that the men in the prison who have transgendered cell-mates are appreciative of the feminine air of the cell (not to mention any other physical benefits); she says it's similar to coming home to a sweetie at the end of a hard day, like out in the real world. I wonder what would come of placing Deborah in a women's prison, since she considers herself to be a woman. Would she become a top-dog in a women's prison because of her physical capabilites? Or would she blend in? I wonder if there are any qualities that rub off on her while she is in prison with so many other men. Does she engage in fights? Or is she protected by her partner and other transgender women? From the video, it seems like the conversation Louis has with the couple could have taken place on a porch in a cute suburb. I suppose prisoners, being locked inside for most of the day unless it's their 2 hours of yard time, need someone to connect with sometimes.
After seeing Deborah and her partner together, I wonder what a transgender male would be like in a women's prison. Depending on his physical capacity, he might not be very welcome in the prison. In fact, he might be unwelcome due to his sexual orientation. Who knows?
I find it fascinating that people who spend most of their time shuffling around in a cell all day are able to find a connection with someone on a romantic level.
One homosexual couple that Louis interviewed hadn't slept together, yet they remained an item. They say they're geared more towards companionship. Is all this just desperation to find someone to love? Or is it a true, absolute change of heart towards another gender, or transgender?
Monday 28 May 2012
Zoya's Story
One thing that's on my "Bucket List" is to help (in some fashion) girls in oppressive situations get education; help build a school or help fund educational initiatives.
The story that inspired me to put this on my list is called Zoya's Story. Published in 2002, Zoya shows readers a young-Afghani woman's struggles to grow up and be educated in a tumultuous area. Although it's not written with the prowess of Chaucer, it's more than an easy read. Women who lead privileged lives, such as myself, don't see beyond their own progressive borders. By reading Zoya's story, my attention drew beyond North America, and my interest in promoting equality grew. Zoya has been through more than a teenage boy has experienced playing Call of Duty. This book is a must read! Although, I have to admit, it give a sense of "we're right and you're wrong" to first-world people, but it shouldn't be the norm for women to have to sneak reading and writing materials into homes. There shouldn't be guards with guns outside schools to protect the women and children from being shot at. Women, as human beings, have a right to education. My idealist hope is that one day we will all have an opportunity for equal education. Whether this will happen in my lifetime, at all, is, sadly, unknown.
The story that inspired me to put this on my list is called Zoya's Story. Published in 2002, Zoya shows readers a young-Afghani woman's struggles to grow up and be educated in a tumultuous area. Although it's not written with the prowess of Chaucer, it's more than an easy read. Women who lead privileged lives, such as myself, don't see beyond their own progressive borders. By reading Zoya's story, my attention drew beyond North America, and my interest in promoting equality grew. Zoya has been through more than a teenage boy has experienced playing Call of Duty. This book is a must read! Although, I have to admit, it give a sense of "we're right and you're wrong" to first-world people, but it shouldn't be the norm for women to have to sneak reading and writing materials into homes. There shouldn't be guards with guns outside schools to protect the women and children from being shot at. Women, as human beings, have a right to education. My idealist hope is that one day we will all have an opportunity for equal education. Whether this will happen in my lifetime, at all, is, sadly, unknown.
Sunday 27 May 2012
G is for Gender?
When I think of men vs. women, I always wonder how this division came about and what it really means.
Gender is a construction in an attempt to create order and define different groups of human beings. But how can we possibly define genders with the amount of gender bending going on? What springs to my mind is "transgender". How can you possibly attempt to define someone who has made the transition from one gender to another? How can you define what gender someone is when they feel they don't fit into a category? What if you identify with both? Can you imagine not fitting in because you don't feel your physical attributes contribute to the definition of who you are?
Gender only serves to pit humans against other humans due to their differences. Gender attempts to dictate how you dress, how you rebel, your acceptable careers, your movements, your gestures, your eating habits... You name it. In order to achieve equality, gender will need to disappear. But this means that all sorts of words will also need to disappear. Man, woman, he, she, mother, father, aunt, uncle, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, girl, boy, niece, nephew, husband, wife. (You get the idea.)
But how would our societies be able to function without these words that we've been using for so long? Judith Butler says that these gendered words includes all sorts of societal influences which oppress said genders. I agree, but I always come back to the question, How? How would you control the words that come out of 7 billion mouths?
The only thing that we can do in order to amend this "gender mystique" is to include more gendered terms. We need to apply new terms to people who can't be defined by the tradition man/woman terms. Perhaps the road we need to take is not one of extermination of gender terms, but inclusivity.
Gender is a construction in an attempt to create order and define different groups of human beings. But how can we possibly define genders with the amount of gender bending going on? What springs to my mind is "transgender". How can you possibly attempt to define someone who has made the transition from one gender to another? How can you define what gender someone is when they feel they don't fit into a category? What if you identify with both? Can you imagine not fitting in because you don't feel your physical attributes contribute to the definition of who you are?
Gender only serves to pit humans against other humans due to their differences. Gender attempts to dictate how you dress, how you rebel, your acceptable careers, your movements, your gestures, your eating habits... You name it. In order to achieve equality, gender will need to disappear. But this means that all sorts of words will also need to disappear. Man, woman, he, she, mother, father, aunt, uncle, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, girl, boy, niece, nephew, husband, wife. (You get the idea.)
But how would our societies be able to function without these words that we've been using for so long? Judith Butler says that these gendered words includes all sorts of societal influences which oppress said genders. I agree, but I always come back to the question, How? How would you control the words that come out of 7 billion mouths?
The only thing that we can do in order to amend this "gender mystique" is to include more gendered terms. We need to apply new terms to people who can't be defined by the tradition man/woman terms. Perhaps the road we need to take is not one of extermination of gender terms, but inclusivity.
Tuesday 22 May 2012
First Post!
Welcome to Chowin Down!
After multiple comments and postings on YouTube videos, I decided I should start a blog so that I can share my opinions without annoying video posters with too many responses to other comments. Here we go!
In Which I Confront My Own Beliefs Concerning Feminism
I watch my fair share of YouTube videos, but one video caught my eye. It was a woman who claimed to be an "anti-Feminist". This confused me. How can a woman with a YouTube channel, who shares her thoughts, talents, and beliefs and values be against Femenism? I desperately wanted to write back to this woman, and this made me consider my own definition about Feminism. What is Feminism?
My first thought was that I can't narrow down my personal definition and include others'; it would have to be tailored to my beliefs (as all 'isms are). I know I don't believe that women or men are more valuable than the other. I believe that men and women complement each other in terms of physical functions (men generally being predisposed to more muscles, and women being predisposed to deliver babies). However, these attributes (and others) that make our genders - and any new cross or mixed gender - do not achieve higher status than others. It was this strong belief that led me to my current understanding of what Feminism is to me: my Feminism is solely about equality.
I am reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and my eye was caught by one of the most obvious statements: early feminists of the 1920s were looking up to men as role models when they were beginning their fight for women's rights. These women would look at the outside world that men were involved in and say, "I want to be a part of that" NOT "I want that to be MY world, run by MY rules". Early feminists called attention to the fact that women think just as much as men do about the world. When the War was happening, women were employed in factories, doing what was usually considered "men's work". They were employed with the army as nurses and aides. I've heard about one woman who dressed as a man and drove a delivery truck during the war. Women were not concerned with "stealing" men's jobs, they were concerned with the War effort. I can definitely believe the first taste of contributing to society would be addicting.
These early feminists are my role models. They were fighting for rights to speak in public, the right to education, the right to work. They were not fighting against men, just for the barriers that prevented them from sharing their views as human beings. I strongly believe that our connection as human beings comes before gender. I believe that the goal of Feminism is to make itself obsolete. When Feminism no longer exists, when women no longer feel the need to fight for equality, that is when we will have all recognized our human-ness.
When I look back on the video this woman posted, and the comments that offended me as a woman and a feminist, I have to pause and give silent congratulations to these early freedom fighters. This woman would not be on YouTube, speaking to a large public, sharing her personal views, if not for women like Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth, and Louisa May Alcott. Although she may not know it, this woman is building on the foundation of these pioneer Feminists. She is advocating for her right to speak as a woman, to women.
My Feminist beliefs do not seek to alienate or target men as bad people. I value men as a counter-part to our society and respect those who contribute to keeping the core values of Feminism alive. In fact, I respect anyone, of any sex, who stands up for Feminist beliefs.
To those who seriously oppose Feminism, I suggest you do your research into its history, founders, struggles, and the key values it supports. Equality is the love boat we can all get on; no matter our "ism".
After multiple comments and postings on YouTube videos, I decided I should start a blog so that I can share my opinions without annoying video posters with too many responses to other comments. Here we go!
In Which I Confront My Own Beliefs Concerning Feminism
I watch my fair share of YouTube videos, but one video caught my eye. It was a woman who claimed to be an "anti-Feminist". This confused me. How can a woman with a YouTube channel, who shares her thoughts, talents, and beliefs and values be against Femenism? I desperately wanted to write back to this woman, and this made me consider my own definition about Feminism. What is Feminism?
My first thought was that I can't narrow down my personal definition and include others'; it would have to be tailored to my beliefs (as all 'isms are). I know I don't believe that women or men are more valuable than the other. I believe that men and women complement each other in terms of physical functions (men generally being predisposed to more muscles, and women being predisposed to deliver babies). However, these attributes (and others) that make our genders - and any new cross or mixed gender - do not achieve higher status than others. It was this strong belief that led me to my current understanding of what Feminism is to me: my Feminism is solely about equality.
I am reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and my eye was caught by one of the most obvious statements: early feminists of the 1920s were looking up to men as role models when they were beginning their fight for women's rights. These women would look at the outside world that men were involved in and say, "I want to be a part of that" NOT "I want that to be MY world, run by MY rules". Early feminists called attention to the fact that women think just as much as men do about the world. When the War was happening, women were employed in factories, doing what was usually considered "men's work". They were employed with the army as nurses and aides. I've heard about one woman who dressed as a man and drove a delivery truck during the war. Women were not concerned with "stealing" men's jobs, they were concerned with the War effort. I can definitely believe the first taste of contributing to society would be addicting.
These early feminists are my role models. They were fighting for rights to speak in public, the right to education, the right to work. They were not fighting against men, just for the barriers that prevented them from sharing their views as human beings. I strongly believe that our connection as human beings comes before gender. I believe that the goal of Feminism is to make itself obsolete. When Feminism no longer exists, when women no longer feel the need to fight for equality, that is when we will have all recognized our human-ness.
When I look back on the video this woman posted, and the comments that offended me as a woman and a feminist, I have to pause and give silent congratulations to these early freedom fighters. This woman would not be on YouTube, speaking to a large public, sharing her personal views, if not for women like Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth, and Louisa May Alcott. Although she may not know it, this woman is building on the foundation of these pioneer Feminists. She is advocating for her right to speak as a woman, to women.
My Feminist beliefs do not seek to alienate or target men as bad people. I value men as a counter-part to our society and respect those who contribute to keeping the core values of Feminism alive. In fact, I respect anyone, of any sex, who stands up for Feminist beliefs.
To those who seriously oppose Feminism, I suggest you do your research into its history, founders, struggles, and the key values it supports. Equality is the love boat we can all get on; no matter our "ism".
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