The First of Many
I am a Peacemonger, let’s get that out firsthand. I do not think war is ever the answer. I am an extreme leftist, as liberal as they come; in my politics, my education, my beliefs, my sexuality…virtually every facet of my life. I think the administration of this country has been going downhill for awhile now, and I am skeptical that the next will be much better. In the words of Mr. Constanza, “I have a lot of problems with you people!” I know I’m not alone.
I don’t want you to think this is just going to be another blog shouting a liberal diatribe criticizing my country, conservatives, fundamentalists, and all that shit. Who needs another one of those? There are many more interests to get all hyped up about. For instance, just recently I rented a film called “Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She.” I found this documentary to be particularly informative because it really gets across the spectrum not only of sexuality, but of gender as well. In western society, especially America, most people are constricted by this man-made binary of man and woman, male and female, heterosexual and homosexual. What most people need to realize is that there are so many more variations. Just think about the people you know. Women and men perform – yes, perform – gender in a plethora of ways. I’d even venture to say that there are just as many gender types as there are people on earth. Women wear their hair long, short, buzzed; they dress in pants, skirts, shorts, dresses; they do or they don’t wear make-up and those who do wear varying degrees of it; there are women who love men, who love women, who love genderqueers, who love intersexed; women who ARE genderqueers and intersexed. The same holds true for men. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Anyway, this film could be considered pioneering in its depiction of variety of the sexes.
I bet you didn’t know about Japan’s Lady Boys, did you? Yep, some of the most sexy and longed for “women” in the world are not exactly women at all, but people who are born with a penis and testicles who dress and perform on stage in traditionally feminine garb. Some of these Lady Boys choose to go through reconstructive surgery, but many do not. How would you classify them? Why do we feel the need to? Why are these Lady Boys accepted and, indeed, revered in Japan, but looked upon as freaks by other parts of the world (cough, America, cough)?
Similarly, India has a group of “men” who live their lives as a group of intersexed known as hijras. They are considered a third sex altogether. Once again, this is accepted to an extent by their society. They are known and do not have to hide their identities as most intersexed in America feel the need to.
I think it’s time for the western world to open their minds a little more. With so much evidence to the contrary of our “this or that” categories, it does not make sense to me why the binary cannot be dissolved at this time in order to be widened to include more variety. Look at the world around us! There is so much variety in the flora and fauna, so why do we think humans would be any different?
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