Categories
Gender/ sexuality

Pressures on women, anti – trans rhetoric and LGBTQ+ bigotry are linked. Here’s how

Group of women from various cultural backgrounds smiling and laughing together
Image: SouthWorks, iStock

Last year, people were asking one question — what is a woman? Daily Wire’s, Matt Walsh made a documentary asking people that very question.

I haven’t watched What Is A Woman? I’ve only seen a great critique from YouTuber, Jessie Gender.

Through parody, Jessie Gender explored gender norms and steretypes. She also explored the role of patriarchy.

Jessie Gender parodying Matt Walsh
Through parodying commentator, Matt Walsh, Jessie Gender explored gender, gender stereotypes and oppression

She criticised Walsh’s interview style, including using leading questions and using the Maasai tribe to enforce traditional gender roles. What Walsh failed to admit was that life for Maasai women is oppressive.

Most Maasai women aren’t educated. According to Maasai Girl Education, only 48% of girls are enrolled in primary education. Only 10% enrol in secondary education.

Even more shocking, when a girl hits puberty (11 to 13), Maasai girls are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM).

The Maasai tribe sees gender as more black and white than the West. Women are also treated as second class citizens. So ot beats me why Walsh used them to reinforce his arguments.

Dictionary expands definition of ‘woman’

Different dictionaries have different definitions for ‘woman’.

Merriam – Webster defines ‘woman’ as:

a. An adult female person

b. a woman belonging to a particularly category (as by birth, residence, membership or occupation) — usually used in combination

Cambridge Dictionary has a more expansive definition:

an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.

Don’t use motherhood as a means to exclude

One contention about the definition of woman is motherhood. ‘Women have the ability to bear children!’, conservatives boom.

People are going to be annoyed by these cliches, but:

  • What about cis women that are infertile?
  • What about women that will never get into a stable (straight) relationship to have a child naturally?
  • What about women who have fertility issues because they’re intersex?
  • What about aromantic asexual woman who never enters a straight relationship?
  • Is it still OK for lesbian/ homoromantic and other women who love women (wlw) to seek IVF to have a baby?

I think the sudden obsession about motherhood is deliberately heteronormative. Something some women will never be.

I think that’s by design…

This is an attack on LGBTQ+ people as a whole

Trigger warning: this part of the post deals with gun voilence and homophobia. Please proceed with caution or stop reading this post altogeter.

Basing gender debate on stereotypes is an attack on LGBTQ+ people. It’s no coincidence that the gender debate has coincided with fearmongering over drag queens.

It’s also no coincidence that same – sex marriage was temporarily on shaky ground in the U.S. And, while conservatives can’t be blamed, five people were gunned down at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado last November.

Yes, yes, the shooter who I won’t name) is non – binary. They also have a very homophobic father.

Like the aftermath of Pulse Nightclub massacre in 2016, pastors praised the murders at Club Q.

LGBTQ+ people, especially in the US, are in dangerous and uncertain territory. This is why I don’t understand how LGBTQ+ people who agree with people who are transphobic. Be careful!

I believe that there is a backlash against the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s hope it doesn’t result in LGBTQ+ rights being erased.

What do you think? What’s your view on Matt Walsh’s documentary? What about the state of LGBTQ+ rights in the West? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Categories
Retail and Marketing

#NotAllFeminists #NotAllTransAllies

Popular Australian clothing,  brand, Peter Alexander, has come under fire for pulling pajama tops saying “Boys will be boys”, after one mother complained that the slogan was sexist on their Facebook page.

Did you read that? ONE mother allegedly complained that the slogan ‘boys will be boys’ was offensive and sexist.

To be clear, I think the complaint was silly, as was the move by Peter Alexander. What next? Are radio stations going to pull the Choirboys’ song of the same name?

 

I agree with Herald Sun columnist, Sky News presenter and 3AW regular, Rita Panahi who said that the brand should not have bowed down to one complaint.

I want to emphasise this. There was ONE complaint by ONE woman. Needless to say that this is NOT representative of all women or all feminists.

This is NOT representative of tarnsgender people, non – binary people or their allies. 

This is one idiot who made one comment and Peter Alexander was a fool for such a knee – jerk reaction.

So, in the coming days, let’s not turn it into something it’s not:

  • It’s not representative of all feminists
  • It’s not representative of all progressives
  • It’s not representatives of all transgender/ non – binary people and their allies

It is only representative of one idiot who decided that a well – known saying was offensive and one idiotic company that decided to overreact to that one complaint.

Categories
Opinion/Commentary

We need to stop demonising men

Former UK football star, David Beckham was slammed after he shared a picture of him kissing his daughter, Harper on the lips. Each to their own when it comes to affection. I’m more of a hugger myself. But this outrage over this non – sexual (can’t believe I had to write that) act of affection doesn’t do anyone justice.

This isn’t the first time a father has come under attack and their relationship with their daughters has been scrutinised. Last year, Arizona – based photographer, Heather Whitten was at risk of being charged with neglect when a photo she took in 2014 went viral. It was of a father nursing his sick daughter in the shower.

There is no doubt that child abuse is a scourge on society that needs to be eradicated. Demonising parents falsely — especially fathers — doesn’t help anyone.

Father with newborn baby
Image: iStock

 

Yes, there are men that do terrible things to both their partners and children. Same can be said for women, too. But to hit the roof and demonise men that aren’t abusive doesn’t help anyone and is proven to be detrimental. A lack of male teachers is a well – known problem.

Family law often leave fathers high and dry. While there is more awareness and pushes to change family law so this gender bias isn’t so strong, it still has a tragic effect. Fighting what is often a losing battle can take a toll on them and result in suicide.

Unforunately, the media plays a role in the demonisation of men. I’m not talking about fictional fathers like Homer Simpson. Earlier this year, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article from a woman who wouldn’t leave her daughter with a man. That included a male relative.

The majority  of men are good. A majority of husbands/ partners and fathers want to do the right thing by their loved ones, including children. Are they perfect? Of course not, but the majority don’t deserve this demonisation.

How do you think this mentality affects young boys? How can boys not feel horrible about who they are when their gender is constantly under fire. How can this not backfire — you tell someone how terrible they are long enough, they’re going to end up, not just believing it, but living it. How can a straight man be expected to commit to a woman? I think feminists are shooting themselves in the foot.

For the men who do their best to look after their loved ones, good on you. For those who want to commit to their partner/ spouse — *applause*. For the fathers who are committed to looking after children, regardless whether they’re with the mother or not, good on you and keep going! Step – fathers, same thing.

 

This post just got me thinking – in the U.S. it was Father’s Day not that long ago (was it last weekend?). Hope all the fathers in the U.S. had a good day.

 

What do you think about this? Do you think men are unfairly targeted, especially when it comes to children? Feel free to left your thoughts below.

 

 

 

Gender stereotypes and the role of popular culture in portraying attitudes

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Should Snow White be analysed for portrayal of gender stereotypes?

The Victorian State Government has come under fire for the “Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships” has come under fire again for allegedly encouraging children as young as three to see if fairy tales are sexist. According to news.com.au writer and Mamamia Editor in Chief, Jamila Rizvi, the Andrews Government is not banning fairy tales, but is encouraging children to look at fairy tales critically and see whether they enforce gender stereotypes.

If Rizvi is right, that’s not a bad idea for older children, not three, four or five. Children this age should be able to read fairy tales or other stories for recreation, without having to think too much about sociological issues.

Hearing and reading about this debate has got me thinking about fairy tales, especially Disney’s adaptations and their impact on society. I grew up watching “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Cinderella”. I always wanted the videos like one of my cousins did (I did end up getting them). How did it affect me growing up? Apart from wishing magic wands and magic carpets (i.e. from Aladdin) were real, it never really had an impact on me.

 

In terms of attitudes about gender, we have to realise that the times in which they originally came out. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in February 1938, while Disney’s adaptation of Cinderella came out in 1950. Apart from women starting to work due to the Second World War, gender roles would have been traditional… or at least that’s what was expected. These films were made before the Civil Rights era in the U.S, so even having a mixed – racial marriage would in film would’ve caused a backlash. What I’m saying is I think before we condemn fairy tales for being “sexist” or even “hetero-normative”, it’s useful to keep in mind the period and, quite frankly, the pressure Walt Disney and other writers, cartoonists, etc at the time would have been under to tow a line to be deemed appropriate.

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Disney’s Cinderella. Released in 1950

Disney tales and the 21st Century

Having said all that, growing up with Disney, I’ve also realised that the 1990’s and 2000’s have seen an expansion in story lines created by Disney cartoonists. Not all follow the prince/ princess narrative or portray gender stereotypes. The two I can think of immediately are Mulan (1998) and the four Toy Story movies (1995, 1999, 2010 and scheduled for 2019), and Frozen (2013).

For those who don’t know, Mulan is about a young Chinese woman who takes her father’s place in fighting the Hun army and save China. To do this,she dresses and pretends to be a man, (although, sometimes unconvincing, I must say). She fights with the men, along with sidekick dragon, Mushu, and becomes a hero, even after she is exposed for who she really is. She does fall in love with the captain, Shang, but only after she fights the Hun army and saves Shang’s life after he is wounded in battle.

Disney/ Pixar Toy Story series (which I’ve seen one and two), is largely about family, friendship and belonging. Apart from Bo – Peeps massive crush on Woody the cowboy doll, the first and second films are more based on the friendships between Woody, Buzz Light-year the spaceman figure and Jessie the cowgirl (in Toy Story 2). Toy Story Two deals with issues such as belonging, fears of abandonment and friendship – all issues that would be appropriate for educators, parents and teachers to talk about to their children.

While I haven’t seen it, I heard creator Chris Buck talk to One Plus One host Jane Hutcheon about the intent and the focus of the hit film. He said that the main focus of the film was about the relationship and love between the protagonist, Princess Elsa and her sister, Princess Anna and their reconciliation.

I can’t see why children couldn’t be exposed to both the traditional Disney fairy tales and the modern ones that break the fairy tale mould. At least it’ll give them more than one perspective if that’s what you’re worried about. Most importantly, let kids be kids. If a child expresses troubling behaviour, then address it, get Department of Community Services (DCS) involved if they are showing signs of abuse. Fairy tales are not to blame for that. And children’s entertainment shouldn’t be treated with such scrutiny from adults.

What are your thoughts? Did you grow up reading and watching Disney movies? What were your favourites?