The End of Gender
I have begun as of not so late a new personal transformation that I hope will be transformative of the entire society and that is the radical rejection of gender. All of what that entails I will need to come to through deliberation and consideration but it means in the most simple form that I will not be allowing myself to participate in subjugating behaviors, even if I used to think they were fun. This change has been brewing in me for a long while. Every time I should happen upon some poor vagina-having wretch fasting constantly to stay thin and fretting over being "attractive" at the expense of being a full fledged human being with valid opinions and value to impart something in me whispered of the injustice of it. Every time I saw some little girl planning her wedding instead of her own life, dressing as a princess and being encouraged to play with dolls I would cringe. It is not that thinks labeled "feminine" are not with out their own value. Of course child rearing is important to the growth of society but could not that act of nurturing and rearing be better expressed as an infinitive, shared by both genders in common and no gender in particular? Imagine fathers as loving and nurturing as mothers and mothers as good provider and disciplinarians. Imagine if men and women in common could use clothes and other adornments with no distinction made as to which was to be costumed in certain ways. Imagine it all in its glory. No explaining disturbances between persons as typical of the differences in gender. That would make us have to question our genuine compatibility with other humans rather then accept such rifts as natural.
As part of this dream that I hope to achieve partially in myself and someday in my larger environment there have been some casualties already. The first on the chopping block was my high heels. These are not good for anyone, they make the simple act of walking cumbersome and are designed to raise a women's butt in such a way that allures men. I am first and foremost a person and not an object to be desired and this obvious symbol of that human to object transformation that women (a term that is in and of itself hierarchical) are subject to adhere. They had to go. Next on the list other clothing items, shirts that display breasts like decoration cakes behind a thin layer of glass, skirts of all stripe, and the last of my make-up (nail polish included). These are all designed to keep me busy and not challenging the larger systems of control.
I have also dropped the term "boyfriend" and its companion "girlfriend" from my vocabulary, although it is with great difficulty since these terms have been embedded in me over these 23 years. I now substitute the neutral and egalitarian term "partner" to describe my relations with people on an intimate basis. This is met with some confusion since my partner is a man and people equate the term with lesbianism (another example of non-hierarchical intimate relations). I don't mind this confusion because anyone who casts off the yoke of oppressive gender is immediately labeled as such and I am very comfortable with that association. I am not however impersonating a lesbian, I am distinct socially and I recognize that. I have the "benefit" of participating, by perception from the outside only, in the dominate form of sexuality. Sexuality is itself another forced binary and I am sorry to have to address it at all. Who you have sex with should not in anyway carry societal importance.
Additionally I have a new policy of not participating in any capacity in activities that are gender segregated. This is a stupid practice and it keeps women thinking that we really do have differences have societal relevance.
That's all that I can say about the experiment for now. I would welcome any questions concerns or points at anyone has concerning the ending of gender especially if you want to try it yourself. I would note that men too can give up gender by not participating the activities of domination and postures of dominance. I can fill in those sorts of things at a later date.
As part of this dream that I hope to achieve partially in myself and someday in my larger environment there have been some casualties already. The first on the chopping block was my high heels. These are not good for anyone, they make the simple act of walking cumbersome and are designed to raise a women's butt in such a way that allures men. I am first and foremost a person and not an object to be desired and this obvious symbol of that human to object transformation that women (a term that is in and of itself hierarchical) are subject to adhere. They had to go. Next on the list other clothing items, shirts that display breasts like decoration cakes behind a thin layer of glass, skirts of all stripe, and the last of my make-up (nail polish included). These are all designed to keep me busy and not challenging the larger systems of control.
I have also dropped the term "boyfriend" and its companion "girlfriend" from my vocabulary, although it is with great difficulty since these terms have been embedded in me over these 23 years. I now substitute the neutral and egalitarian term "partner" to describe my relations with people on an intimate basis. This is met with some confusion since my partner is a man and people equate the term with lesbianism (another example of non-hierarchical intimate relations). I don't mind this confusion because anyone who casts off the yoke of oppressive gender is immediately labeled as such and I am very comfortable with that association. I am not however impersonating a lesbian, I am distinct socially and I recognize that. I have the "benefit" of participating, by perception from the outside only, in the dominate form of sexuality. Sexuality is itself another forced binary and I am sorry to have to address it at all. Who you have sex with should not in anyway carry societal importance.
Additionally I have a new policy of not participating in any capacity in activities that are gender segregated. This is a stupid practice and it keeps women thinking that we really do have differences have societal relevance.
That's all that I can say about the experiment for now. I would welcome any questions concerns or points at anyone has concerning the ending of gender especially if you want to try it yourself. I would note that men too can give up gender by not participating the activities of domination and postures of dominance. I can fill in those sorts of things at a later date.