Aziz Troupe Essays (415 words) - Gender, Gender Studies, Identity

Aziz Troupe October 9, 2017 In the United States when people think of a typical American they think of a Caucasian, Christian, straight person. If you don't believe me, look at most television shows and see if the main character fits the description. America was founded by Puritans trying to escape persecution in England but when they arrived they persecuted the Native Americans until they eventually committed mass genocide. Now in the modern era the new Native Americans, to a degree, are Homosexuals and Transgender people. Personally, I have a gay cousin I've been raised around since I was born. I don't have any issues with gay people but a lot of Americans are homophobic. Many people think you should act according to your gender, meaning that boys should play sports, get dirty, and be as macho as they possibly can, while girls should paint their nails, wear dresses and skirts, and put on their makeup. If a gender decides to do what the opposite gender does, they are immediately questioned and labeled. Matt Du ron, a senior police officer and author of "My Son Wears Dresses; Get Over It", has a son who "only likes girl stuff and wants to be treated like a girl". If he mentions his son's behavior to anyone other than his close friends he is faced with responses like "Man, how do you deal with that? I couldn't do it. Not in my house.". Duron is considered crazy by people for allowing his son to be who he truly wants to be, and that is the problem we face in America. If it doesn't conform to our society's definition of "normal", it is considered absurd and should not be tolerated. Sarah Showfety, author of "Field Guide to the Tomboy", described being a "classic tomboy" as breaking the walls of gender conformity by "avoiding pink clothes, lipstick and nail polish". She avoided all things that typical girls do, not to show that she was better or because she wanted to be different, but rather to express who she was. Similarly, Jennifer Finney Boylan, transgender and author of "A Life in Two Gen ders", went against the traditional roles of gender. Boylan transitioned from man to woman and describes it as "Clark Kent turning into Superman." All three authors share the same position on gender role: that roles are simply for acting. People are who they are and society should be fine with it. In short, and in Boylan's words, "it is what it is."