"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself."
--Harvey Fierstien
He expects its women and men to be constricted based on gender and allow themselves to be victims of deplorable behavior that has seemingly been acceptable on some levels.
Sometimes I think that I miss a lot being open-minded. I cannot fathom how a great deal of our society makes assumptions on others simply because of how people look. Christ, I can’t imagine how I look to someone who thinks like that. I have to wonder what they would see first and gain something negative from. Would it be that I am overweight and think to themselves, somebody needs to get outside more often. Or would the first thing this stranger evaluated be my pierced nose or perhaps my unnatural red hair. Would they think to themselves, Crisis Identity or simply — she’s too old for those sorts of things. What they couldn’t tell you is that I am a group certified group fitness instructor or that I used to be a meth addict or that I used to be an airplane mechanic in the Navy. (The fact that I was in the military just blows people out of the water. The point is I pity the people who expect to find certain stereotypes simply because nobody bothers to talk to anyone anymore. It seems, we as a society, would rather judge than take the time to find out. I ask you—how sad is that?
And as if that isn’t enough
We tell our children that it is perfectly normal simply to be themselves. It is when they become adults that the majority of society persecutes them when they engage in behavior that is counter–stereotypical. As it seems society has a place for us all as long as we fit into the expectations and beliefs of others. For women — it seems when we play the game of life we only get to play as long as we were are nice, smile a lot, and don’t make to much fuss over anything. It is then that we are deemed a great employee, a valued member of an already male top-heavy staff. Yeah, we may smile a lot in public. But beware — you will never know that behind that smile we are planning to get the next big promotion. And that we will do it using the same ruthless strategies that any man would. It is the repercussions of our behavior that we know that we will have to deal with after we move into the new office. In the climb to the top women who do not engage in soft fluffy feel good behavior around the office become a victim of stigmatization. These women are therefore becoming known around the office as that woman who as always having PMS, or is consistently in need of getting laid, or many of the various other evil things other people seem to always make up when a woman engages in behavior that is perfectly acceptable for her male counterparts.
After all, nobody wants to work with a pushy, arrogant, women who competes in a male dominated society like a male. It is simplynot acceptable behavior for a woman. I mean oh my god, some men just hate to think that that bitchy woman who is the butt of their PMS jokes—just might need some acceptance instead of having to deal with overgrown “good ol boys” who can’t accept change. Just a little side note to the men who treat women like the example given, you guys have golf to relax — women have Tae-Bo. I’m telling ya —be afraid—be very afraid.
You may be asking yourself what the point of this exceedingly long rant is. My point is that gender biased behavior will not go away unless we do something about it. Just think, if every adult taught just one child about gender equality — they might just help change the stigma’s that are attached for people who act outside their gender. If one father can teach his son about how woman are as valuable as men they just might be the generation that leads the movement of giving women equality in American society. If we as adults get to know the people around us instead of judging people simply by the way they look or how they might act, we might just create a better place for generations to come.
The higher mental development of woman, the less possible it is for her to meet a congenial male who will see in her, not only sex, but also the human being, the friend, the comrade and strong individuality, who cannot and ought not lose a single trait of her character.”
--Emma Goldman
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