My Gender Identity Is In Order

I’m not sure why I’ve been thinking about gender roles so much lately. Maybe it’s because I listened to Radio Open Source show on Hillary Clinton. Maybe it’s because of this:

“Sometimes, I think feminism and some feminists expect everyone to march to the same drummer, and Kim really seems to dance to her own tune, despite herself sometimes. Her writing is both personal and political, and she has adorable cats. Kim really comes across as human, strenghts, faults, questions, reflection, the whole deal.adore her blog.” - Boiled Down to This

Or maybe it’s this:

“I have huge shoes to fill of incredible women with incredible minds. On the other hand, I’m sorry to say, I see myself doing this in hugs and heels. This is not to diminish the hard work of those before me, but to now fill the space they’ve left for me with something more than an embrace of the masculine aesthetic. I feel the need to often remind my female students that we are standing on the tremendous shoulders of women before us. But I also gently remind my male students that “Men can be feminists, too”, because feminism is humanism, with the interest of human equality for all. But in doing this, I think it’s fair to say that I’m a part of a generation of women who can now resolve the identity crisis that we inherited from our mothers. We may or may not be able to “have it all”, but don’t need to butcher the best part of our human qualities for the mere price of simply getting ahead. I, for one, feel much further along, if not more well-balanced as a woman. And, thanks very much, I even wear pink shirts sometimes with my flattering female-suits.” Namaste, Full of Grace…

or this:

“I am tired of the whole ‘establishment of creds/Orwellian some feminists are more equal than others’ stuff too. If a woman works for the better of women on various issues, that’s a feminist thing to do. It’s not a class election, it’s not a popularity contest, no one is running for district attorney around here, and no one else gets to decide, judge, appoint, or tell anyone if they are a feminist or not. Yes, we all probably have different ideas on the levels of hardcore feminism and we are all entitled to them…but it has gotten to a point around here where “You’re not a feminist” is starting to sound a lot like ‘You’re not pretty enough.’ In fighting the patriarchy, at least verbally via shaming and other tactics, some folks are pretty much turning into them. Yes, there are levels of hardcore, full on feminism, and some are further down that road than others, but a feminist is a feminist if she takes action to help women in whatever way. She’s not a ‘feminist’, or a feminist(?), she’s a feminist. Maybe a different sort from yourself, but still a feminist. Her concerns and goals and work may be different from your own, but still- a feminist.”
- The Fine Art of Free Speech and Dissent

or maybe it’s reading them all today, but I’m feeling inspired. My gender identity/expression is simply a reflection of who I am allowing myself to be. I feel so much peace and hope because I’m finally free of the cell that I was born into. I hope that we can all work together so that everyone is allowed to simply be, without violence or hatred or even politics.

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