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Did I see the dress as a threat to my legacy, an insult to generations of men who fought wars and presided over propane grills? No, I honestly don't believe that a 4-year-old's Halloween costume has the power to cement his sexual identity for life. I was not threatened by fears of a same-sex, vegan wedding ceremony or a rejection of power tools and the Super Bowl. A far more immediate evil loomed in my magic mirror: children who mock other children.
I found this on Salon today, and thought it might be worth sharing. Very related is this review of this book (there's also this review for those that prefer British spelling, and more that you can get off Google.)
(I seem to be posting links a lot these days. I hope that isn't annoying anyone (they're always to major sites and my machine has survived many trips to them) I like to see how the take here differs from that on 'mainstream' sites (and try not to editorialize as I post for that reason). Maybe I should start my own TG news aggregator? The trouble with that is: I don't have a bloody clue how to go about it! Anyone with tech skills have some extra time? Erin? :P )
Hugs
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Time I have. Skills? Not so much!
Erin, I find your links fascinating. I enjoyed the last one in your post, as it basically said my brain fits the female theories rather than the male. Hey, I already took the BSRI test and found that out. The funny thing is, when my wife took the same test, she came up with the same numbers, only her test showed her to be more masculine. We got a laugh from it. We already knew we were made for each other. She "wears the pants" in our family. If only I didn't look so darn silly in a skirt!
I don't know if there is anything I could do to help you. I do read very fast, and I have good language skills. I have helped edit other peoples work, and participated in a "group" writing effort. (Wow, what a mess!). I am Disabled, and spend most of my time on either BCTS or StardustR.US. If you think I could help in any way, please, ask! I'm very willing.
Wren
hormones, socialization, neurology and bullshit.
The Salon article was beautiful - thanks for sharing it.
The book I'd already seen. I highly recommend it. I'm a bit conflicted, because in my own experience estrogen, at least, does have a pretty powerful psychological effect, and the hell with neurology when you've got a crying jag on. As someone who has been through lots of ups and downs with various hormones, they're not things to mess with. Of course, that doesn't invalidate anything in the book, because she mainly critiques the bullshit sociological and neurological research that's being presented as science. She makes a compelling case for men and women having no innate difference neurologically. I loved her line about neurosexism being the only thing that's provable (I'm paraphrasing).
But hormones and socialization, well, those are different things. Socialization is a powerful, powerful beast, as the Salon article points out.
not as think as i smart i am
Saw it Sunday
This was in the Observer on Sunday last. I debated about posting a reply to it but decided against in the end.
I get irritated by these people who insist that it's all nurture, not nature. If all of what makes us comes from the environment, and nothing is "built in", as it were, then there would be no transgenders apart from the intersexed.
With all the conditioning and steroetyping that any culture imposes on it's young, we should all turn out to be regular, well-adjusted men and women whose minds match the bodies we were born with, wouldn't we?
In this scenario, it should not be possible for such a significant proportion of men (and a smaller group of women) to exist who actively resist the stereotyping to such an extent that we wish to be the exact opposite of what everyone insists we ought to be.
My conclusion is much the same as I have always believed - that although nurture supplies much of what makes us what we are, there must be something either genetic or womb-related which provides a foundation for the person I am.
Penny