I've recently been kind of engrossed with the whole idea of gender fluidity and a non binary definition of gender. I guess I've been thinking about these things my whole life, but only recently really started reading and thinking more seriously. The political season has lots of people all fired up and the supreme court case on gay marriage has got issues of "queerness" on peoples minds. I think something that really got me thinking about issues of gender was an argument I got in at work awhile back, this was last year when Caitlyn was in the news everyday.

One of my co-workers is a Rush Limbaugh fan and listens to him all day then tells us about it. So he says, "can you believe this story with the woman who wants to be blind." Of course this was carried on one of his right wing radio shows, but he assumes its mainstream news and we'd all know.

"No idea," I reply trying to sound uninterested.

"Well a doctor actually blinded a woman because she wanted to lose her sight, that doctor ought to be in prison," he exclaims.

"Hmm," I say.

Another co-worker pipes in, "Maybe they wanted to be blind so that they could collect public aid the rest of their life." I thought this comment was so stupid I didn't even respond.

"Yeah, she always wanted to be blind, can't stand her eye sight, finally got some quack doctor to blind her, what these people really need is help for their mental disorder," he says. Now I know where this is going when he says these people. Since he knows that my views are predominately liberal I'm sure he figures I'll take the bait and I do.

"Maybe the right help for her disorder was to be blind," I said.

"That's completely insane, doctors take a oath to do no harm, not mutilate people," he replies.

"Well, it's not really got anything to do with me, not something that I worry about, why are you so upset about it" I ask?

Because it's wrong, things are getting out of control. It's just like these transgendered people, I feel sorry for them, they don't need to be turned into women they need mental help," he says. Yeah so he gets to the point finally.

"Maybe they would need less mental help if people left them alone," I said.

"These people have mental illness and they need treatment, not insane doctors," he replies.

"Yeah I agree some people need treatment, but that should be between them and their doctors," I said ending the discussion thankfully.

I thought about this for awhile that day, I just can't understand why someone feels like they should have a say in what other people do with their bodies when it has no effect on them. I suppose this argument spurred me into thinking about my own gender issues some. I had to wonder, why did it bother me so much that he was so opposed to gender change stuff. I've never felt uncomfortable with my own body, but I have felt uncomfortable with some of the gender role expectations of being a male.

I wish one day we'll live in a society where attitudes like his are a thing of the past.