Gender Studies I

[Kepler]

Mary and Anne:



x 2 billion followers!

[Kepler]

Oh, Beeb...

The BBC has defended its nomination of "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, who offended many with her comments on transgender people. The British public broadcaster said offense is the "price of free speech."

The BBC's annual Russell Prize, named after British writer Bertrand Russell, has attracted public attention this year due to its nomination list which includes author J.K. Rowling.

The writer behind the Harry Potter series was in the running for her essay on sex and gender that triggered a public furor when it was first released in June. The essay made controversial statements about trans rights and the classification of trans women as women.

In the essay, Rowling opened up about her experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault. She said the rise of trans activism would erase the concept of sex that defines the lives of many women.

"I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman — and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones — then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside," she wrote in the essay

Yes, the pure-hearted bravery of hanging on the tip of a billionaire in the publishing industry. The very image of the Areopagitica.

[ericredaxe]

Oh, Beeb...



Yes, the pure-hearted bravery of hanging on the tip of a billionaire in the publishing industry. The very image of the Areopagitica.

Seems to be it would be pretty easy to identify / call out anyone who is "faking" being trans for the purposes in gaining access to a women's locker room / bathroom... if that ever even happens.

[MissThundercat]

Seems to be it would be pretty easy to identify / call out anyone who is "faking" being trans for the purposes in gaining access to a women's locker room / bathroom... if that ever even happens.

And predatory a-holes aren't going to fake being anything.

[MissThundercat]

https://twitter.com/PoorlyAgedStuff/...858688/photo/1

[MissThundercat]

When you talk of "positive masculinity," it's inevitably Bob Ross, Fred Rogers, LeVar Burton, and Steve Irwin. Any others you can add to the list? I'll add Colin Mochrie, unless he's done something so unspeakable, we can't mention it here.

[Kepler]

When you talk of "positive masculinity," it's inevitably Bob Ross, Fred Rogers, LeVar Burton, and Steve Irwin.

So. Femininity?

I keed, I keed...

[dxmnkd316]

I was thinking about that question yesterday.

first, I guess I’ve never heard of the concept of “positive masculinity”. Obviously we’ve all heard of toxic masculinity, so I suppose it makes sense to have “positive”. But I’m still not sure what it means.

I went to Wikipedia and that was no help. In fact, I’m starting to get the impression toxic masculinity is kind of poorly defined as well. Or rather, it’s not great.

The American Psychological Association has warned that "traditional masculinity ideology" is associated with negative effects on mental and physical health.^[27][28] Men who adhere to traditionally masculine cultural norms, such as risk-taking, violence, dominance, primacy of work, need for emotional control, desire to win, and pursuit of social status, tend to be more likely to experience psychological problems such as depression, stress, body image problems, substance abuseand poor social functioning.^[29] The effect tends to be stronger in men who also emphasize "toxic" masculine norms, such as self-reliance, seeking power over women, and sexual promiscuity or "playboy"^{[clarification needed]} behavior.^[10][30]

I don’t see any issue with self-reliance or even sexual promiscuity. First, the easy one, sexual promiscuity is a moral judgment. Leave that to the fundies. I’m not sure what the problem with self-reliance is. Unless it’s taken to an extreme. At that point I’m not sure it’s still best described as self-reliance but instead “isolation” or “vanity” or something along those lines.

Going back further, I'm not sure how pursuit of social status is toxic masculinity either. At least not that broadly defined. I imagine it’s something a lot of genders struggle with. Risk-taking is also relative. If it’s risk taking to try to prove to the world your Johnson is huge and you don’t care even though you want everyone to know it, yeah, I guess. What’s the difference between climbing K2 vs. running for President?

Where I agree with the above definitions is when it talks about men having dominion over women, Vulcan-like suppression of emotions, etc. It also seems what makes it toxic are when they’re taken to the extreme.

So it’s obvious I don’t fully understand toxic masculinity. Which brings me back to positive masculinity.

Does it mean “I’m a man, and respecting all genders is a manly thing to do”? Because that just doesn’t seem to fit the idea of positive being the opposite of toxic.

Going back to MT’s examples, wouldn’t Steve Irwin be a bad example since it was his risk taking that got him killed with two young kids at home?

Maybe there is no such thing as “positive masculinity”. Or perhaps it’s simply defined as being a feminist in the context of the world right now.

Help?

[Kepler]

Every period has its hemlines. Masculine and feminine identity are part of those. Gender expectations are defined as a reaction to parenting: educated people react against their parents, working class people mimic their parents. So educated gender identity swings between poles of emotional withdrawal and involvement, while working class gender identity gets stuck in the Old Testament stereotype of tough but fair daddy / unconditional love mommy.

Right now we have highly artificial gender identity demands because it is a hot button cultural issue. So the culture demands assertive, ambitious women and passive, nurturing men even if any given individual isn't like that. Those cultural expectations only extend to the educated: the rest are always mired in Bibleworld.

The cultural needle will move to some other area (it used to be racial) and there will be more heterodox, less rigid assigned gender roles. For the present people are caught in the Great Backlash against the prior expectations. In the end it's all just a way to sell more tires and beer anyway.

Be who you are and tell the general public to DIAF.

[MissThundercat]

I've concluded I need 3, maybe 4 men in my life: Ben & Jerry, Mr. Coffee, and Mr. Clean. The rest of you come and go like seasons.

[Kepler]

I've concluded I need 3, maybe 4 men in my life: Ben & Jerry, Mr. Coffee, and Mr. Clean. The rest of you come and go like seasons.

Mr. Whipple says then you better wash your hands.

[Kepler]

Biden to Phobes: DIAF.

[geezer]

I was thinking about that question yesterday.
...
Maybe there is no such thing as “positive masculinity”. Or perhaps it’s simply defined as being a feminist in the context of the world right now.

Help?

I was thinking about that too, when Roxanne Gay made the joke on Twitter about rewarding Joe Biden with a lil hummer... it surprised me a bit.
My own creed is to use whatever gifts I have to serve others. Many of those are masculine (although I’m psychologically 50/50), like being.able to lift heavy objects and moving them around: positive masculinity. I picture toxic masculinity to be the opposite: taking or demanding service from other people.

[MissThundercat]

Biden to Phobes: DIAF.

I am pleasantly surprised.

[dxmnkd316]

I am pleasantly surprised.

Why? He's the person who convinced Obama to come around on gay marriage.