This week’s course content has given me more insight on sex, gender and feminism. I am a proud feminist and I love learning more and more about it. The article Sex and Gender 101 by Kyl Myers explains the basics of biological sex, referring to anatomy and external genitalia. While gender refers to the social and cultural roles implied throughout someone’s life. In this article I learned the three main categories; gender assignment, gender identity and gender expression. Myers implies that sex and gender are not the same thing, which is something tons of people mix up. In the reading by Bell Hooks, Feminism is for Everybody pages 1-6, we get an extensive concept of feminism, from a feminist theorist herself. “Mostly they think feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men. They do not even think about feminism as being about rights- about women gaining equal rights.” states Hooks. She goes in depth of the real meaning of feminism, feminism movements, politics and difficulties that have occurred throughout.

Gender norms have been applied into many children’s minds from the moment they step into the world. Young boys feel as if it’s their obligation to become strong, emotionless, hard-working men. Meanwhile girls feel that their responsibilities are to cook, clean, caretake, be weak and emotional. In my Snapshot 1, I mentioned how I had a friend whose father never let him attend dance classes or sing along to songs by female artists. This caused him to feel afraid to show his true self to the world. Many people are frightened of others who behave a way outside the society-traditional gender norms. They are so brainwashed.. a boy can’t wear pink or play with dolls or he’ll be categorized as “too girly”. Young girls can’t wear baggy pants or join the baseball team because it is considered “too manly”. This puts so much pressure since they will not be able to freely find their true identity in expressing themselves.

This behavior can play a role into their future lives, making this cycle of gender norms. (or even toxic-masculinity or gender questioning) I related to my classmate Jasmin H’s snapshot where they mention that in their Hispanic household, their mother would teach Jasmin to cook at a young age for her “future husband.” Jasmin mentions that they disagree with their mother’s beliefs, that they’d only be cooking for themselves. I resonated with this because I also grew up in a Hispanic household where my mother would make me do the cleaning, dishes, and never bothered to ask any of my two older brothers to help around. When I’d question her motives, she’d say “it’s because you’re a girl so you do it better than these two boys!” They’re around their 30’s and were never raised to clean up after themselves or do any domestic work. Sometimes they even “jokingly” tell me to make them a sandwich, which shows how my mother’s enabling created this sexism. I also read Shavoya Easy’s snapshot where they had the opposite situation; growing up, their household had no gender roles, both brother and sister did housework, which I am so jealous of!! I wish my parents raised me this way but they are close-minded and a bit sexist. My mother got pregnant and became a stay at home mom while my father would be at work everyday or out with friends. I guess it’s a double ended sword, because at a young age, this behavior made it clear for me how toxic, harmful and sexist gender norms can be and how I should never feed into them.

Society’s assumptions of feminism are seen as a negative trait. To me, it’s the bare minimum to be a feminist, because everybody should be one! No matter your age, sex or gender! I absolutely loved Bell Hook’s definition of feminism; “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.” When Hooks tells people she is a feminist theorist, they misinterpret the concept, thinking every feminist is just a man-hater.” The feminist movement is not about being anti-male. It’s clear that the problem is sexism.” I believe the reason many people interpret feminism as being anti-male is because they feed into the patriarchy and are afraid to rebel against it. “Most men find it difficult to be patriarchs. But they fear letting go of the benefits. So they find it easier to passively support male domination even when they know in their hearts and minds that they are wrong. If men knew more about feminism, they’d no longer fear it, releasement from patriarchy bondage.” says Hooks. I like how she used the word bondage because it symbolizes the inner fear that many people, not just men, have on feminism. They are too scared to learn more about it, so they cage themselves in this white supremacist capitalist patriarchy and enable sexist behavior. This reminds me of Emely D’s snapshot where they say, “We are not asking to be better than anyone else nor are we trying to belittle anyone else, all we are asking for is to get the same opportunities and be able to be free within our society.” And it includes a picture of how society sees feminism; a woman hitting a man towards the ground. It’s 2021 and so many people still believe that feminism is only about trying to be better than men, overpowering them, or being able to hit men. It’s far more than that. Women face an insane amount of discrimination and oppression based on their sex. Us feminists just want full equality for all women, regardless of age, race, sexuality, class, and disability. I just wish feminism wasn’t seen as taboo, it should never be a forbidden discussion.