Alok’s perspective of the gender binary expresses how we were set up for failure from the start. When thinking of what that can mean I reflected on my childhood and how I was raised. I was raised with the thought that there were only two genders male and female. The older I got I met transgender people, and eventually I learned about different pronouns such as they/them. I have always been more accepting of people because I knew how it feels like to not be accepted. We are now in a time of life where they are even making gender-neutral bathrooms to take away gender. The topic of gender is a topic that you need to be educated on to speak about respectfully, one may say they are accepting but they. are just tolerating different gender norms. Beyond the Gender Binary helps with the answers to struggling questions when it comes to gender.
Alok finds it challenging to transcend the gender binary because of the obvious violence, discrimination, and persecution he experiences as a non-conforming gender. When it comes to transgender people have it harder than most because they are questioned more and get the most looks when on the streets. Marsha P Johnson who was a Trans woman who fought for the lives and equality of trans people, was murdered because of the skin she choose to live in. . Alok stated in the book “I still can’t walk outside without being terrified for my safety”, still to this day after all Marsha P Johnson did there are still many trans who have died because of who they are. In 2022 about 40 trans people died from vicious attacks on them in the streets. It’s not fair that someone has to be guarded or feel as if they have to tone down who they are when going onto the streets.
Alok mentions that we shouldn’t use “it’s common sense” as a statement that is used very often, but common sense isn’t actually common. What might come to someone naturally or in a different light might be the same for someone else. Others need to be educated on the matter before having to feel anything about the subject. Alok was bullied for who he was in high school and since then has gotten apologies from his abusers. One of my co-workers is a cisgender male but he enjoys painting his nails and he gets ridiculed for that daily because that is not ” a way a man ” should express himself. Gender conformity will always be p for debate because of the lack of education from birth. Culturally there may not always be acceptance for nongender norms as well due to religion or upbringing.
