I must admit after reading the chapter that I read out of Alok Vaid Menon book “Beyond the Gender Binary”, and watching the short video offered to us. My interest in understanding what Gender Binary is has increased. There are some things that Alok Vaid explains that I agree with and some things that I question and really don’t agree with. When Alok was explaining what moving on beyond the Gender Binary is he states word for word “Manhood and Womanhood should not be defined in opposites which I found reasonable but when he claims he sees it “as 2 stars and a galaxy” I disagree. I’ll be honest in my head / life there are only 2 genders, men and women. The 2 stars are Adam and Eve. The galaxy is the real world we live in where there are only men and women being who they want and making decisions that they want, still at the end they are either boy or girl. I know who’s reading this is like duh that common sense, but it almost feels like Alok forgot that. I understand Alok is pushing the agenda that being non-Binary is Endless. It’s basically a Galaxy to him. Opposite to the video the reading was more about the injustice and discrimination that nonbinary go through. Just because I disagree with Alok’s statement in the video, doesn’t mean that at the end People who consider themselves non-Binary shouldn’t get support or treated with equal respect. Nothing is wrong with a person that considers themselves Nonbinary, the book tries to address that a person who doesn’t want to commit to gender conformity isn’t strange but special and has the right to do so and uplift it. Many events and scenarios are spoke about in the excerpt that have to do with that. In conclusion, in order to support nonbinary people, I would have to accept being opened to gender non confirming people.
5 thoughts on “Reflection 2”
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Reading this is interesting and it seems full of contradiction. You cannot say that gender is binary man/woman and that’s the end of it AND say that nonbinary people deserve support and justice. Why? Because in your binary you have erased nonbinary people. The point is not that you, Alpha, need to be gender non-conforming. The point is that, in order for gender-variant people to have support and justice, you Alpha have to accept that there are ways of being that are not man or woman. You think the binary is common sense because it’s how you were raised. But there is more information available to you now and you can open your mind to other possibilities for people, even if they aren’t right for you. You acknowledge that man/woman aren’t opposites, why do you still want to keep the binary intact?
Rereading what I wrote last night I can see how I sound contradicting. If I do say and believe there is only 2 genders that mean there is no such thing as non-Binary. If I want to support the idea of Non binary Witch Indvidual’s in real life.. categorizes themselves. I have to accepct and be open midnded to being gender non conforming. Im just learning slowly. My misunderstanding made me come off as very CONTRADICTING. Ill admit this was a little confusing, but your comment helped me understand much more ill try and update this.
Really If a person came up to me and we was speaking and I learn they consider themselves Nonbinary I wouldn’t argue with them or look at them like they crazy. I just didnt think about it like that if I think there is nothing more then man and women. I have “erased” non binary existence in my binary.
Good! No worries, sometimes we have to write it out in order to see it. I’m glad my comment helped – that’s why I’m here. Feel free to ask questions in your reflections about things that confuse you.
Hi Alpha
Just a note, Alok’s pronouns are they/them
I am also a little confused by your wording, so do you think non-binary is a real gender?