After careful analysis of Alok Vaid-Menon, a poet, artist, and LGBTQIA rights advocate, deconstructs, demystifies, and reimagines the gender binary in Beyond the Gender Binary. They demonstrate that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression by drawing on their own experiences as a gender nonconforming artist.
Throughout this deeply compacted book, it was extremely helpful to me. Being that It definitely made me aware of how my own mind functions in terms of traditional binary standards. I’ve been very conscious of assigning others their preferred pronouns, but while reading this, I realized there are other things I do that could be harmful. Vaid-Menon made me more aware of how the world is so used to doing things that are “socially acceptable” that they don’t consider how they are ostracizing other people, particularly those who identify outside of the gender binary. I feel as though my gender identity can go against specified gender norms in some ways, being that I identify as pansexual which is likeing someone mainly reagardless of their sex, or what they’ve preferred to classify as. As far as being a female, I may be expected to only like my opposite gender which is male this will also be considered as our current societies social norm being anything else may tend to raise a few brows being that pansexual is outside of said norms. Working within the confines of a world that does not allow you to be yourself is taxing on the soul and on a person. One of the parts that really struck me was when Vaid-Menon discussed how people are willing to tolerate those who identify as non-gender conforming, but can’t even do something as simple as defend non-gender conforming people in public.
I believe Alok has made it completely clear the moving beyond gender binary is most importantly just moving towards an acknowledgment of multiplicity, within the areas of gender binary as well as realizing that attempting to ultimately fit each and every person into one of the two categories would not work. Due to tremendous or even mere differences of the other. Accepting these differences are what can build a stronger social structure allowing every individual to feel accepted bringing about broader perspectives on a variety of many different subjects.
Hello Orvana,
Reading your post was extremely interesting because of how concisely you summarized Alok’s message.
I found the book to be helpful for one because I did not have a full understanding of what it means to move beyond the gender binary. The different problems that Alok addressed such as the dismissal that he has faced helped me see just how behind we are in respects to progress.
Moreover, there is an emphasis on the acceptance that there is fluidity and multiplicity in gender and that is not “abnormal” nor is it “incorrect.” Instead of trying to challenge this, we should be more wiling to accept different viewpoints, so that socially we are united. I completely agree with your concluding statement, as we can definitely build a stronger social structure, but we must first educate and support one another.
Hi Orvana!
First of all, your entire discussion is beautifully written. It was a joy to read!
Making this a better world is our biggest priority. It means more than simply tolerance. It means standing up for what’s right, educating ourselves, and taking action. Acceptance and love are something we all desperately need.
As a queer person myself, I understand that there are so many risks we take when we share that part of ourselves with others, but I’m hoping we’ll get to live in a world where there isn’t so much pressure and fear. One day at a time, I guess!