Author: CJay (Carly Quiles)

I think what they were talking bout was very interesting and very important. Every person should be in a healthy relationship, whether it’s platonic or romantic, or familial. For romantic it’s important and well helpful that you both work together to make it work and that you both can help form each other no matter how you are feeling. Needs to be someone that cares and loves you unconditionally for you and will be there and support you in every way you could ever think of. There are o many relationships out there that are filled with hurt and negative energy, and with that, a lot of those just end up broken relationships in the sense of it does more damage staying together than it is to break apart. We need some who gonna be there to help us, to help us carry the load if we aren’t strong enough and sees it as no effort or burden. Someone who will help motivate us and keeps us on our toes. Someone you can fall in love with over and over again. Love is beyond a beautiful thing and even more amazing to experience, whether it is romantic, platonic, or anything else. With that, there is so much to learn and put into practice. 

The story “Out in the Night” shows homophobia and racism. It’s a story of 4 African American lesbians whom are not only targeted by their race, by being called a “Gang of Killer Lesbians” by media even after they found innocent of a crime but they were also violently and sexually confronted by an older man who blatantly to “fuck them straight” in turn of “getting some” which clearly tells us that just because they are gay, that men still convince themselves that women who are lesbian or have no interest in men “haven’t met the right man” and in honestly, it quite hurtful on top of it being disgusting. That some men still have the nerve to poke and prod at women to get a little bit of action, pushing them into boxes and making them uncomfortable. It sucks and it shows how society not only has targeted people of color but LGBT people and women a well.

Feminist and queer inventions challenge the ideas of a nuclear family because it’s simply not what a nuclear family is.  Feminists want to be equal to men and Queer couples are two of the same sex. Both concepts in which are going against the nuclear family concept as a whole. The nuclear family is a father, mother, and children that live under the same household as a unit. Most likely than not, the wife/mother is under the husband/father who is above the female and the children of the household. While a feminist or queer household, it’ll be equal and open, it’ll be where the couple is equal and not higher than one another. These limits these couples constantly fight for “marital rights, and secured stability of diverse households and families” as stated In the Article “BEYOND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: (A NEW STRATEGIC VISION FOR ALL OUR” From all of these, people, specifically women, and LGBT+ couples are still fighting to be considered normal. That there are clearly many more ways than one to create and raise a family. Trans couples, non-binary couples, genderfluid and more. There are countless interventions that can be had as a family, countless family structures. That every and any family made should be considered a family, should be considered worth it, and normal. 

Some of my initial impressions of the term feminism are the same as it has always been, to fight for equal rights for women and that women and men should be treated equally in every area. For sexism, it’s being treated unfairly and differently because you are a woman. How men and women are treated differently in society because of something they control, and for Gender and Woman Studies, my first impression of this was how it presented itself title-wise. So just the study of gender and woman studies, my guess was gender identities and expression, maybe how it affects people who go by other than cisgender female/male. Maybe also how there is such a big understanding gap between males and females. For the women aspect, I figured it’s just the study of women. How they are treated, some history, some facts, statistics, and all. 

Here are some videos that make me laugh or that bring up my mood. The last one is an Album by Chase Petra which I really love, and I honestly think you guys will like her music too. I hope you guys enjoy them! (Also the Wii Sports Boxing Results honestly constantly back in my head so hey, a throwback for everyone lol)

After reading Trans People Bathroom Access July 2016, spoke about how opening up bathrooms to transgender people shouldn’t get in the way of anyone, that there’s no reason to not have these people choose they identify or feel most comfortable in.

I was reminded, as someone who is Non-binary, I struggle to decide which bathroom to use but also for my safety I go to the women’s bathroom, especially because I look more feminine even though I would prefer to be perceived as a guy. Also in this scary world, I happen to trust women more than men. I remember in high school that they didn’t let people use bathrooms to their gender identity, and many restrooms in the school were kept locked when students felt they should at least open one up to be at least be a gender-neutral bathroom, instead of many would go to the nurse for the gender-neutral bathroom which sometimes the nurse wouldn’t allow depending on the nurse who’s there that day.

I also know many transgender people still struggle to be able to use the bathroom, from laws or their city/town/area is unsafe, or they don’t entirely “pass” as their gender identity which people who are against them would catch on sooner, which then transphobic people will do their best to exclude them, or possible harassment or troubles.

What do you see as the relationship between women’s movements and abolitionist movements? 

Both the women’s movements and the abolitionist movements were similar and amplified each other in a way. They were both big changes people needed in society, of very big groups. Women used these movements as chances for speaking up for their rights and beliefs, criticizing society’s rules/standards. As from the reading and research, women’s rights were limited, as their husbands and 0verall men had more power over them. Women weren’t allowed to own property, education, or even vote. With that said they had little of a voice, there was none in office, as they weren’t allowed and seen as less still in society.

The abolitionist movement, as to how women were seen as less, similar but much more harsh there was slavery that was in need to end. Due to racism, people discriminated against for their skin color. They were treated as objects of trade to sell and money and labor to bring white people better in the end. Due to two groups put down for things seen as less in society, and they worked for change for being treated equally.

Ijeoma A. and Pascoe write about expectations that are placed on girls and boys, respectively. What are some of the norms that they write about? What are some of the norms that you grew up with, either in your own experience or that you witnessed? How did you relate to these norms?

In Ijeoma A.’s “Because You’re a Girl”, she tells the reader expectations that are placed on girls, especially throughout her life what she was put through. She goes on about how she is expected to be a future housewife, doing everything for her future husband and family. In preparation her family has her doing several chores around the house from a young age. As she’s the only daughter she is stuck doing a lot on her own, with no time really for herself or such. “My parents, uncles, and aunts had Four Commandments incorporating what a woman’s responsibilities were to her family: 1. Her office is the kitchen. 2. She is responsible for all the chores in the home. 3. She is accountable for the children and their actions. 4. And, of course, she must pledge complete and total allegiance to the man in charge first, before herself.“ This is something that was very much expected from women and still is by those who are still “traditional”, though it seems everyone settles to being comfortable in these past expectations and beliefs, the excuse of “its part of our culture” rather than changing for the better of everyone. As shown by her family doing the same: “She’s gone to America, and now she has forgotten about her heritage.”

In Pascoe’s “Making Masculinity: Adolescence, Identity, and High School”, the excerpt from his book goes on about expectations of gender roles from the sexes, specifically masculinity. He brings up how those of the male sex who don’t show strong expectations of “masculinity” are often put down as less, gay, feminine, overall seen as “wrong”.

Throughout my life, I’ve also had some of these norms in place because of my family’s expectations. I’ve always been told to be more “lady-like” and more feminine, to always have proper manners, nice and proper to everyone around because it’s “lady-like”. Times inappropriate language was said from my mouth or others of the female sex, I would remember my family, specifically my parents telling me that it’s bad, especially because it’s from a woman. I remember even as a kid criticized for how I ate because it wasn’t proper for a lady. I also disliked greatly that in school when help with stuff teachers would ask the boys because the boys are known for strength, rather than having students volunteer to help. Because of that, whenever I did get chances to help I would push myself to move, carry or do more to prove my strength to those around me because I like proving myself as strong.

As now I’ve grown, educated, and still learning, I am someone who falls into a place that there should be balance with these expectations that everyone should be able to be themselves and not under rules and expectations that society wants. As someone who doesn’t identify as their birth sex’s “gender” nor fully of the opposite sex’s expectations, I find myself always changing how I express myself, in my physical form and struggle with people changing their thoughts on me because if I’m presenting feminine I’m expected that I’m “normal”, the “old me”, “proper” rather than still me who does have a masculine side to my expression at times or even overall expressing fluidity/unisex/androgynous, which cause difficulty to me and others as well.