For Alok, moving beyond the gender binary is to be able to respect one another’s choice of whom we are and what we think of ourselves rather than letting gender binary tell us whether we are men or women. It is being comfortable in your own skin and being able to express who you are. Whether with clothes or actions. It is evolving and getting educated so we will not contribute to the discrimination given to all who society feels “do not exist.” I think that by authoring this book he does not outright say it but in many ways explains everything that contributes to the oppression of gender non-comforting, nonbinary and trans and telling us how one contributes to this, but also a path we can take to change what the “western world” sees as gender binary. Some ways that my gender identity went against binary norm while growing up and even now is my choice of wearing loose clothing. From the time I could remember my parents were not a huge fan of loose clothing they say people could not distinguish if you were a boy or a girl. Once I reached the age of 15, I started wearing baggy clothes because that is what made me feel most comfortable, but my parents did not think that way. At one point they thought I was gay because everyone was getting boyfriends and I only went out with my friends and was wearing loose clothing, Occasionally I would wear feminine clothing, but I would not say it made me feel uncomfortable. I would only dress femininely when I wanted to and wanted to dress for myself. My gender identity went against binary norms as soon as I started wearing clothing a female would not wear because it does not show their “gender,” or it shows a gender that society says they are not. Some ways I fit the binary norms is the sensitive and girly side of myself, I am extremely sensitive when watching a movies or TV shows I tend to stray away from unhappy endings because they leave me unsettle. As for my feminine side, I like the color pink and I am really attracted to jewelry and handbags, occasionally boots. I tend to show my feminine side when I need confidence and want, I get dressed for myself. Alok brought out many points that helped me understand how to move forward, be part of helping instead of ignoring the problem. 

Bell Hooks define feminism as: “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” and this is a great definition because most people think of feminist as people who think of me as the enemy just because mass media and how they portray feminist. Bell Hooks makes a point that caught my attention she stated that it is not just men who have this stigma that males are masculine while females should be fragile and subordinate to men, it is some females too that believe in this. Bell definition states the real problem of the movement, which is sexism, by her explaining that it is a movement to end just that is directly confronting it then media twisting words to make it appear as females do it just because they are anti-male. After reading “Feminist Politics Where We Stand” I understand the misconception that Bell Hooks is breaking down and stating such as when women adding to the oppression by being sexist to one another, women should lift one another instead of having sexist thoughts and actions that only Benefits Patriarchy. 

Before reading “Sex & Gender 101” I was always confused about the difference between gender and sex. This article did an excellent job and cleared up what is the difference and I understand the difference more in depth now. In the past what I knew as sex is the genitals a person is born with while gender is what you identify yourself as, but I can see now that it is much deeper than that. From my understanding of the reading males have XY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes but there is also some that have 46, XX Intersex, 46, XY Intersex, True Gonadal, Complex or Undetermined Intersex, so basically biological sex is universal so wherever you go they will have similar body development. This information was new to me as I did not know some people could have extra sex chromosomes with case like complex or undermined intersex. Now gender is culturally constructed that changes with time and society, there are three categorized gender assignments, gender identity, and gender expression. Gender assignment means the person is either boy/man or girl/women based on the external genitalia. Gender identity is how a person thinks of themselves such as cisgender, transgender, or genderqueer, or non-binary, or gender non-conforming. Gender expression is how one expresses themselves through clothes, makeup, hairstyle, etc. There is also sexual orientation, which is who a person sexually attracted to. Ashamed to say that this article went into depth on things I did not have much knowledge on since it was not really accustomed to speaking about it in my family and during my years in high school everyone was experimenting while some feared what others might think, so it was something people have always been afraid to share about. I really enjoy reading on such topics because it gives me more knowledge on subject, I may lack in. 

Hello, my name is Gisselle; I am in my third semester at BMCC and working as a medical assistant in a private office. I enjoy baking, reading, and learning other languages; I am fluent in Spanish and English and have currently been taking private courses to learn hangul. I enjoy learning and embracing new cultures and trying new foods, such as Korean culture. I think I have learned many things since I have been interested in traveling to South Korea for a long time. I think of myself as a good baker but would like to master my mother’s cooking skills as it is the closes I get to authentic Mexican food. I also really enjoy swimming as well. I have been swimming since I was 16 years old and gained my lifeguard certification. I dislike social injustice, prejudice, and misogynistic attitude towards women. Some of my dislikes also include lack of concentration when I am in a loud setting. I am majoring in science for health and taking many science classes this semester and this class helps me give myself free time to think of something else besides science. I want to be able to help my community and family, so I want to be able to graduate to become a physician assistant, that is my main goal. I am Mexican American and currently live in the Bronx, I was born and raised there. I really value friendships, loyalty, and honesty. I also value the kindness of other people and the knowledge they provide when I need help or have questions. My hopes and dreams are to become a physician assistant and be able to practice in a hospital setting in Boston, I want to open a business along the way such as a bookstore café or something that has to do with books and pastries. My pronouns are she/her. I am taking this course because I would like to get educated on topics that I might not know of; I tend to debate with my friends and siblings on topics that have to do with gender equality and women’s rights. I hope to learn areas in where I do not know much about and can hear other people’s point of view on those topics. I do not have suggestions for any films, but I am open to suggestions as I like films I could relate to or learn from.