The reading excerpts from “Beyond the Gender Binary” by Alok Vaid Manon touches base on gender by going into depth about conformity, fluidity, and experiences Alok has been through as an individual who identifies as nonbinary in society. Throughout reading the excerpts I learned more about the experiences one goes through when living in society as someone who identifies as nonbinary. However, I also learned more about gender as a whole and how the continuous evolution of the topic gender hasn’t quite fully been accepted in society, nor has society grasped the whole subject of gender and the ideas within that subject. We can think of gender as the root of a tree and the more we learn about different ways others associate with gender, the tree will continue to grow with different branches. Therefore, when we create more space for others when it comes to identifying with gender, the concept  of gender as a whole will continue to grow and evolve. An important topic I learned from the text is the idea that the gender system as a whole is not only outdated but has been the cause of a lot of problems in society today. Alok tries to open us up to the ideology that the whole gender system has constantly found ways to exclude individuals who don’t label or identify themselves simply as just a male or a female. Alok goes into detail about the gender binary and how it is set up for people to fail; this also includes individuals like me and you. You may be thinking, what is the gender binary? The gender binary is a system of gender classification in which all people are categorized as being either male or female. Alok describes the gender binary system as being more concerned with gender norms than it is with updating and educating the system on the different categories of gender individuals associate themselves with that isn’t just a male or a female. Alok states, “we are led to believe that there are only two genders, ‘man’  and ‘woman’, and these genders are narrow, separate, and opposite. We are taught from a very young age that this is how things have always been and this is the only way to live.” This statement resonated with me because growing up my parents were separated and I lived with my mom but I visited my dad every weekend and during the summertime. Even though I identify myself as a woman I have always liked dressing like a tomboy as well as playing video games and playing sports. My mom was always against me enjoying and dressing as what was called “boyish” things. I was always taught from my mom that boys can only like boy things such as sports, wrestling, and the color blue; and girls like me can only like girl things such as the color pink, barbie dolls, playing dress-up, and make-up. My mom, without realizing it, made me feel ashamed for enjoying things that I was taught were only specifically meant for boys. Gender was distinctly separated in my household and she made sure that I understood that anything other than associating as a girl or being interested in “girly” things was never to be tolerated or talked about nor would it ever be accepted in her home. I feel as though as society continues to evolve; moving forward we should take the initiative to change the gender binary system so it is more inclusive to all who don’t associate themselves in the most simplest way as a male or female but make it inclusive to those who associate themselves in other ways we may not even know of yet. It is important to include everyone in the conversation of gender so it is fair and comprehensive. Another important topic I learned throughout the excerpts by Alok is the fact that power and control both contribute to the broken gender binary system and overall the world as a whole. With control people can gain power and with power people can continuously control the narrative and conversation of gender without letting outsiders give their input and suggestions. Alok states, “Arguments against gender non-conforming people are about maintaining power and control.” This is a powerful statement because it helps us to understand that when we allow society to continuously control the conversation about gender, then we are allowing the binary norm system to maintain the power and control they have over the ideology of gender and what terms we use to associate gender with. If we want the binary norm to evolve and become more inclusive and considerate to all individuals in the world, then we need to regain the power and control back to steer the direction of our own narratives; making sure everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is seen and accepted once and for all. Lastly, a third important topic I learned throughout Alok’s excerpts is another strategy that people use to make the gender binary system seem like a given instead of a decision; dismissal. Alok states, “In order to even get a seat at the table, people have to believe that you exist.” Another powerful and impactful statement made by Alok because it acknowledges the fact that people still refuse to acknowledge that gender non-conforming people exist.

As the world continues to evolve and society continues to change with it; the topics of sex, gender, and feminisim has continued to progress and expand our way of thinking about these topics and how we view them. Through two specific texts by two different authors; I want to further explain in depth what the readings mean, what they are trying to convey, and the important points we should all take away from both texts. In the article “Sex & Gender 101” written by Kyl Myers focuses on the basics when it comes to the topics of sex and gender. Myers focuses on the foundational terms which make up some form of who we are. Myers touches base on the foundational terms such as; biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation. One important concept Myers explains in the article is the idea that a person’s biological sex, gender, identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation are not mutually exclusive. The statement within itself is powerful and further explains how just because a male or a female may identify as cisgender does not automatically mean that individual is a heterosexual. When we put terms like gender and sexual orientation together amongst other foundational terms based around sex and gender, then we constantly put people in the same groups without truly getting to know who they are and what they view themselves as. For example, myself, I am a female who identifies as cisgender however, my sexual orientation is bi-sexual. Throughout high school, people in my school constantly assumed because I was a cisgender female I only liked boys and when I did express to them my sexual orientation they laughed it off, didn’t believe me, and made statements like “you’re too pretty to like girls.” This type of experience, labeling, and stereotyping essentially made me not want to express myself anymore to anyone ever again. Therefore, the information that Myers is describing throughout this article makes room for readers to further educate themselves and start a conversation about sex and gender overall that has never been had before or is not spoken about enough. Another important concept from the text is the fact that in countries like America, young boys and girls are taught their gender roles and how distinctive they are from each other. Boys are taught at a young age to be rough, aggressive, rugged, to be the “man” and the “boss” as they grow up. Girls are taught at a young age the ways of being a housewife; learning how to cook, clean, be quiet, submissive, and overall weak. As society continues to evolve and the definition of foundational terms like gender and sex are expanding into different meanings it is vital to change the way children are being brought up in the world. Myers is pointing out that with educating yourself more on the depth of sexual orientation and gender you can make a change by becoming aware of the stereotypical problems and stigmas when it comes to sex and gender. Lastly, another important message from the text is the idea that if we don’t change the way we view sex and gender then we will constantly have set gender roles and sterotypes for both men and women. If we continuously put men in a box and women in a box without having room for more different types of gender identities then we will never have a positive shift in the construction of gender, sex, and its overall culture in society. 

In the article, “Feminist Politics: Where we stand” by bell hooks focuses on the topic of feminism and the sterotypical concepts behind it. Hooks goes into detail about her goal to end sexist oppression and continue to educate others on the true definition of feminism by describing it as a movement that is not all about being anti-male, but focuses on the equality of both male and females. An important concept Hooks speaks on is the message that all sexist thinking and actions are the problem whether it is by a male, female, child, or adult. By understanding the idea of sexism overall so we can truly understand the idea of feminism. This is an important message to not only understand but educate to others in our lives because it can help spread awareness to feminism and make a change in the world for not only women but men as well. If we end sexism in our society then we would make a way for feminism to grow and truly impact the world in a positive way. Another important concept Hooks mentions is just how important feminism is to our society. Feminism won’t end all our world problems and create a perfect world full of peace and equality howvever, it can and will still impact the world in a way where men and women can co-exist without stereotypes; while creating a welcoming and beloved community. Hooks mentions the intention that feminism can touch and change our lives if we can truly grasp what feminism and the movement of feminsim is. Lastly, Hooks brings up the message that without clear definitions on feminism we won’t be able to move forward with the feminism movement throughout society. It is key for us to not only get the definition of feminism right but to instill this definition in others so they can continue to share the message and keep the movement alive until there is solid change in society.