I was kind of shocked today to realize how even a simple action like putting on chapstick is gendered. I never thought about the fact that men and women hold a chapstick differently, probably without thinking about it. I am going to try to be more observant of event the minor actions, stances, position that we do unconsciously which gender us. It is true that even watching someone walk across campus from afar, you can usually tell if they are male or female.
I also thought that it was interested how we automatically feel uncomfortable with gender ambiguity. When you are unsure about someone's gender or how someone's gender identity it does create a rather uncomfortable atmosphere. We are so used to people conforming to the gender structures of society that we do not even notice them until they are challenged, and then it becomes suddenly obvious. The last post that I made was about a father who started wearing skirts when his son was wearing dresses. I think it is inspiring to see someone willing to flout the rules of society to such an extent that he may even be alienated, all in order to make his son feel more comfortable.
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