Kababae/Kalalaki Kong Tao? was the title of the lecture by Ivanka Custodio last Monday, September 23, 2019. First off, she started with a game, where we wrote the similarities and differences we personally thought of between men and women. This was to illustrate a more concrete example of our personal biases on gender roles.
Things that are important to take note of:
- Sex is biological and assigned at birth, based on physical characteristics.
- Gender is comprised of cultural interpretations and social practices associated with (not caused or determined by) sex.
- Gender identity is how one defines one’s gender.
- Gender expression is how one presents their gender through various ways, such as actions, dress, and demeanor.
There is an assumption that there are only men and women: that men always have to be masculine and attracted to women exclusively, and that women always have to be feminine and attracted to men exclusively. This kind of thinking is perpetuated in all forms and across different media, be it at home from parents, in school through education (masculine vs. feminine careers), in religions, on the media, and so on. Breaking out of these “norms” are considered unacceptable in society.
However, there exists intersex people, who do not fit the prototype of the male biology or female biology. There are more than two genders: transgender people have always existed in history (in Philippine history, the babaylan, for example), and there are agender people and genderqueer people.
Gender roles and stereotypes cause unfair treatment. Men always have to be “macho”; boys “shouldn’t cry” and therefore grow into men who repress their emotions and are not able to express them healthily. Women are treated as sexual objects more often than not. Those who do not fit the stereotypes are looked down upon and rejected by society. It makes it difficult for them to be honest with themselves and live their lives with integrity, being true to who they really are.
This topic was something that resonated with me. I, a girl, am in a relationship with another girl. Both of us are in that state where we don’t really know “what” we are, specifically which label we fall under in the LGBTQ+. If we were both straight, we wouldn’t be having this problem, but it’s more than that. I am also not out to family, and I am not confident that I would be accepted without question or any kind of judgment. It’s hard enough that I don’t even know what I am (now, I consider a label unimportant), but it’s even harder that I don’t have anyone to turn to about this, to be honest with about it (not counting my girlfriend, of course), without being scared about others reacting negatively (or to be specific, being cast off from and rejected by my family).
In an ideal world, people would be more open-minded, accepting, and respectful of people’s differences. It’s impossible to reach a perfect world, but if we all embrace diversity and the complexity, not only of people’s sexes, genders, and sexualities, but their identities and everything else, we could reach a level near to that.
Exercise Before the Lecture
Identify a vulnerable/marginalized sector that you feel strongly about.
LGBTQ+ community
What human rights issues are besetting this sector?
Gender discrimination and misconceptions, others viewing members of this community as subhuman
What NSTP 2 activities/program/project can you do to help address the human rights issue you mentioned #2.
Educating others about the LGBTQ+ and related topics, the concept of sexuality and gender, promoting acceptance and respect of all people no matter how different