In class we are writing speeches and I have chosen the topic of gender binary. Could you read my speech and give some critique?
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http://www.wattpad.com/68798878-gender-binary?d=ud
I pasted my speech on wattpad bcause there was no other way of posting it here without exceeding the word limit - I hope that's no trouble.
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Also, if you don't mind, can you think of any questions that spring to mind from this speech.
Thank you for reading & answering :)
Lhotse
Favorite Answer
I doubt you'll get the kind of response you want here. There are a lot of people who think in binary gender terms here. But I thought it was good.
The only thing I'd say is that you might expand on the binary male and female and characteristics, because as they stand I can think of plenty of people I know who fit their gender binary. Accentuate the more ludicrous expectations, like women are expected to be pretty and wear dresses and men are expected to be able to grow a beard and fix a car, or something like that.
Anonymous
Well, it is your opinion. You might want to back up your position with studies and observations. Perhaps you can look up and see that male children tend to gravitate to masculine traits even before they can be cognizant of it. Maybe you'll read how a boy who never possessed a toy gun will pick up a stick and pretend it's a gun.
You can use your own observations: Did you grow up playing with cars? Did your brother or male neighbor wear a dress? How many male classmates in your school want to carry a purse? If in your observations you start seeing a significant natural trend towards this gender reversal maybe you do have reason to rock the boat. Other than that; what's the purpose?
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My thoughts are that everyone is basically free to do what they want with their lives within the rule of law. However, there is nothing you can do to change the 'gender binary' issue. On a biological level there are two human genders and that's it. If you wish to introduce the concept of it being a spectrum, you're quite welcome to do so but recognise it's a construct, and that irrespective of where someone chooses to place themselves or another on that spectrum they are still in one of those boxes. Belief does not change reality, well not in this instance anyhow.
As everyone is basically free to do what they want, this also includes judging others. We're all free to do that or not do that as we wish and based on whatever criteria we choose, irrespective of how superficial those criteria may appear to be to others. There's nothing wrong with people doing what they want, and there's nothing wrong with others judging them.. it's all fine. It is up to those who are being judged to reach a mental state where they don't care, because that is the only solution which doesn't interfere with the freewill of others
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I am encouraged by your awareness of intersexed individuals and your willingness to inform the ignorant western public about them, not because I am intersexed, but because I know many people who are, and I have seen the social problems that have arisen from society's ignorance of them. Intersexed or intergendered people need to be recognised and considered. Being biologically in between male and female they have both male and female attributes and so can't honestly be squeezed into the male or female box, but require their own category. But you will probably find that when what you perceive to be male or female lacks the inborn attributes of their gender which are required for their natural and instinctive roles to be fulfilled, it is because they are intersexed. There are other more unusual explanations, but that doesn't make their condition correct. Emotional issues shouldn't be nursed but rather addressed.
Hope..
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