This semester I am required to create this blog for my class, Communication of Gender and Identity. It will be used to share my thoughts and feelings about gender and identity.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Genderless Baby
Parents in Canada decided that they are not giving their baby a gender. The parents claim that they do not want their child, Storm, to fit into the preexisting gender boxes that our society created. They argue that this allows Storm to grow up and be whoever it wants to be. This story came out in 2011 and caused a lot of drama, because the parents were defying and innovating the binary by rewriting it.
My question is why give a child more problems to deal with in their life time? Every child struggles to find their identity, so why give them more to question and more to be confused about? This is an extreme step to take to try and make a statement against the gender binary. I just can not help think about how the child will be made fun of all throughout growing up.
If and when the child starts to grow up its gonna figure out if they are a boy or a girl when they go out in public, when they have to use a restroom, or buy clothes. I don't understand parents who want to make life unbearable at birth. these parents should have psychological help. they have no clue what they are gonna put this poor child thru
Sexuality is a beautiful thing humans are designed to have, no matter which gender they are born with or what they choose later in life. It is not a topic to avoid or something to hide from your kids. I think these would be far better off educating their child to be accepting and open-minded about sexuality than pretending their kid does not have any.
Interesting topic Joy! I hate to see how two parents are being criticized for giving their child a choice. I don't think not giving it a gender is detrimental, especially since the child itself gets to choose, rather than conforming to societal norms. Yea sure, people will be mean about it, but if the child turns out to biologically be a boy and act like a boy or vice versa, then no harm done right? I don't see why people are so angry about it. And I don't believe they are hiding gender FROM the child itself. As he/she grows up, I'm sure it will be aware of gender and that it exists. The only difference is that he/she has the ability to choose. The rest of us are given a gender at birth, regardless of whether we decide to conform to it or not. Sometimes children grow up not fitting into that gender, which makes them feel outcasted and like they don't belong...so what about those children? I bet you they wish that they had a choice so they wouldn't feel pressured to fit into a gender they weren't comfortable with. Giving the child the option to choose their own gender isn't such a bad idea, since we ultimately all do it anyway don't we?...it just so happens that we actually have it written on our birth certificates. And to respond to the comment above me, the parents aren't "pretending" that their child doesn't have a gender. It most certainly does...they just want the child to choose for him/herself before they make the decision for him/her. Biology does not determine gender. Biology determines SEX...and sometimes it can't even do that.
I think that the precious life that is that child was knit together in his/her mother's womb by the God. I believe that they are trying to define or rather not define something that is not a responsibility given to them; just like they are not responsible to decide that the child has blonde hair and blue eyes. I think this is going to be so much harder for the child than knowing what gender they are- since the child was most definitely born with either boy parts or girl part. I don't think that anyone can say that this will not cause confusion for the child. His/Her identity should not be found in gender, but that he/she is loved and valued by God- not in spite of being a boy or being a girl, but specifically because he/she was created that gender for a purpose.
I just wanted to respond to the people saying the child will have a harder time because they don't have a specific gender. Studies have shown that a child knows their gender by around age 2. So this child will most likely know and be able to choose their own gender before they really get to school. What the parents are doing, or attempting to do, is remove any societal gender roles that are forced on children, even before they can speak. When people see a male baby kick his feet around, they generally say "oh he'll play sports, he's so strong, etc." but if a girl baby kicks her feet it's "she's so graceful, she'll be a dancer, look how cute." If a child grows up hearing these gendered things, they are being forced one way or another. But if the child's gender is unknown to society, they are free from that. They can choose if they want sports or dancing (or both, or whatever). And they can choose how they want to be referred to (pronouns, etc.). Can you imagine someone calling you the wrong pronouns for your whole life? That's how some people feel. It's more than annoying, it can be painful. I don't know. I know most of this is falling on deaf ears. But this isn't your child and you don't get to raise them. So I don't think it matters how you feel about it.
If and when the child starts to grow up its gonna figure out if they are a boy or a girl when they go out in public, when they have to use a restroom, or buy clothes. I don't understand parents who want to make life unbearable at birth. these parents should have psychological help. they have no clue what they are gonna put this poor child thru
ReplyDeleteSexuality is a beautiful thing humans are designed to have, no matter which gender they are born with or what they choose later in life. It is not a topic to avoid or something to hide from your kids. I think these would be far better off educating their child to be accepting and open-minded about sexuality than pretending their kid does not have any.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic Joy! I hate to see how two parents are being criticized for giving their child a choice. I don't think not giving it a gender is detrimental, especially since the child itself gets to choose, rather than conforming to societal norms. Yea sure, people will be mean about it, but if the child turns out to biologically be a boy and act like a boy or vice versa, then no harm done right? I don't see why people are so angry about it. And I don't believe they are hiding gender FROM the child itself. As he/she grows up, I'm sure it will be aware of gender and that it exists. The only difference is that he/she has the ability to choose. The rest of us are given a gender at birth, regardless of whether we decide to conform to it or not. Sometimes children grow up not fitting into that gender, which makes them feel outcasted and like they don't belong...so what about those children? I bet you they wish that they had a choice so they wouldn't feel pressured to fit into a gender they weren't comfortable with. Giving the child the option to choose their own gender isn't such a bad idea, since we ultimately all do it anyway don't we?...it just so happens that we actually have it written on our birth certificates. And to respond to the comment above me, the parents aren't "pretending" that their child doesn't have a gender. It most certainly does...they just want the child to choose for him/herself before they make the decision for him/her. Biology does not determine gender. Biology determines SEX...and sometimes it can't even do that.
ReplyDeleteI think that the precious life that is that child was knit together in his/her mother's womb by the God. I believe that they are trying to define or rather not define something that is not a responsibility given to them; just like they are not responsible to decide that the child has blonde hair and blue eyes. I think this is going to be so much harder for the child than knowing what gender they are- since the child was most definitely born with either boy parts or girl part. I don't think that anyone can say that this will not cause confusion for the child. His/Her identity should not be found in gender, but that he/she is loved and valued by God- not in spite of being a boy or being a girl, but specifically because he/she was created that gender for a purpose.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to respond to the people saying the child will have a harder time because they don't have a specific gender. Studies have shown that a child knows their gender by around age 2. So this child will most likely know and be able to choose their own gender before they really get to school. What the parents are doing, or attempting to do, is remove any societal gender roles that are forced on children, even before they can speak. When people see a male baby kick his feet around, they generally say "oh he'll play sports, he's so strong, etc." but if a girl baby kicks her feet it's "she's so graceful, she'll be a dancer, look how cute." If a child grows up hearing these gendered things, they are being forced one way or another. But if the child's gender is unknown to society, they are free from that. They can choose if they want sports or dancing (or both, or whatever). And they can choose how they want to be referred to (pronouns, etc.). Can you imagine someone calling you the wrong pronouns for your whole life? That's how some people feel. It's more than annoying, it can be painful.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I know most of this is falling on deaf ears. But this isn't your child and you don't get to raise them. So I don't think it matters how you feel about it.