Debunking Gender

When you see a man or woman do you

question their gender? Would you identify
them as male or female or as something
else? What led you to identify them as
such? There isn't anything wrong with
identifying them, but have you ever
thought about what preconceived notions
have led not only you but us a society here in the United States to create what we know
about being male, female, transsexual, etc.?
Judith Butler, an American philosopher, explores this concept as a whole, trying
to figure out what exactly makes us as a society have this thing called gender, and why
we cling so dearly to the idea of it. In her essay Performative Acts and Gender
Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory, Butler isn't arguing her
opinion, but rather she is explaining why gender is something that is not set at birth,
only sex is. Gender is something we as a society have created years and years ago,
and have carried out the idea of it as time has gone on. She isnt casting this idea in a
negative light, nor is she trying to say that we as a society have messed up, rather,
she is only explaining the fact when we are born we have no choice but to sign a
contract with society to perform and act a particular way for the rest of our lives and
whether we are conscious of it or not, we all fall into this category. Alongside these

claims, Butler then moves on to talk about the performance of femininity and why it is
performed under duress. Now dont be confused and believe that when she says this
that she means femininity is harder to perform than masculinity, she is only pointing out
the fact that women for most of history have always been expected to act a certain way
around men and until recently this idea has finally been challenged and has changed in
some ways. What she is going for here is a statement that grabs your attention, and
also is informative. Women, for a fact, have been oppressed and forced into acting a
particular way with men being their oppressors for centuries and that is all Butler is
trying to say. Some might see this as a little harsh towards men, some might see it as
stating it as it is and having no harm. Either way there is truth behind what Butler is
getting at here.
Gender is created by us and we cannot deny this. Culture is one of
the biggest, if not the biggest, influences on gender and societys
conception of it goes right along with it. Around the world gender roles,
how each gender dresses and how they act, differ. An example being,
here in the United States, females are more likely to have long hair than
males, but in some Islamic cultures it is more acceptable for men to
have longer hair. We dont really know why this is, we just know thats
how it is. We all at some point are influenced by the culture we live in, and we accept
this as normal. This isnt a bad thing, its just how we as humans are. We consciously
and subconsciously absorb the environment we are in and act accordingly. A quote from
Butlers essay sums this up quite nicely, because gender is not a fact, the various acts
of gender creates the idea of gender, and without those acts, there would be no gender

at all. Can you see where Butler is coming from with this statement? There is not right
or wrong way to act like a man or play like a girl, there is only being born biologically
a man or woman and nothing else, we create everything else that goes along with being
a man or a woman. Sadly, stepping out of this role sometimes leads to nasty reactions.
There are countless examples of gender roles and examples of how others may
respond. This shows how deeply rooted gender is in our society. One key example
being how one dresses. If either a man or women dresses out of accordance of their
gender, people notice, and not always in a positive way.
In an English 110 class, two male students and one female student wanted to
test exactly how people here on campus would respond if they dressed like a gender
other than the one they currently identify as. The two male students dressed as females
received a lot of verbal support from females who saw them, one female even saying,
youre beautiful to one of the male students. Interestingly enough, other males who
say the two men dressed as females didnt voice nearly as much support for them, and
avoided saying anything altogether. The woman who dressed as a male didnt have
anything said to her, probably because we as a society see this as a more acceptable
sort of occurrence. What do you think about this?
The human body is only a carrier of a humans soul, and that in itself can never
be fully understood by a human. In that sense, we cannot confine ourselves to just
follow the roles of being a man or being a woman, we can be who we want to be. It is
much harder said than done, but it is possible. One should not feel scared to dress how
they want when they want for fear of being ridiculed and harassed. We as a society
need to open our minds to the different opinions and desires of others, and not make

them conform to the status quo. This will of course take time and will not be an
overnight transformation, but it can be a start. There are people not only here on
campus, but around the world who feel as if they dont quite fit in with a particular
constructed gender, and we cant make them feel excluded for how they feel. Whatever
the case may be we must accept them, not because it is our duty, but because it is
everyones right to feel like they belong here and that they have a place among the rest
of us. We all have differences but that is what makes us powerful. Diversity is a beautiful
thing that cannot be lost. Alongside that, gender is something that will never cease to
exist, but we must the firm grip of gender loosen its hold on us. It will take time and
effort for this to happen but it is achievable. Hate and shame is not the answer for a time
when so many things are changing, we all must be informed and know about current
events in order to make the progress we need. We as people are here for a short period
of time on earth, only knowing the bounds of our own bodies, so why make that short
amount of time a sad time when we can make it the best we can for all. All of us here on
campus have the ability to carry out the small favor of complimenting those who are
daring enough to step outside the confines of gender and support them.