The Woman Within

What is it in society that determines what is designated proper for boys and what is proper girls? Gender is simply a preconceived construct fabricated by society. It is a concept created by humans to categorize and segregate. Only humans understand the concept of gender. For animals and any other creatures, there is variance in sex, but no concept or construct of gender. It is so fascinating to see what comes from the mouths of innocent children.... children who have not been indoctrinated to box themselves to a societal construct which serves simply to segregate, separate, polarize and isolate. A recent video featured on ABC's Evening News was a refreshing reminder of what the unbiased young mind of a child knows.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-CU040Hqbas How interesting it is, that societies pre-conception of what is inately masculine or feminine can change over the years.  I find it fascinating to know that high heel...

There are a number with who I have chatted, who retort that there is but a binary in sex. There is man and there is woman, alone. In their view, gender and sex are considered as two words which equate as the same, are not separable and cannot be dichotomous. In my conversations and chats on many of the religious news sites scattered liberally across the internet, I have come to find this position to be rather consistent. It has always been my premise when in such forums, not to attempt to forcibly change opinion or dissuade others in their beliefs. Rather, my forays into such realms are only in an attempt to bring about awareness that often what we consider to be as rote and stolid and undeniable fact may not always be as it seems. Many thought the Earth to be flat as Columbus sailed off, only for him to  rediscover that it was not. Galileo maintained and promoted the heliocentric view of the solar system and a fundamental which all school children learn today... that th...

There is significant controversy in recent news directed at transgender individuals regarding the recent dressing room incident at Macys. The subject became active immediately after it was learned that a female employee of Macy's Department Store was immediately terminated from her job by management for NOT allowing a transgender woman to utilize the dressing room associated with the gender she was presenting as. It is a store policy, by Macy's, to allow those who present in their chosen gender, to utilize the dressing room of their chosen gender. This policy has enraged numerous individuals and groups, many of who have been voicing their deep disdain for transgender individuals using facilities concurrent with the gender they are congruent with and presenting as. The primary arguments involve fears that men who dress as women, are likely to engage in sexual predation or other voyeuristic and perverted acts. The solution, by these individuals and groups, is to crea...

It was just another evening out to dinner to relax and chat with my spouse and with the wonderful staff and patrons at our local watering hole.  Both J and I love the ambiance and coziness of the atmosphere and the plethora of widely varied personalities we have been privileged to get to know.  It's refreshing to know that we are not all clones of each other and that we each bring perspective that can enrich each other's lives if we simply choose to allow ourselves to be open minded. Celebrating our differences helps us all to realize just how unique we each are in the world.  Being unique often coincides with having unique perspectives and views.... and with that gift, comes new ways to look at the world around us and to consider. Take for instance this friend I met.  She was a gift to our waitress by one of the patrons who frequents the restaurant.  Our waitress is positively unique in many ways, with one of her attributes being that she enjoy...

For all of the positive and uplifting stories which I do try to focus on, there are also those deplorable ones of unmitigated violence and mistreatment against those who are transgender by the police and law enforcement agencies.  A recent article highlighting some of the more recent events unfolds here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/escalating-police-violenc_b_1131343.html Raw footage of the Brooke Fantelli incident where she was tazed twice, once on her body and once in her crotch by Bureau of Land Management Officials while simply standing with her hands up, was posted on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_4PkC8XH7k Coverage of the Macy's incident where a store employee who managed the women's dressing room was fired on the spot by management for not following store policy to allow those who present as female to use the dressing room consistent with their gender presentation has brought some very strong, harsh and is some cases, vit...

Last night I visited with my therapist for the first time in several months. We talked and asked if she could be direct with me. I said I preferred it that way. I'm a no bullcrap kind of gal and I play life straight and to the punchline. Honesty to self, honesty to others is the best approach I find. Her questions really hit home but they were not unexpected nor were the answers. If anything, it was me sounding them out that really began to hit home. It is one thing to say these things to yourself but it is another to answer to someone else. The therapists I have had really never ever told me who I was and my current one hasn't, but she did throw back some thoughts and perspectives which really bore meaning and thought. I told her I wasn't transitioning but working in a middle ground. I wasn't on hormones and I wasn't planning to change gender marker or legal status and to play a guy role as well. From where she sat, she wasn't buying it. In those...