Gender Shock: Exploding the Myths of Male and Female

1. Gender Shock: Exploding the Myths of Male and Female By Phyllis Burke

2. Description: • Author believes that our culture harbors such an extreme degree of fear and anxiety when it comes to anything that challenges the definition of boy and girl • Millions of dollars of public funds have been spent on studies and experiments on children perceived to deviate from traditional gender-specific behavior

3. Analysis: • Clinical Expectations & Evaluations Surrounding Gender-Deviant Behavior in Children • “Feminine boys were suspected of being prehomosexual” (p.256) 1. Kraig (5 years old) deemed most severe case due to constant feminine behaviors and speech (i.e. mimicking female traits) (p.256) 2. Carl (8 years old) deemed at risk for transsexualism, transvestism, and probable autopenectomy due to clinically defined feminine characteristics (p.260-261) • Reasons to treat such children 1. Child will be scorned by peers (p.257) 2. Child is at risk for “adult transsexualism, transvestism, and ‘some forms of homosexuality’” (p.257) 3. Child is at risk for depression and incarceration due to possible future as a transsexual (p.257) • Dr. Lovass 1. Principle investigator of study 2. Believes that by attempting to correct gender-deviant behavior in children, child will not be ridiculed by his/her peers and future possibility of wanting to change his/her body would be avoided (p.262)

4. Analysis: • Clinically- Identified Gender-Deviant Behavior Characteristics • Original letter called for boys who dressed in female clothing, were inclined to participate in female activities, and were heard stating that they wanted to be a girl (p.256) • Although Kraig chose to play with army belt, he was not given credit because he chose to use the army belt as a bonnet (p.258) • Researchers constructed session which forced Kraig to demonstrate aggression, inclination towards war, and efforts to “die” or “kill” in a boy’s toy land in order to have his mother acknowledge his presence (p.259) • Kraig’s feminine behavior to be altered was his interest in playing with girls. This was achieved through “physical punishment by spanking from the father.” Later demonstrated destructive behaviors (p.259) • Carl’s feminine behaviors involved a liking toward a male comedian who cross-dresses, use of feminine words, and pretending to wash dishes. Prescribed treatment involved athletic training (p.260-261)

5. Analysis: • Long-Term Effects • In follow-up interview when Kraig was 17, Kraig’s mother said Kraig and his father had drifted apart. Burke attributes this separation to Kraig’s diagnosis as a sender-deviant boy, leading to Kraig’s father rejecting his child. Mother placed blame on Kraig – “really could shut someone out if he wants to” (p.260) • Kraig has grown up to be ultra-sensitive to his sexuality, harboring an extreme fear of being perceived as a feminine boy by others and a growing tendency towards violence in the event that a gay man happened to touch him. Kraig attempted suicide at age 18 (p.260)

6. Vision: • Burke states that “it is disheartening that the National Institute of Mental Health underwrote this treatment” (p.261) This implies that Burke envisions a world where the public does not condone these types of studies and experiments. • Burke implies an envisioned culture without fear and anxiety of children’s behavior that strays from traditional gender-specific characteristics.

7. Strategy: • Burke implies that the first step to achieving her vision is for government to be held accountable for these studies and experiments, and for studies involving gender roles to not be seen in the future. • Instead of trying to alter “gender-deviant” behavior, Burke implies that we should seek alternative explanations for said behaviors (pgs.256-7;259-260;262)

8. The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles By Emily Martin

9. Description: • Martin argues that biological scientists cannot escape the influences of culture in their descriptions of reproduction biology, thereby explaining the processes of reproduction with language reflecting the gender stereotypes embedded within our culture. She says the scientific language of reproductive biology implies that female biological processes are inferior to the male biological processes and are inferior to men.