He…or She? Expressions and Acceptance of Non-Normative Gender – A Work in Progress

1. He…or She? Expressions and Acceptance of Non-Normative Gender – A Work in Progress Vic Wheeler, Department of Sociology, College of Public Affairs and Community Service, Honors College Faculty Mentor: Nicole Dash, Department of Sociology, College of Public Affairs and Community Service Is androgyny becoming normal? Abstract Intersexed or just non-conformist? Transgressions of traditional gender roles have become commonplace in our society. The media has come to praise androgyny, and our youth highly value it. Yet despite this increase in expressions of non-normative gender, many people still take androgyny as a reason to be suspicious of a person’s trustworthiness, or see it as a phase that one can grow out of. I am seeking to understand this increase in the popularity of gender-bending, as well as society's reactions to it. As I continue in my research, I will most likely focus on the generational differences in perceptions of non-normative gender. Not only is intersexuality – the state of being physically or genetically sex-atypical – becoming a widely recognized and accepted medical status, but “androgyne,” “genderqueer,” “third gender,” and other identifiers of gender other than the traditional “male” and The world is catching up “female” are coming to be widely used as a way for someone to identify one’s gender – as neither or both masculine and feminine. There have even been efforts to create and use gender-neutral pronouns, rather than “his” and “hers,” though these efforts have thus far been largely ineffective. Many people who identify as neither male nor female prefer the neutral, though traditionally ungrammatical, set of pronouns “they” and “theirs.” Gender-bending in the media “As you know, I'm androgynous. I can wear a jacket that most guys wouldn't put on. But you make it in guys' sizes, and suddenly they're wearing them. I think styles should get back to getting people to wear things that look so good that they don't care.” -- Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith For persons who appear or identify as androgynous, things such as choosing which restroom to use or which box to check can be real issues. In some places gender-neutral options have been made available, showing that society – if only small parts of it – is coming to accept and accommodate individuals who transgress gender boundaries. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a cult classic since its release in 1975, glorifies the cross –dressing of one of the main characters, Frankenfurter, who is a self-proclaimed “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.” At the midnight performances/showings of this film, one will likely find many of the audience members bending gender by means of cross-dressing. References and credits In the radically popular TV show, Saturday Night Live, the character Pat was known for being sexually ambiguous, and the plots involving this character centered around others’ inability to determine his or her sex, and the resulting discomforts. Morgan, B. L. (1998).A three generational study of tomboy behavior. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. 39, 787-800.Skidmore, W. C., Linsenmeier, J. A. W., & Bailey, J. M. (2005). Gender nonconformity and psychological distress in lesbians and gay men. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 35, 685-697.You can't trust gender-bending avatars. (2007, July 14). New Scientist, Retrieved March 4, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database. Lee, D (2005, March). Androgyny becoming global. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from UniOrb Web site: http://uniorb.com/RCHECK/RAndrogyny.htm pictures: http://www.movieposter.com/poster/A70-12682/It_s_Pat.html http://arwedda.deviantart.com/art/Confusion-40844666 http://robphobos.deviantart.com/art/DtL-Androgyny-78393058 http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc279/ArcaneAvenger/rhps.jpg http://flixxfx.deviantart.com/art/ANDROGYNY-No-2-33053039 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following individuals for making this research experience possible:Dr. Wendy Wilkins, Provost and Vice President for Academic AffairsDr. Gloria Cox, Dean, Honors CollegeDr. Tom Evenson, Dean, College of Public Affairs and Community Serviceand especially my mentor, Dr. Nicole Dash, Department of Sociology.