So the crux of the matter is that the patriarchy – and the toxic masculinity at its roots – has publicly expanded its tendrils to claw at any individual that is not a cisgender heterosexual man. And honestly, for why? Unsolicited opinions are kind of like unsolicited dick pics, unnecessary, disgusting, and only harmful to the individual(s) receiving them.
As of a couple of days ago, the Selective Service System, a government agency that keeps track of citizens’ information as well as military drafts and such, posted a tweet saying that trans women would still have to put their name in for the draft after turning 18, and that trans men would not have to. Which, of course, spiked up some controversy because of the fact that trans women are women, regardless of whether they were born with a penis, and trans men are men, regardless of the fact that they were born with a vagina. “US policy states that transgender women who were registered as males when they were born must register for the military draft with the Selective Service, while transgender men who were recorded as female when they were born don’t have to sign up for the draft” (Kilander). This is something that was said based off of the year 1917, when the Selective Service System was established, so of course it’s transphobic, considering the time period; I mean, even the Constitution is sexist, racist, homophobic and so much more. That is why President Biden is trying to change this, “The Biden administration is actually in favor of opening up the Selective Service registration to everyone, regardless of sex assigned at birth, just like the Obama administration was” (Alexpbollinger).
One of the politicians to jump at the opportunity to both share their unsolicited opinion, as well as shit on Biden, was Colorado state Senator Lauren Boebert. Who, with her tweet in response to the Selective Service’s tweet about the draft (that isn’t even happening), tried to undermine Biden’s Administration’s efforts to support trans rights, as well as undermine trans individuals, by putting into question their identities. What if someone questioned your own gender identity? Hold on to your pearls girls, because the scandal! And how dare they! While sipping on your tea, or coffee – no discrimination on your preference (if only!), from your Blue Danube china in your suburban mansion in Colorado, showered in your rich privilege, but still comfortable because you know you are a woman simply because of the fact that you were born with a vagina and it aligned with your gender identity, and you have never had that part of your identity questioned. The audacity! The thing is, turn the tables on that one for a little bit. This woman, the state senator of Colorado, with her tweet, is aggressively putting into question, as well as the spotlight, trans women’s gender identity. Which, if you look at it objectively (which, sadly never happens), makes absolutely no sense. Because why is her identity, as a heterosexual cisgender woman, not questioned as well? Because it’s heteronormative? Since in the end, it does not matter whether or not someone is biologically this or that, it’s their outward gender identity, and what they present themselves as, that matters; no one is going to pant-check someone, physically check under the hood and whatnot because respect and decency, no? And yet, that’s basically what she’s doing with her tweet, without, you know, physically pulling down pants or raising up skirts. Not only that, but also the fact that what someone presents themselves as, male or female, masc or femme, are all socialized gender stereotypes. Babies never came with an instruction manual saying that boys had to wear blue and shorts and girls had to wear pink and skirts.
And a little bit of the worst part is, is that she is a woman. This senator is a woman, and granted she is white, rich, and heterosexual, so among the other minority groups, she is drowning in privilege, but as a woman, she is still a part of an oppressed group. Instead of using her huge platform to further the patriarchal agenda, she could be using it to defend and protect other women, cisgender or trans, because at the end of the day, they identify as women and are experiencing oppression as well, trans women even more, because of women and men like her. It’s the luxury of not having to think about it because it does not affect her. No one has ever questioned her womanhood, so she does not have to worry about having her identity be put to the test – something that should not be a luxury in the first place. And the worst part is, no one freaking asked her.
Unsolicited opinions, man. Especially made from a place of privilege, where, first of all, none of their fucking business, and second, it doesn’t affect them. So mind your own business. And in that similar vein, the overturning of Roe V. Wade. The same senator that said “trans women (also known as men)” (Clark), is an avid pro-lifer. Surprise, surprise. Someone who has the privilege of getting an abortion in a fancy clinic, should she need one, or the resources for whatever support she may need, does not need to worry about whether or not she is legally allowed to have one. If, God forbid, someone in her vicinity or her herself is in a situation where sexual assault is present, she has the resources to get an abortion and the mental health support she needs, but other women are not as lucky. And even without mentioning the possibility of rape or any other situation such as that, some women may just simply not be ready to be mothers, financially, emotionally, or whatever else, they don’t need an excuse or a reason to get an abortion other than the fact they want one. No woman should be denied an abortion and forced to have a child, especially not by men or women that have the privilege of not being affected by the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
It is absolutely no one’s business who someone fucks or who someone loves, especially because they are not doing the fucking or the loving themselves. No one is imposing their sexuality and gender identity on anybody else but themselves because it’s their identity and no one else’s. And just how they afford others this same privilege, which I guess it is a privilege, of having anything forced on them, people within any minority community, whether that is the queer community, women, African Americans, etc., should not have anything imposed on them as well. Golden Rule, right? Treat others the way you want to be treated. Or has that been lost in translation, as well?
In the end, it all boils down to toxic masculinity, the building block of the patriarchy, which if we boil that down as well, it basically just means white, cisgender men’s egos. Men established that women were lesser beings. Fucking Freud diagnosed women with “penis envy,” basically saying that women were lesser for the lack of having a dick, and not only that but that they want them. Which yeah, peeing standing up would be great, especially to avoid the lines at parties and bars, and so easily having an orgasm would also be great – because of course not only are we oppressed by men, but nature also had to make reaching an orgasm complicated for women. Because we couldn’t have at least gotten one thing, dude. But sure, yeah, no, let’s give white cis men the orgasms, the higher wages, the not-having-to-get-pregnant thing, but we can’t even get the right to an abortion or not having our own gender identity questioned, whether it be a trans woman or a trans man.
Ah, the luxury of not having to give a fuck or not getting those unsolicited dick pics and opinions. That would be the life.
コメント