I think people naturally want to form hierarchies, but I also think people naturally want to steal. It’s normal, but that doesn’t mean it’s desirable, especially if the hierarchy is based on stereotypes instead of, say, the hierarchy that exists in a classroom.
Women on the whole tend to be smaller, and get stereotyped as more childlike, which seems natural, but we hold totally different stereotypes for other groups. Asian men tend to also be smaller, but they face stereotypes about being smart and sly, nothing at all childlike. These are huge generalizations, obviously, but the only thing in common about the stereotypes people hold about all groups is that these stereotypes serve the people already in power.
Yes, it’s not just fetishization, but honestly, suggesting playing with gender as a solution is more offensive to me. It feels very much like “it’s too bad you’re always going to be in the losing position, but here, you can be an X who Ys, isn’t that fun?” To be clear, I like playing with gender. My preferred hobby is about 10% dudes in skirts (not being transphobic, it’s folk dancing and skirts are spinny, so everyone loves them), but that doesn’t fix my problems.
And I do think the problems can be fixed (I’m willing to accept 99% fixed, if there’s some degree of inevitability to it, which there may be), because we’ve already made a huge dent in the problem in some places. Even since Judith Butler stopped thinking there was another way out.
I don’t think Judith Butler is opposed to policies that demonstrably improve gender equality such as abortion. Correct me if I’m wrong here?? I think the playing with gender is just part of it. And I feel like it has a real impact, idk I know a lot of nonbinary and gender fluid people and they are not, on the whole, hierarchy-obssessed people.
The biological conditions that lead to patriarchy can totally be leveled out somewhat, but it’s hard to rule out the reality of how testosterone impacts physical strength, and the impact of pregnancy. It’s not really about stereotypes it’s about sex differences.
I think playing with gender isn’t just for the “oppressed” to have fun under a difficulty hierarchy. If more dudes were wearing skirts and participating in feminine activities, it would be harder for them to be violent against women. Think about all the incels who worship masculinity and never talk to girls and are just scary as hell. And if the incels wanted to fetishize this masculinity worship, it wouldn’t be as serious you know? Like they are serious about their violence as is, but if they successfully recontextualized it as a fantasy that they partake in during a specific context with consenting people, that might be better?
I think people naturally want to form hierarchies, but I also think people naturally want to steal. It’s normal, but that doesn’t mean it’s desirable, especially if the hierarchy is based on stereotypes instead of, say, the hierarchy that exists in a classroom.
Women on the whole tend to be smaller, and get stereotyped as more childlike, which seems natural, but we hold totally different stereotypes for other groups. Asian men tend to also be smaller, but they face stereotypes about being smart and sly, nothing at all childlike. These are huge generalizations, obviously, but the only thing in common about the stereotypes people hold about all groups is that these stereotypes serve the people already in power.
Yes, it’s not just fetishization, but honestly, suggesting playing with gender as a solution is more offensive to me. It feels very much like “it’s too bad you’re always going to be in the losing position, but here, you can be an X who Ys, isn’t that fun?” To be clear, I like playing with gender. My preferred hobby is about 10% dudes in skirts (not being transphobic, it’s folk dancing and skirts are spinny, so everyone loves them), but that doesn’t fix my problems.
And I do think the problems can be fixed (I’m willing to accept 99% fixed, if there’s some degree of inevitability to it, which there may be), because we’ve already made a huge dent in the problem in some places. Even since Judith Butler stopped thinking there was another way out.
I don’t think Judith Butler is opposed to policies that demonstrably improve gender equality such as abortion. Correct me if I’m wrong here?? I think the playing with gender is just part of it. And I feel like it has a real impact, idk I know a lot of nonbinary and gender fluid people and they are not, on the whole, hierarchy-obssessed people.
The biological conditions that lead to patriarchy can totally be leveled out somewhat, but it’s hard to rule out the reality of how testosterone impacts physical strength, and the impact of pregnancy. It’s not really about stereotypes it’s about sex differences.
I think playing with gender isn’t just for the “oppressed” to have fun under a difficulty hierarchy. If more dudes were wearing skirts and participating in feminine activities, it would be harder for them to be violent against women. Think about all the incels who worship masculinity and never talk to girls and are just scary as hell. And if the incels wanted to fetishize this masculinity worship, it wouldn’t be as serious you know? Like they are serious about their violence as is, but if they successfully recontextualized it as a fantasy that they partake in during a specific context with consenting people, that might be better?