From the category archives:

gender

Gender Traitor ((en)Gender)

by Viviane on 09/10/2007

in gender

And I am, I guess, a gender traitor. I don’t have much in common with the people who are assumedly “my tribe” – other heterosexual women. I don’t know how to talk to them. I don’t know how to make them feel better about themselves, or reassure them that I really dress the way I do on purpose. But it hadn’t occurred to me that it wasn’t all feminine women I felt that way about until my friend asked me that question. Looking back, it’s often been queer femmes who have helped me think about femininity in ways that didn’t just piss me off.

(more. . .)

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Gender Alchemy: The Transformative Power of Manga (Horn Book)

by Viviane on 09/05/2007

in gender

BY J.D. HO

Manga. The word might feel foreign on most Americans’ tongues, but these Japanese comics — collected in small paperback editions and meant to be read from back to front and right to left — are becoming increasingly popular. With manga now accounting for two-thirds of all graphic-novel sales in U.S. bookstores, publishers can barely keep up with demand. Like the English word comics, the term manga encompasses everything from action-adventure to romance to supernatural fantasy, but unlike Western comic publishers, manga publishers have for a long time printed a broad spectrum of titles that appeal to girls.

A genre called “boys’ love” has its own particular following among female readers. Boys’ love is exactly what it sounds like: manga that focuses on romantic relationships between two boys. Boys’ love is a blanket term that includes yaoi (boy/boy stories for adults) and its tamer cousin, shonen-ai. The distinction is important since, according to the manga ratings system, yaoi is usually stamped M for mature and is not sold to anyone under eighteen. There is, however, plenty of shonen-ai for the lower age brackets. Though sometimes sensational in their plots, these stories raise thought-provoking questions of what it means to be a boy or girl, how each gender is supposed to feel or act, and how exactly sexual attraction operates. A good deal of manga also incorporates forms of gender-bending, such as cross-dressing, which delve into some of the same territory. All of this begs the question: why is boys’ love so popular with girls? (more. . .)

Thanks, Buckaroo.

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You have no idea who you’re talking to

by Lolita Wolf on 08/29/2007

in bisexual,gender,homophobia

grlpwr You have no idea who you’re talking toPostSecret

I made a new acquaintance the other day. I had seen her before. She’s a lesbian. We have some of the same friends and we travel in some of the same circles.

One common theme that comes up often in some of these circles is how straight men are assholes. And it’s true that a lot of them are assholes. But not all of them.

Straight people. The topic comes up so often in the women’s community. It seems acceptable to complain about the straights. Like it’s a topic we all can agree on. We should all be able to commiserate about how horrible the straight people are. Especially those clueless straight men who just don’t get it.

I know what they are talking about. And I am bothered by a lot of those straight men, too. But they’re not all like that. I know a lot of really nice straight men. And the behavior of those clueless straight men is an embarrassment to them, too.

I am bothered by generalizations and stereotypes. These conversations bashing straight men make me uncomfortable. I usually try to let it go, but I can’t just listen to it. I say, “I know what you mean, but not all men are like that.” But they continue with the generalizations. “Well, some of them are okay,” I interject. “I actually have friends who are straight men.” But it’s like they don’t hear me. Or they don’t want to hear me.

Anyway, back to the lesbian I had just met. We’re on the subway together, just the two of us at this point. We’ve talked about a lot of things: work, living situations, food, etc. But she comes back around to the topic of slimy straight men. “So, I’m bisexual,“ I tell her. And now she’s shocked.

She’s shocked because she thought I was another lesbian, like her. Whenever I am hanging with my queer friends, it is assumed that I am a lesbian. They never assume that I am bisexual. And straight people assume I’m straight, because none of them ever assume I’m bisexual either. Nobody ever assumes I’m bisexual. On the other hand, I hate assumptions. Don’t assume I’m not bisexual; don’t assume I am bisexual. But whether or not, I am bisexual, don’t assume that I am about to buy into the stereotype that all straight men are assholes.

I can forgive people for not assuming I’m bisexual, but I don’t have room in my life for heterophobes or homophobes.

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How Gender Influences Health Searches (Pew Internet)

by Viviane on 08/24/2007

in gender,internet,women

Women are more likely than men to search online for health information, search for more health topics, seek online support for medical issues, and search on someone else’s behalf. Our reports on these data sets had observed the gender difference, but this study proves the case beyond a reasonable doubt. (more. . . )

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The Carnival of Bent Attractions

by Viviane on 02/05/2007

in carnivals,gay,gender,lgbt,queer,transgender

The Carnival of Bent Attractions is a group of selected blog posts from various blogs on articles of interest to the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans and queer communities. The Carnival of Bent Attractions is published monthly.

The Sex Carnival will be hosting the March Carnival on March 10th. You can submit a post here. The deadline for submission is March 1st.

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