Last blog assignment response

"performances" meaning we are always performing? I would agree with this as we all grow up with dislikes and like that we may feel we have come to on our own but providing a different environment would we like and be different. Resistance? well I dunno I read a study somewhere at some point that supports that exposure even saying that you believe in something eventually leads you to uphold it. I think the example was writing in support of tuition hikes. What I am saying is that there is always to sides to a story and both should and I think obviously do have valid points even if only in their own minds (from your point of view.) So whereas some say challenge these stereotypes and do this and that well for most of us including me life will be alot easier if I just pretend which I do to like sports to the point of murder:-) motorcycles cars and other things whichever your gender may be. I don't want to fake anything extreme which I would say I don't and that only means I am fortunate enough to have a mind pliable enough for society. In other words I grew up being shown certain things and I can adapt to situations and if I find myself with people I don't like I might say sexist things etc... even if I don't mean it and this in my opinion makes me a bad person but a healthy unhit bad person. I have stood up for things and resisted but comments like I think I could have sex with a man but don't want to cause y'all will look at me like a queer, well that I will just keep to myself. Any other thoughts I have I do share with my closest friends because that is why they are my closest friends they are like me. I have taken a lot from this class and have changed a few things I do everyday and how I look at the things I do everyday. I have stopped making references to homosexuals in a negative manner and did try to hang out with two girls without thinking about anything sex related which was hard but in the end a great experience apparently girls like a guy who can cook. What I am saying is that while we are all shaped in ways we cannot imagine (my catholic upbringing left me pretty weird in the values v morals category) we are given the chance, to with knowledge and the right privilege knapsack, look around and see things as a whole. That is what I appreciate most about this class is that it has presented a radical point of view to me which I am still slowly taking in. I went back and re-read a few articles and find that now I understand that they are saying much better. I do however think I might be placing myself too high in my own mind. I often get frustrated in class and got to the point of not wanting to speak just because if I would have opened my mouth I might have screamed. It is startling to me to see in class when you are trying to make a point clear then ask a question and get a response from left field. Patience is good and I think it just made it clear that while in general people are not evil all of us to an extent have thoughts and notions that harm the people around us without knowing it. Some people are incapable of seeing things from another perspective and these people are the ones that propagate negativity even if they do not realize it. Back to the original question Resisting forces? I don't know I guess I have always been pretty athletic had steady girlfriends and the like so I fit in without thinking twice and I have resisted hyper masculinity. Simply because of the example my grandparents set I also grew up in a horrible ghastly environment so I have always respected women and rejected the notion that men are better in any way as I also have 3 younger sisters and a younger brother so in that regards I would say I am at least neutral. And living in the U.S. during this time period well being of Mexican descent has its advantages I know Spanish and can speak to many people others can't but I have experienced some extreme racism and other borderline things. I also have to deal with jokes from everyone around me about stereotypes like I bought a knife after my friend got mugged just cause and now I'm a gangsta' etc... I also was arrested at CU while installing my own stereo in my car, I have been told in the library after spending almost an entire day there when my laptop died that only students should be there, I was wearing a Piazanos shirt so dunno. Things like this well they get to me but the majority of people I hang out with are great so I won't complain until I have to. I did get a lawyer for the arresting incident but the officers covered their tracks well and I didn't make it to trial. Who I am? Caring, passionate, and tired. Oh and also the last blog I was just bitter because we had a group of people come in at work who had just gotten out of a GLBT meeting and as soon as they left there were more jokes made than I could stand and did yell at a few people. Even thinking now I don't think I like even thinking about the categories and stereotypes. Also on the choice of sexual orientation and gender I do think most of us can chose and a few would feel utterly one way or the other like I tried to show with people who amputate limbs because they feel they don't belong on their bodies. There is a current study going on that is looking for "homosexual genes" and well the studies among fraternal and identical twins are also interesting. Maybe there are many born homosexual who are only homosexual and some born straight that could only be straight but I still say that most are capable of forming any kind of relationship in the right environment. That is if you believe everything is socially constructed. Who is to say that those who claim that they feel gay are gay and always have been gay did not just arrive to that conclusion because from the time they picked up a barbie at three this is how their parents raised them. In what way does it make sense that even a "homosexual" 3 year old knows that gays play with barbies? Now that I think about it that doesn't make sense at all. Wouldn't someone who prefer men want to play with men? GI Joes etc... How does a gay male damn it I assumed again... male male male sorry. How does a homosexual male know to play with barbies and like pink and then tie this to sexual relations? Why does a homosexual have to act like the opposite gender in order to like the same gender? blah...

Assignment # 10 response

I think I'm getting bitter and it is becoming apparent in my writing and I apologize for that. If instructing someone of any other gender to be a man I would say speak deep be mean don't make eye contact and smile don't be inquisitive walk like you own the space around you look at everything and everyone indifferently get flat chested nod your head to greet people and get a penis or phallic substitute. Dress in blue jeans that are not form fitting at all and loose t-shirt type tops.

Assignment # 9 response

Gender and choice as well as sexuality and choice? I hesitate to answer for others as I am nowhere near questioning where I stand and how I feel. I am comfortable in my own skin I suppose and wish everyone else could be happy in their skin. The only recurring theme I can think of is that if society would not hold people to strict norms and requirements then maybe sex changes would not be necessary. If everyone was not required to fulfill gender roles as described by genitalia then maybe someone who felt like a man with female genitalia could live life fulfilling male roles without feeling like they were out of sync with everyone that had female genitalia. I know that some people absolutely feel like they have to switch to fulfill their needs but there are also people who feel that certain limbs "simply don't belong" and amputate. Again we should be open to everything and then the true nature of people could come out. I do not know how else I can say it live and let live fuckers!

Some people argue for being born gay others say its not natural. I say it is how you make it. I could believe that certain people are just strictly homosexual from the get go as in birth. I can also believe and firmly believe that everyone can chose to be whatever sexuality they want. The reason I say this is because lately I've asked why I am attracted to females and the scary answer is just cause. I'll be the first to say that I think we've all had the drunken experience where we tell our friends we love em and it is purported that most men will have a homosexual experience at one point. We are humans for crying out loud sex feels good and depending on your mindset it doesn't matter if its a horse or Jessica Biel it will feel good. That is all I have to say.

Assignment #8

I hope I am understanding this correctly with gender identity being the gender you identify with and sexual identity being whether you view yourself as heterosexual or homosexual. If this is the case then this movie portrayed homosexuals as being people who don't follow the gender norms to begin with. Therefore, according to the movie you could make the conclusion that all males who have feminine qualities are attracted to males. It seems to be making the point that you can never judge a book by its cover. The movie seems to prey on every stereotype and gleam it of all its comedic content just showing how ridiculous some of our stereotypes are. It just shows that we hold anybody who does not follow the gender expectations to the letter as an outsider. If a male likes dancing, make-up, etc, they will be labeled as homosexual or "metro" either way there is a category for them that is outside of the norm. Jan is unique because she looks very "butch" which makes her a strong candidate for the lesbian "dyke" category, and it was funny to me when she declared that she was heterosexual because it seemed the joke was that while she is female she identifies as male and therefore while she likes guys she still is a homosexual because she is like a guy and likes guys.

In thinking about why we associate certain gender identities to queer sexuality I came up with one answer. The media. I know that the way homosexuals are presented in the media might be true to the letter for a few but in looking around I have two gay friends that you would more than likely never guess gay just by meeting them briefly. I do think it is strange that we have such a strong propensity for labeling people for being different. Granted there are a few "flamboyant," homosexuals out there but I do not think you can ever tell gay or straight just by meeting someone. Maybe just maybe this is a good thing for now simply because it could allow people to hide it more easily if their behavior doesn't fall into the stereotype categories. Hopefully soon movies like But I'm a Cheerleader will not have any stock in reality, and we will be able to laugh light-heartedly at all the jokes in it.

Assignment 7 reaction to part 1

This article by Michael Scherer assumes that Women are not suppose to take control, don't set goals, cry, scared of war, family oriented, nurturing, self-depreciating, soft, tender, gracious, warm, and want to work together doing "soul searching." The men love guns, safaris, war, chain-saws, take control, could care less about his damn family, stand up to bullies, in your face, know-it-all, and strong enough to push buttons (apparently).

I got pretty irritated with this article simply because I know these type of articles play a significant role in the candidacy race and they keep important issues in the shadows. I just know that people will pick this up and run with it drawing who knows what conclusions for not very well founded reasons. However, it does interest me as to why these issues are issues and what they imply for the "common man."

I think it is strange that this article states that Barack Obama, one of the only melanin rich people ever to be considered for the presidency, is being called one of the most feminine candidates. Is this because it is better to be a feminine black guy than it is to be a hyper macho black guy? Does it hold true even in the higher ranks of society that the manly black dude will be seen as violent or over stimulated whatever making up for blah blah blah. I don't understand this. Up until I read this article I hadn't even thought about this gender issue. Now I'm reading these political cartoons that make me question the society I live in. The more I analyze everything around me with the intention of finding someone doing something wrong I do, and it makes me angry. Hilary is said to be overcompensating, my question is for what? For being female? That is absolute bullshit. Why would being feminine or masculine matter? In my opinion this is just as stupid as voting always republican or democrat or whatever, look at the issues you want dealt with look at how the politicians have dealt with them and vote accordingly. Hilary in my opinion is strong-willed, apt to attack problems aggressively, and has previous experience with the requirements of being president (her husband remember him). Her actions in the senate, as a lawyer, as the first lady, and as a wife should be what you look at not her freakin' gender traits. I guess it just makes me laugh when I read phrases like, ""The decision to go to war is not a sport," he[Obama] tells crowds, rejecting the male metaphor." The male what now? I almost want to put this with the writings of ann coulter something you might read but wouldn't even consider responding to. It is articles like this that I hope everyone ignores even though in reality it is articles like this that need to be countered intelligently and eloquently something I wish I could do.

Assignment # 5

I Missed class on Thursday and therefore I do not know exactly what the conversation on Thursday was like. Does our culture promote rape? I would say that the word promote is a little strong. Promote is almost synonymous to condone and I have yet to meet someone who has not viewed rape as one of the worst things one can do or have done to you. However, we are shown day to day that men's biological drives are insatiable and are taught that it is OK to acknowledge your sexuality and are also barraged with women in the media as sex objects which may encourage some to step over the line and the line to be blurred. Sometimes I hear stories about guys bitching for sex until girls just say OK or even guys in relationships doing likewise . I guess I'm saying I do not know how I feel about the statement. I could argue that the media devalues women etc, but we are the media aren't we. I believe that we should be at a point where we can control our urges. We all have urges sexual and food wise and otherwise we all have urges. Perhaps it is not that society promotes rape I would say that weak people with no game and a hedonistic attitude use propaganda to fulfill their sick needs. I am curious to see what a statistical analysis would say if it is people in lower class upper class history of violence in family etc... I am going to go with my first instinct and say that when people with strong urges find an excuse through what they see in society as OK then they will be more likely to act out these urges. Therefore I believe that while society does not promote rape it does facilitate an excuse for rape and indeed for some be an excuse for rape.

unpacking the napsack

Laying myself out:
Male
Average Height
Average Athleticism
Typical Hair
Darkish skin
Half Mexican Half Canadian (directly anyways)
Not quite sure what I actually look like however been mistaken for middle-eastern, half black, half whatever else,
I speak English and Spanish fluently


I would say that like everything in life there is a compromising state. That is to say while our superficial privileges are just that, superficial, and barring extremes of the stigmas associated with your appearance "meritocracy" can and hopefully does apply. What I am saying is that in my life I have experienced many interesting things, some of which have been very hurtful but in the end have taught me alot about the nature of people. I have found that before people get to know me I am judged based on my perceived status. This could get really annoying seeing as this means that even though I am in my opinion of at least average intelligence and comparable to any other person who managed to get into the University of Colorado, I have to go a few extra steps to be equal in perception.Sometimes I have found myself working harder than my white peers for the same results as in hospital care, work positions, or peers opinions.

However, I do not have to worry about there being a ramp or other handicap accessible features at a building or location I have never been too.

I do not have to worry about being tall enough to reach into cabinets at a normal house

I do not have to worry about whether or not I can communicate with and get my point across to the majority of people I will encounter during my daily routines.

I do not have to worry about whether or not I will have a home to go to.

I do not have to worry about having an amorous relationship with a girl.

I do not have to worry about being labeled or stigmatized as a homosexual.

I do not have to worry about being charged for two seats at an airline.

I do not have to think about what condition my body will be in next week.

I do not have to worry about being mistaken for a terrorist. (usually)


If anything I have realized that while I do have many privileges I have to overcome first impressions before I am regarded as equal to my white peers. As sad as it is to admit it even for me it takes me a while to exemplify my skills and prove that I am an equal. Whereas they have to prove that they do not merit this status before it is taken away. I do appreciate not being paralyzed, not being extremely short, not being obese, not being many many many things, because these things allow me to work towards being someone fairly easily. While the color of my skin may hinder me in some places in a few aspects for the most part it requires a few utterances from me to show people who I am. For this I am Grateful. I do understand that I am very lucky as far as being a perfectly normal human being again I just wish we all could be given the same chance to be deemed idiots or people worth knowing.

asssignment # 4 Response

While going to target and I later went to a wal-mart. I realized that they both go way out of their ways to please their customers. Neither store has unrealistic super skinny anything for girls or super duper machism for men. They do adhere to a relatively high standard but compared to an A&E or victoria secret not bad I suppose. The problem is holy stereotypes batman. I was looking in the toy section at target and there is a section that is devoted to more expensive family toys. There was a 14 in 1 air hockey thingy showing 2 boys and 2 girls of different ethcnicities playing. There was a basketball game with two young boys and a father playing, also there was a game with various things like bean bag toss with two young boys a young girl and a father figure. The more I looked the more the pictures depict the image of daddy needs to play with the kids buy this and fulfill your duty. On the other side there was this inflatable shade intended on sun protection that showed a mother caring for a child, I believe the company was sunsafe. Anyways This struck me as the most surprising only because like I said before holy stereotypes. You can tell that most of these were chosen carefully in regard to show of race, affluence, and lets say bmi. I guess I shouldn't and am not in the end upset by any of it just surprised that the very places I shop instigate the propagation of stereotypes. Perhaps these are harmless but subtly I believe these lead to the people who sit around differentiating between the "proper" duties of men and women. Why not just have pictures of the product and what it does. This should make sense marketing wise to I think. If someone is looking for your product then show them the product not... Well I guess halfway through a thought struck me I am completely wrong. This marketing does work it guilts, and encourages the thoughts in the back of their minds. It makes a father who goes with his child to a store believe that this is what he should be doing. Etc... I don't know it seems that the social pressures are preyed upon by the stores. Men are asked to be rugged, stoic, dependable, and callous. We are put under pressure to seem like we don't care and if we over care about anything then we become the weird ones. If you wear axe cause it has become necessary thanks to commercials to smell nice. A super smooth face with a 5 bladed razor. I bet that when it becomes possible to choose to eliminate facial hair that it will become favorable and indeed more attractive if you can grow that stubble in one day. I guess What I am now trying to say is that the stereotypes around us exist because of a very strong set of checks and balances we may not want to follow them but there are consequences you will pay that, save but a few of us, are not willing to pay. So if a guy calls a girl once in never and she is proud of herself when he finally opens up. Now that he probably always wanted to to everyone he just didn't want to be labeled. Also if a guy calls a girl everyday because she won't answer because "he's just creepy," well this is what happens when a guy decides to be too open. I have seen both with friends and in myself. Stereotypes make human interaction awkward, slow, and round about. With no stereotyping we would be free to live in our own skins be straightforward and honest without worrying about being judged. I would much rather find out someone is obsessive and jealous the first date than to attribute it to normal female behavior. I want to find a place where I can be me.

Assignment #3 response

Getting "rid" of the binary gender system? Making the assumption that this is well thought out and the information/awareness is out there that everyone is educated in what other genders lie out there. I do not believe that society should be harmed or helped by this. However, if this were to happen stereotyping and more than likely a few negative stigmas would apply to those select few born with unique gender traits. That is to say if we would make it so that children born with whatever traits grew up naturally well. I have to say that I believe this is ridiculous when reading about the standards that newborns are measured against and the manner in which they are handled upset me. I will admit I hadn't really thought about it but this upset me just like it upsets me when people are judged by superficial characteristics. The only bad that could come from "allowing" other genders would be by those who have the power to oppress saying that this is bad. The only evil that could come from eliminating the binary gender system is the negativity that would come from those who will not and could not possibly accept it. I think that in large part we will always recognize the "two main" genders as male female and those anomalies that lie somewhere else in the spectrum well they are still human right? This I think would be good for society only because if we are forced to interact with unusual people and come out of that experience with the understanding that they are just that people then maybe it will help us see other people as just that people.


As far as it affecting me well I don't know if I pretend that we have allowed the binary gender system to dissolve for 3 decades before my birth I could see myself as being affected if lets say I start a relationship with an individual that falls in one of the interesting categories of gender. Then perhaps I see myself as being judged or otherwise demeaned. Or if my child was born this way I would be grateful (hopefully) that my child would at least be given the choice to live as they chose whether that be to remain natural or change one way or the other. Aside from this I don't think it would affect me for good or worse because male assholes are no different than female assholes which I would assume are no different than any other combination of asshole. Or nice person if you prefer.

First Thoughts

I have thought for a few moments I would say about this class. I went around analyzing looking for sexism then found that well I don't think I'm sexist, and the world is. I like that the mission statement is not hate men but hate the world men created. This is not quite accurate however as the book states that thanks to a few assholes out there and the way we are groomed from day one a biased world is maintained. One solution and one solution only, deal with it on a case by case basis. I dunno to much to think about. The more I write the more I feel like I am trying to say I have more wisdom than I possess. So hmmm.