Gender Policing Examples
Gender policing can range from a subtle discouragement of gender non-conformity to a verbal, even violent, assault on the person stepping outside the gender lines. Gender policing starts the moment we enter this world; for some, it never ends. These norms get passed down through our families and the hidden curriculum in our schools. Our peers tend to be the most merciless enforcers of these veiled gender regulations. Examples of bullying, harassing and hazing are prevalent on the news and social media. I was a tomboy growing up, and received a barrage of muted suggestions to act more like a lady. From the dolls I received from relatives to the pink floral wallpaper that my mother hung in my bedroom, I was gently pushed to be more of a girl. What exactly was wrong about preferring stuffed animals to dolls, and climbing trees to playing dress-up?
…show more content…
The one instance of gender policing that stands out most from my teenage years happened while visiting the beach with my best friend, Richard.
We had known each other for years and were inseparable. We are strolling down the boardwalk, giggling and people-watching, when a group of older guys passed by and yelled, “Which one is the boy and the girl?” Richard was likely used to such taunts by then. He wore his hair long and had already developed a fabulous fashion sense. I, on the other hand, lived in faded concert t-shirts and Doc Martins. I had also just gotten all of my frizzy, troublesome hair shorn off. We blew it off and went on with our day, but it gave me a momentary window into something that Richard battled with every day. While most of the girls appreciated his eyeliner and flamboyance (he never wanted for a formal or prom date), he was continuously jeered at by some of our male
schoolmates. While the time of hunting and gathering has long passed, society still insists on supporting these polarizing standards of masculinity and femininity. At some point, we need to ask ourselves who benefits from these conformities and why we need to perpetuate them.
The one instance of gender policing that stands out most from my teenage years happened while visiting the beach with my best friend, Richard.
We had known each other for years and were inseparable. We are strolling down the boardwalk, giggling and people-watching, when a group of older guys passed by and yelled, “Which one is the boy and the girl?” Richard was likely used to such taunts by then. He wore his hair long and had already developed a fabulous fashion sense. I, on the other hand, lived in faded concert t-shirts and Doc Martins. I had also just gotten all of my frizzy, troublesome hair shorn off. We blew it off and went on with our day, but it gave me a momentary window into something that Richard battled with every day. While most of the girls appreciated his eyeliner and flamboyance (he never wanted for a formal or prom date), he was continuously jeered at by some of our male
schoolmates. While the time of hunting and gathering has long passed, society still insists on supporting these polarizing standards of masculinity and femininity. At some point, we need to ask ourselves who benefits from these conformities and why we need to perpetuate them.