The fetishization, commodification, and exposure of transness and trans bodies has become rampant in the past years because transness is being seen as more accepted (read interesting.) The gross interest in trans bodies, especially when it comes to anatomy, transitions, and gender performance, has only increased and is still believed, by many, to be acceptable topics to discuss with trans individuals. 

Asking about a trans person’s genitals is no more acceptable than asking a cis man if he is circumcised or not, and yet these questions are extremely common to ask trans individuals online, IRL, even in talk show interviews (looking at you Katie Couric.) The fact that these questions are still asked every day of every trans person means, essentially, that as a culture we view transness as an act and not as a state of being. And yes! Gender is indeed an act preformed by all (who have a gender) but by no means does sex equal gender and by no means are trans individuals pretending to be trans. Therefore, why are these questions still ok to ask? Why aren't we asking trans individuals about their experiences as a trans individual rather than trying to put ourselves in their place? Why are we not asking how to be more respectful of them? Why are we not asking how we can be effective allies? Why are we not asking them about how they experience job discrimination? How medical access can be legally denied or made all but impossible to achieve? Why are we not more concerned with the way the government treats trans individuals and the laws that make legally changing their names or getting new birth certificates almost impossible? Why is it that we would rather see a trans individual as an experiment, play thing, or zoo animal than a human?

When we start to ask if a trans person is really “committed” to their transition based on whether or not they've had “the surgery” there is a problem. The fact that experts on queer and gender theory still write papers, with little to no backlash, about how “gender isn't real” is a problem. As a community, we need to come together and realize that there are so many ways to do gender that it’s not revolutionary or “strange” at all to have people doing gender that isn't their assigned sex. And, we also need to understand that there are many reasons people do gender the way they do. Many people use gender as armor: if you can preform it well enough no one can fault you for your behavior or beliefs because it’s all about your gender. Some people do gender as a self care act or a statement, there is, I believe, no wrong way to do gender. But, we need to start realizing that it is different for everyone and that’s ok. It’s not all about understanding someone’s gender, it’s about accepting their gender as valid and real and ok.    

Categorizing Silence

         During our discussion of Silence, I came across a major issue when we were discussing the characteristics of Silence. The question of Silence’s gender identity came up, and people went back and forth debating whether or not Silence was transgender, agender, or gender fluid. I joined in on this argument, because at first, I found it to be interesting. However, the more I thought about it, the more it really bothered me. I think that when we are discussing Silence, or any character from the middle ages, it is important that we do not try and force our 21^st century nomenclature and thought processes on the character. Silence was not thinking that perhaps she was transgender, instead she was concerned that despite being female, she had played the role of a male for so long that she was beginning to become more comfortable in this role. I understand the desire that we, as 21^st century students, have to try and bring everything into this century, but it simply isn’t realistic, and we lose sight of the actual issue being told in the story.

            A more appropriate comparison to make would be to Julia Serano’s essay in Gender Outlaws, where she argues that gender is an act that helps us categorize in society. Despite being female, Silence was forced into the role of a male, due to inheritance laws. After lots of internal struggle, she finally comes to the decision that this is not the role that she fits into, and begins to play her “natural” role, which is that of a female.

            My statement is not meant to say that there are not people from the middle ages, who if we brought into today’s society, would be regarded as transgender, it just isn’t applicable to Silence.

            To compare it to something more modern, within the community of Drag Queens, there are queens who become lost in the role that they play when they paint their face. Their true selves become lost inside the outgoing personality that is their stage persona. It leads to the same type of internal struggle we see with Silence, where they attempt to sort between this fake personality that has taken over their lives, and their true selves. Eventually, they tend to find their way, just like Silence, back into their natural roles. They are not transgender, simply lost in the roles that they are forced to put on.

Gendering Kids Starts Early and Just Doesn't Quit

Just like Desdemona and her spoon as well as Milton and his thermometer, every couple wants to know what the gender of their unborn baby is- and since it’s no longer the seventies, it’s often fairly easy to do for a baby. Which is understandable for parents to want- with the pretty clear-cut lines of gender that our society draws, it’s a natural next step that everyone wants to know ahead of time. Even without the male-centered inheritance laws in Silence, a baby’s early life is going to be different whether they’re a boy or girl, even though those differences are shaped by the same society that dictates that people know ahead of time so that they can choose to treat their unborn child as a boy or girl early… so it sort of seems like a cycle that feeds itself to me.

And with social media being so prevalent in our society and a big way of how we keep in contact with others, I guess it’s another natural next step for “gender reveal” parties or announcements start popping up. Like the cake filled with blue or pink m&m’s. Or the box filled with blue or pink chalk that you then shoot to make the gender of your baby… explode… (?) into the air… filling the air with your love/ its gender? That’s where it gets weird. I feel like there’s some strange associations to be made with that particular type of gender reveal.

And even once they’re born, the babies are going to be highly gendered once again. There’s the clear cut of “boy” and “girl” clothes from the very start, with vastly different messages on the tiny, identical in structure, little onesies. Often, the messages on girls’ clothes are self-deprecating or talking about dating before they’re even old enough to understand what self-esteem or boyfriends are. Even though they obviously aren’t able to read this message, other people are and these people are going to be able to and will form some opinions of this and other babies from the very start. This also seems like of Silence being the most over-sexualized, hourglass figure little newborn, but updated and created for the mass consumption of all consumers.

This trend continues as the babies grow up into kids, with one notable exception that is also making small-time, facebook feed news- Target is specifically creating a kids’ room decoration brand that doesn’t have an overly gendered vibe. There’s a lot of speculation about why they’re doing it, and the main conclusion is, of course, profit. However, the fact remains that there’s some amount of hope that this weird gendering of babies and kids who don’t have any concept of what gender is could maybe not be so widespread in some future.

I think this concept also illustrates the difficulties in distinguishing the influences of nature and nurture, because the nurture that two babies will get is going to be different based on their nature, at least in some senses. While these are some extreme examples, I think they show the distinction that is made in the way kids are treated from the moment they enter social media and how it’s not the same and is often very strange.