Gender Identity and Gender Roles in Society

Gender is normally defined as male or female, boy and girl, man or woman along with these titles come certain stereotypes that are deemed to fit people into them. Whether it be who takes care of the kids, or who brings the money to the house. However, throughout recent years the idea of gender identity has shifted, rather than your gender having to do with what body parts you were born with. It is now more on who you feel you are and how you want to identify yourself as. Tagging along with how one feels about one’s gender there has also been a surge in becoming more comfortable within one’s skin. Along with more of an openness towards gender there is less of a stereotype with gender roles now a days, with women bringing in money for the house and some men doing housework.

People have started to view gender as more of internal view on stuff rather than it being based on a person’s anatomy or genetic testing. A recent proposal that had proposed for a way to stop someone from considering themselves a different gender by either the certain body parts one is born with or genetic testing may solve any problems with how one looks in the outside. However, this could be severely flawed since this form of testing cannot be exact. Several disorders in development of one’s body to their full extent it being that “one in 100 people”, which “their genitalia cannot be classified as male or female.” However, for quite a while, doctors from the 20th century would match their genitalia to whichever gender it was easier to match them too. This ended in a great disaster with “14 genetically male children given female genitalia; 8 ended up identifying as male.” Along with this method there have been negative outcomes there has also been several different testing which at the time seem effectives but are very inaccurate.

A long time ago in the Olympics there was a great concern about men competing in women sports they decided to have a genetic test to identify a male from a female. Yet, “DNA tests that check for the presence of a Y chromosome did not prove reliable” with many varying factors in the chromosomes and characteristics that come with it. After all the failed testing the “research and medical community now sees sex as more complex than male and female.” Which later then integrates transgender people. From the start of the LGBTQ+ movement individuals spoke out about the unjust treatment of several people who don’t feel comfortable in their bodies since they feel as if they were born the wrong gender. They have fought the long haul and “trans people have not had an easy fight for recognition and respect.”

Transgender people are considered to be in the big spectrum which ties in several other stuff such as non-binary, cisgender, agender, etc. Yet, there is a lot discrimination that comes with being transgender such as lack of legal protection, poverty, harassment, violence, documents that identify their gender, and barriers to certain healthcare options. With the surgeries that come with doing such a procedure that involves removing and replacing body parts to become the opposite gender and to feel as if they belong in that skin. Not only would you have to take those into count, you would also have to remember the hormones that are needed to be drunk in order to help the conversion into one’s true self. When someone changes body they may get several weird looks from people and they could practically inner most thoughts through their eyes. However, would the fact they changed their body to feel more at ease to one’s self change what is expected of them to the human eye. When we talk about gender roles there is something that might bother one due to the thoughts of one’s expectations should be whether it be makeup or a sports ball. Yet, that percentage of people who recognize themselves as transgender may have different expectations to them. Throughout the years, idea is built into one’s mind on who does who in a living area. Whether it be the woman who stays home and cooks in your favorite TV show or the male boss with the authority over a company.

Gender stereotypes are relevant in yesterday’s society but not anymore with the prevalence of strong females in society depicted through movies and TV shows. However, even now there are gender stereotypes and roles can actually destroy one’s life. Many of these stereotypes are “entrenched before 10 years old” “with many of these stereotypes being harmful to either childhood friendships or one’s own self esteem. However, as it is quite commonly viewed, media isn’t the problem, the majority of adolescents and young adults go back home after watching something that empowered a certain gender but “they're given messages from their parents that are contradictory.” After that they go to school and are given yet another contradicting message and it goes on and on. We like it or not the thoughts of our previous ancestors follow us around in a day to day situation. It might be when a woman feels the constant need to put makeup on in the morning or when a man feels the obligation to bring money home and provide for every member of the family. It can also be when a religious person looks at someone who did not feel comfortable in their own skin and decided to do something about it. Old ideas that had stuck around for ages in life and stopped people from being comfortable with who they consider themselves being. Whether it be either genders yet, people constantly ignore simple facts such as inaccurate tests that may end up taking away one’s rights to their own personality and their idea of their gender.

In closing, gender identity has a lot of different aspects but is rather mostly based on what a certain individual feels they are whether it be a man or woman. However, several people want to create a system that chooses one’s gender for them instead of it being a personal decision. It would just depend on which system is chosen for evaluating genders. Yet, several of these tests may be inaccurate since there are a lot varying factors whether it be a condition one is born with or certain hormones that are more dominant. Transgender people, however, know their gender and know that their bodies are not meant for them. So, knowing this they go through the procedure of becoming transgender and feeling comfortable in one’s own skin. These changes do come with high price such as discrimination in several areas and many violent acts. This also asks the question that if the gender you were born isn’t the gender you are meant to be then if you change your gender would you change your role. Gender role and stereotypes are commonly knowing from the All-star athlete in the school or the top cheerleader with no remorse. Certain gender roles are highly overrated but the real question is doing they follow a transgender person to their correct gender or are they expected to completely reform into that gender that they chose? Even if this applies would doing certain stuff classify someone under a gender simply because they follow more a certain stereotype or role than the gender that they choose and/or born with. This begs the question, what classifies a gender and what would be the way to insure that the gender that is chosen for them is the best for them in their own personal thoughts.