Well there you go. I’ve just finished writing a book and a stage play that pretty much says exactly the same thing. So clearly I’m not the only one thinking these things.
Worse, being outside the “gender lines” so to speak, men have only one interested in me and that is what my body can do for them for 5 minutes at 2 AM. Thankfully, I’m with my girlfriend at 2 AM in bed Whilst the men are trawling the streets for … wait, those poor men!
Ella, I think you’re missing the point. You’re putting men into a category (they only have one interest and they are trawling the street), when the comic is trying to illuminate that there’s a spectrum that bucks classification. It’s saying that “men” and “women” are constructs, and in reality, no one fits neatly into a gender. The comic is objecting to the act of dividing people into genders and assigning behaviors to them based on those genders, which is what your comment, unfortunately, just did.
I am interested in your perspective. Could you explain to me where you find this analogy incompatible with race. My understanding of race is that it is a social construct, that in fact there are no concrete biological markers for race. That is someone who is Indian may share more genetic material with someone else who is African than someone else who is also Indian.
In my opinion people apply race to people the way they apply gender to me. They get angry when a non-white person won’t tell them where they really come from, and also use their constructed perception of an individual’s “race” to make conclusions about them. Just as gender is a spectrum I would argue so is race, when does someone of so called ‘mixed race’ start being black and stop being white or vic versa? Often people make decision about people’s race based on physical characteristics. Just like they make when they are trying to discern my gender. I have heard people told they are not a really Aboriginal because they are too white, or successful. This negates their cultural experiences and belonging, their identity. Just like when people want to know my junk so they can determine “what I am”.
This comic from my perspective is trying to say gender shouldn’t really be an important factor that you need to know about someone in order to have an interaction with them. It rarely needs to come into the conservation or the equation, be my bro first and then find out if I like baking and want to bake with you. There are a few instances where sometimes someone interacting with you might need to know this information to have a meaningful interaction with me. Like you might need to know my junk if your are my urologist, but I feel the same of race. If in the discussion you need to know the likelihood of your partners susceptibility to sickle cell anemia cool. Otherwise you can find out if they like to bake too without knowing ‘where they came from’.
Since both concepts are social construction of many biological possibilities I see the relevance of the comparison.
Yes it would work for race. There are no races. They are all imaginary constructs and any attempt to divide people into races fails on closer examination. We can’t even decide how many races there are supposed to be, with a range from three to sixty some odd.
Yet again, another comic which coincidentally focuses on the issues prominent in my mind.. perhaps there is no coincidence.
Another great piece.
Another great (and eye opening) comic!
Awesome job Holly ♥
xo
Wow! Brilliant!
Pingback: Alien Contact - A Comic on Gender Roles | LGBTq...
My contentions exactly!! People assume I operate in these boxes and I never have, so they do not understand me. I am an ALIEN! LOL!
Well there you go. I’ve just finished writing a book and a stage play that pretty much says exactly the same thing. So clearly I’m not the only one thinking these things.
Worse, being outside the “gender lines” so to speak, men have only one interested in me and that is what my body can do for them for 5 minutes at 2 AM. Thankfully, I’m with my girlfriend at 2 AM in bed
Whilst the men are trawling the streets for … wait, those poor men!
Ella, I think you’re missing the point. You’re putting men into a category (they only have one interest and they are trawling the street), when the comic is trying to illuminate that there’s a spectrum that bucks classification. It’s saying that “men” and “women” are constructs, and in reality, no one fits neatly into a gender. The comic is objecting to the act of dividing people into genders and assigning behaviors to them based on those genders, which is what your comment, unfortunately, just did.
Love this. Opening my mind and making me think!
These are the questions we need to be asking. (ALSO – this could totally work for discussing “race” as well!!!)
No, no it wouldn’t work for race.
I am interested in your perspective. Could you explain to me where you find this analogy incompatible with race. My understanding of race is that it is a social construct, that in fact there are no concrete biological markers for race. That is someone who is Indian may share more genetic material with someone else who is African than someone else who is also Indian.
In my opinion people apply race to people the way they apply gender to me. They get angry when a non-white person won’t tell them where they really come from, and also use their constructed perception of an individual’s “race” to make conclusions about them. Just as gender is a spectrum I would argue so is race, when does someone of so called ‘mixed race’ start being black and stop being white or vic versa? Often people make decision about people’s race based on physical characteristics. Just like they make when they are trying to discern my gender. I have heard people told they are not a really Aboriginal because they are too white, or successful. This negates their cultural experiences and belonging, their identity. Just like when people want to know my junk so they can determine “what I am”.
This comic from my perspective is trying to say gender shouldn’t really be an important factor that you need to know about someone in order to have an interaction with them. It rarely needs to come into the conservation or the equation, be my bro first and then find out if I like baking and want to bake with you. There are a few instances where sometimes someone interacting with you might need to know this information to have a meaningful interaction with me. Like you might need to know my junk if your are my urologist, but I feel the same of race. If in the discussion you need to know the likelihood of your partners susceptibility to sickle cell anemia cool. Otherwise you can find out if they like to bake too without knowing ‘where they came from’.
Since both concepts are social construction of many biological possibilities I see the relevance of the comparison.
Hah! Love this lots.
Nice one there, good plot idea, great artwork. Something to think about for sure, thanks for making my morning a bit more interesting, dude.
sooo good. So witty…LOVE LOVE THE HUMOUR! Where would we be without it eh?
SO SO well done. Youjust get better and better
Yes it would work for race. There are no races. They are all imaginary constructs and any attempt to divide people into races fails on closer examination. We can’t even decide how many races there are supposed to be, with a range from three to sixty some odd.
Excelllent, and thanks so much!