Musings on Language

Feminism does not need to redefine “feminine”. Nor “women”. “Masculinity” does not have to incorporate demureness; nor “man” sensitivity. “Feminine” can keep the non-violent connotation it has.
Feminism needs to redefine how the terms “man”, “woman”, “masculinity”, and “femininity” are used.
Male and female* are biological factors. You are born with testes or you are born with ovaries. Man and woman are a matter of personal identity (As Cocky says “some women have a penis"). Masculinity and femininity are in reality categories of personality traits.
Society says that male, man, and masculinity are all grouped together and are considered to go together; as with their counterparts.
They are not.
The mere existence of transgendered peoples proves this. Once can have a male body and be a woman; as one can have a female body and be a man. Surely masculinity and femininity are the most ephemeral terms. Both are slowly being equalized; often you hear of a woman being described with “masculine” traits and men with “feminine” traits.
A job of feminism is not just to promote the rise of feminine qualities to the same status in society as those of masculinity; it is to demonstrate that these words, these traits and identifiers, are entirely separate of gender.




*In humans, at least

The Vancouver Opening and some links to places

Yes, I know its been over a month since I've posted. It's just nothing interesting has happened lately and I don't feel like boring you with the minutae of my life. There will be pictures of the snow here as soon as the computer starts liking my digital photographs again.

How many people watched the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics? My very favorite part of the whole thing was the fact that the ceremony planners did so much with the native Canadian peoples. Unfortunately, I cannot find any videos of this portion of the ceremony. Which is very sad. I would like to know more about the peoples and take more looks at all the culture dispersed throughout the first portion of the ceremony; but all I can find is the Parade of Nations and those violin/tap dancing Scottish-looking people.

And the links. Please note that this time instead of feminist issues the links are for transgender issues.

"When Politics and Privilege meets Comics, Part One-- Transgender Issues"

Language Warning- offensive slurs
"Why Anti-Oppression Is Serious Business"