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 How do you know if you're a girl or a boy? 
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I know we talked about this in class in our groups, but I'm interested in hearing more individual opinions on this question.

One thing I realized in class today is that everything in life isn't as black and white as I was raised to believe. There are definately other sides to every question asked, and this question posed by Dr. Turner today really made me think.

I grew up a Christian, I've been one all my life, grew up in a Baptist Church, and I fully believe in God. However, it blows my mind how someone could take hate and practice such horrible hate crimes in the name of love, in the name of God. God would not want this to happen. The Baptist church that protested 'The Laramie Project', in my eyes, are closer to the terrorists who took down the WTC in 2001 in their beliefs, than to my Christian beliefs. It saddens me to know that some people call themselves 'good' Christian people, and hate people so deepy.

So, with that said... How do you know if you're a girl or a boy? Personally, I feel that the majority of it is physical, however, if you're born with the body of a man, and mentally know that you're a girl as you get older, who's to say that that person's wrong? Life's full of things that we all may not understand, some will, some won't... However, even if we all view things differently, I feel it's very important for us as teachers to teach our students how to respect one another's individual feelings, have their own opinions, but have tolerance and love for one another.

It would be a nice world if no one judged anyone until they'd walked a mile in their shoes...

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Emily Adams


Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:29 pm
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I think you hit this issue squarely at its head, Emily.

I've come to the conclusion that, although not all things are black and white, people like things to be black and white. It just makes life simpler; it reduces a spectrum of possibilities to a "us" versus "them" thing again. 'What really bakes your noodle' is how my conclusion pits me against everyone who believes there is only black or white, see? An evil web is weaved.

There are, I think, some reasonable dichotomies. The human sex genes are an example. The human species has just two chromosomes to play with, X and Y, and these determine sex (I hope the biology peeps will help out here). There are four mathematical unique possibilities (XX, XY, YX, YY) but only two combinations of our chromosomes (XX, XY) occur naturally, right? (Actually wrong; I'm oversimplfying things. Where are the biologists?? Last I heard, chromosomes have variances that mutate the sex gene but I don't think we should go down that road. Most (or all) sex mutations cannot reproduce, which is only to say that I value the person's varied sex but that variance cannot biologically contribute in the species' evolution). IF right, then that's it; there's no spectrum of sex, at least not "bio-genetically".

It sounds to me like some people are linking the biological makeup of our species to gender, ie. male = man and female = woman. Anthropology and sociology have exposed me to the possibility that gender is a cultural and/or social construct independent of biology. If it is, then I would have to say there are many (infinitely) possible genders. But I don't see much meaning to the concept "gender" if every individual constructs their own gender, see? A universal definition would be easier.

Personally speaking: I am male, bio-genetically, but I identify with a few genders, including adrogyny. How's that for confusing? ;)

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Justin Pittman


Fri Nov 10, 2006 1:14 am
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The state of new york just passed a law (i think it was a law) saying that people have the right to change the sex originally written on their birth certificate...

Also, the state of Hawaii just elected the first transgender woman to the school board...

... i think they are interesting steps toward equality...

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Lisa Hopkins


Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:21 pm
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