THE
SBHS
FORGE
Volume 100, Issue 2
Beagle, as naturalis H.M.S. t, I wa board s mu facts in the distribution of hen on th certain the inh ch wi in the geological rela abita tions struck erica, and of the nts Am inhabitants of that continent. of South past the some light on the orig These fac present to to throw in of ts as it has been call specie to me ed by mysteries, seemed one s -y of On my return home, it that myster sophers. occurr of our perhaps ilo ed g might be mad greatest ph somethin e out to me, t on accumulating and reflect in 1837, tha patiently ing on this possibly have any by ich could bearin all question ts wh g on it. sorts of fac
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myself to spe rk I allowed culate ’ wo on years some short notes; these I five enlarg the w up After and dre ed in the conclusions, which the ct, tch of n see subje o a ske med that period to the present int from day 1844 ble: I hav object. I hope that I ma e proba the same y be me ed to excused rsu personal details, as I give ily pu them these stead ing on to show coming to a dec in hasty n ision. enter t bee for ve no now nearly finished; but as it wil I ha is l t tak tha e work more years to complete it, and as my My ee health or thr o tw me
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WE ARE SB:
The Identity Issue
sbhsforge.com
November 8, 2013
The big idea for this issue came to us when we saw the t-shirts worn by this year’s senior class, which read “WE ARE SB.” We didn’t really know what that meant. Who is SB? What is SB-ness? How inclusive (or exclusive) is it? So we have begun an exploration of the campus, trying to move below the glittery surface to the bedrock below. This issue is not definitive: our identity as a school, as a community, will be our ongoing concern as the year progresses. We welcome your comments and ideas: what does it mean to “be SB?” -Otto Layman
Pick your poison:
Gender identification As Shirley Chisholm said, “the emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females and males begins when the doctor says, ‘it’s a girl,’ or ‘it’s a boy’.” From the time parents find out the sex of their baby, the unborn child begins to be socialized to fit into a specific gender role. From the time the parent buy either pink or blue clothes, the child will most likely get the sense that there is only one way to be: either male or female, feminine or masculine, a man or a woman, assigned to us at birth. Females are expected to identify as women and be feminine, quiet, and nurturers. Males are expected to be masculine, tough, and not to show their emotions. Is this the way human being should be naturally? Should we have to squeeze ourselves into these restrictive gender roles? I don’t think we should. Gender is a socially constructed idea that separates and hurts people everyone. We are all different. Some people are emotional, and others are not. Why should this be determined by “gender?” We should all just be ourselves, regardless of these ridiculous gender “norms.” We are made to feel weird, isolated, and different when we don’t fit into these gender roles. But none of us are wrong. What is “wrong”? The socially constructed idea that people of different genders have inherent characteristics specific to their identity is responsible for these harmful preconceptions. Everywhere Olivia Ranson Freelance Reporter
you go, you will see the “men” and “women’s” sections in the clothing stores, the segregated bathrooms, separate sports teams, etc. We are forced to squeeze ourselves into a small box of either male or female, and do what is expected of us. Challenge this. Dress the way you want. Do what you want. And since we see “two genders” everywhere, so many people seem to be unaware that there are many gender identities that go beyond man and woman. Many of us are not taught to question gender, and we just assume that sex and gender are the same thing. This is not the case. Some people are cisgender, meaning that their gender identity correlates with their sex assigned at birth. For example, males that identify as men, or females that identify as women. However, a little under 1% of people identify as transgender, gender questioning, gender queer, gender neutral, genderless, gender non-conforming, and more. These are all valid identities. Human identity is a wide spectrum and we are expected to stick with one way of living forever, with one identity. But gender is not your body, your appearance, or your genitalia. It is your mind. The way you view yourself in the world. So be aware, there are many different identities, and you never know how someone feels on the inside! Don’t assume anyones gender or what pronouns they use. If you don’t know how someone identifies, ask them what pronouns they use so you know how to refer to them correctly!
Gender is a restrictive social construct that is assigned to us at birth. Photo courtesy of Mian Laurain.
Self identity can be fluid, and it can change constantly, day to day. And all of that is totally okay! When we don’t question gender “norms” and stereotypes, we are continuing the pattern. It is time to step up and do something. The best thing we can do, is be
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ourselves! And try not feel stuck and restricted within these internalized gender roles. A woman is much more than her body, and a man is much more than “being tough”. We are all people, we all deserve respect regardless of our gender identities, and its time to start recognizing that!