2013-12-20-insert

LANGUAGE of GENDER Sensitivity to minority groups emerging in the public sphere is becoming an increasingly important aspect of everyday rhetoric in America. There are more groups than ever who are demanding full equality under the law and in our language. To aid and contextualize the rest of this insert, the WSS has compiled a number of terms which are crucial in today’s discussion of gender.

COMPilED by//blake oetting

ze/hir:

(ZEE/HUR) gender neutral pronouns. (pronoun)

gender roles:

social norms attributed to one gender or the other. A common example (noun) is a domestic mother juxtaposed with the working man.

intersex:

people born with variations in their sex chromosomes or genitalia which (noun) bar them from being identified as male or female.

transgender:

the state in which one’s physical sex does not match one’s gender identi(adj.) fication.

cisgender:

the state in which one’s physical sex coincides with one’s self-prescribed (adj.) gender identification.

feminine:

socially constructed norms that describe women, generally including (adj.) grace, nurturing instincts, sensitivity and domesticity.

masculine:

socially constructed norms that describe men, often including power, ag(adj.) gressiveness, strength and confidence.

agender: (adj.)

omnigender: (adj.)

those who do not identify with any gender. those who identify with all genders.

womyn:

an alteration of the spelling of “women” to eradicate the use of “men” in (noun) the name.

SOURCE: Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling of Alabama

2 INSERT DECEMBER 2013

DESIGN BY//SHIRLEY WANG

The other

F

F- WORD

ART by//KELSEY KERANEN

eminism has become the hallmark philosophy for advocates of anything from women’s suffrage to abortion rights. Its increasingly broad connotations have even come to include the negative idea of feminists hating men. The WSS investigated less conventional forms of feminism.

By Lauren Knudson leknudso18@gmail.com

DEFINING FEMINISM

When someone says he or she is a “feminist,” it can be unclear what the term entails. People’s definitions of feminism may vary greatly.

“My definition of feminism is wanting women to be completely equal, not just politically but socially as well,” said Alex Fraley ’14, who started a feminist club at West, the West High Amazons.

Elizabeth Han ’16 defines a feminist as “anybody who ... recognizes that there are still differences in the way that men and women are treated and anyone who wants to correct those differences.”

Mitch Gross, social studies teacher, thinks people are turned off by the reputation of the word feminist.

“Most people … would say they are not feminists because of the way the term has been hijacked by various political groups and ideologies. This is unfortunate because we’ve really lost the original intent … for equality of the sexes,” he said.

Although feminism may hold negative connotations to some people, Gross thinks this shouldn’t prevent people from calling themselves a feminist.

“I think everybody should be a feminist,” he said. “Everybody has a mother; many people have wives, daughters [and] sisters, and because of that, it befuddles me a little bit why everybody would not consider themselves a feminist.”

CHANGING FEMINISM

Feminism has been in the U.S. for a long time, from the women’s suffrage movement starting in DESIGNED BY//LYDIA HINMAN

the 1860’s to the Roe v. Wade debates of the late 20th century.

Although some parts of feminism have changed throughout history, Gross believes that the end goal of feminism has stayed the same: equal rights for women.

“I think the end goal has been equal rights for women, and the tactics have changed. Maybe the specific issues have changed, but

are different realms of feminists and it is a little naive to assume that all feminists are the same, and they want the same thing, and they want to achieve the same thing in the same ways.”

MALE FEMINISTS

The classic idea of a feminist is a strong female, such as Rosie the Riveter; however, females are

[ ] “It is a little naive to assume that all feminists are the same ... and they want to achieve the same thing in the same ways.” -Mitch Gross, social studies teacher

the overall goals have remained the same,” he said.

Fraley agrees that although there have been small changes in feminism it has stayed the same at its core. “[I] think that each wave of feminism has added something to the definition of feminism, but I think overall it is kind of at its base the same,” she said.

Gross pointed out that does not mean that different feminists don’t have different goals. There are feminists fighting for everything from cultural equality to being environmentally friendly.

“The term feminist in its original intent has definitely been changed,” Gross said. “You know the average person wouldn’t think that … there

not the only ones that are actively fighting for feminist ideals.

“I feel like feminism just as a whole isn’t something that should be specifically for women,” Fraley said. “I think that feminism affects everyone. Men should and could get involved in feminism as well, because the impacts of sexism aren’t just degrading women, but it is also affecting men and their body image.”

When people expect females to act and look a certain way they are also setting standards for males, which could severely affect their level of self-confidence. Males getting involved in the feminist movement could help themselves as well as the movement as a whole.

“I think [there is] probably the same stigma, but I think, if anything, men need to take a stand and assert their feelings and their opinions of equal rights for women,” Gross said. “I think that would be a real boon to the feminist movement if we had more men who were willing to say ‘yes, I’m a feminist; yes, I support equal rights for women.’”

HOW TO BE A FEMINIST

Many people agree with the ideas of the feminist movement but may not know how to go about actively promoting it.

“I feel like [as a woman] you should first work towards success and break the glass ceiling, and then you can help out other women, and then gradually we can take over executive positions, because that is where most of the gender gap is,” Han said.

Being a feminist is not always an easy thing to do. Females face roadblocks to equality such as family responsibility that make it difficult. Many people believe that the best way to go about being a feminist is to try your best to make yourself an equal, although this is not always easy.

“I think really taking advantage of educational opportunities that are there by continuing to break glass ceilings in academic fields and career fields that have been typical male strongholds [would be beneficial],” said Gross. “Very few men are told [they] can’t have it all, and a lot of women are told this: they can be a great mother or great career woman, and sometimes it’s tough to do both.”

DECEMBER 2013 INSERT 3

DEFYING disparities As both male and female students strive to find their academic and extracurricular passions, many must grapple with norms and expectations based solely on their gender.

By Hilah kohen

hilah12@gmail.com

IN THE SCIENCES

For some students, intimidation takes the form of a tall pile of textbooks. For others, it’s a parent’s encroachment on the right to keep and bear a cell phone. For Sydney Beaurivage ’14, intimidation presented itself during her freshman year as a gaggle of mostly male upperclassmen ready to build a robot from scratch.

“At first, [robotics meetings were] very intimidating … I had ideas,

but [the atmosphere] was so intimidating that I didn’t share any of them,” Beaurivage said. “It’s an unusual activity; you always worry that you’re not smart enough for it, and it’s very male-dominated.”

Now, Beaurivage balances her role as captain of Iowa City’s robotics team with an advanced science and engineering course load. The gender disparities she noticed three years ago have hardly disappeared.

“I’m the only girl in the [aerospace engineering] class … I’m working on my own, and most everyone else

is in pairs,” she said.

Physics teacher Matt Harding has seen his classroom’s dynamic affected by similar gender issues.

“In class discussion, a female student brought up what was the right idea … [and] it was quickly dismissed by the students,” he said.

“So then we [went] on this long discussion, and five or seven minutes into that discussion, they finally [came] around to ‘oh wait, that idea was correct.’”

“Certainly, the gender thing exists in a more troubling way at higher

levels,” Harding added. There, he said, it can affect scientific development.

“It seems like if you’re really going to explore a science fully, you need everyone involved in the conversation,” he said.

Nevertheless, Beaurivage and others have overcome gender barriers. “[Robotics] was intimidating, but I did enjoy it … you feel slightly ostracized, but you will come to terms with that,” Beaurivage said.

Harding said the scientific status quo does work for some women,

art by//Kelsey Keranen

Sydney Beaurivage ’14

Walter Robles ’14

but not for all.

“It does tend to select for someone who has a thick skin and can put up with some of the crap, [and] they’re passionate enough about what they do that they don’t let it bother them,” he said. “I don’t think that should be the accepted norm, though.”

Beaurivage believes that this norm could change.

“You do notice that science and math are male-dominated,” she said. “However, it’s really coming to a point where women are taking a role in robotics and other STEM fields. And we have to work to overcome it, but we’re definitely getting there.”

IN CHEERLEADING

When the first organized cheerleading squad was formed in 1898, every one of its members was male.

In 2013, however, cheerleader Walter Robles ’14 is the exception, not the rule.

“Cheerleading was originally a male sport, but in World War II, [so many boys went overseas] that girls took over, and since then it’s just [been seen as] a feminine thing,” he said.

When Robles joined West High’s cheerleading squad, that femininity didn’t deter him.

“I figured [my cheerleading experience] wouldn’t be exactly the same as the girls have it, but yet I didn’t think of it to be too different,” he said.

Though Robles is currently West’s only male cheerleader, he says those expectations have been largely fulfilled.

“During practices, sometimes the girls talk about stuff that’s more for girls,” he said. “I sort of just walk away and mind my own thing …

I’ve sort of just gotten used to being around girls a lot. I haven’t lived a life where I’ve really been segregated by gender or by sex.”

Megan Johnson, debate coach

Nevertheless, Robles can see how the gender imbalance in his sport could prevent other males from trying it.

“There’s possibly a person out there who’s afraid to [cheer] because they would be around a lot of girls,” he said.

His own experiences haven’t been entirely free of gender-based assumptions.

“I’ve heard … that people call me gay and stuff like that,” he said.

Robles avoids letting those ru-

Audrey Hopewell ’15

attempting to follow suit.

“Debate has historically been very male-dominated, but recently, I think there’s been a really big change in the amount of female debaters who are accomplishing a lot,” said debater Audrey Hopewell ’15.

However, Hopewell believes female debaters still face structural barriers and double standards.

“I think there’s an expectation [for females] to be maybe less aggressive. When a female debater

[ ] “When a female debater is aggressive, ... there’s sort of a perception that she’s being bitchy.”

-Audrey Hopewell ’15

mors interfere with his choices.

“I really just don’t pay much attention to it because I really don’t need to waste my time or energy on that,” he said.

He advised other students to do the same.

“If you want to do something, don’t be afraid to do it. Don’t let social pressure hold you back from doing it,” he said.

Robles consistently applies that philosophy to his own life.

“If I want to do something, and I could get judged for it, I generally just don’t care what others think of me,” he said. “That’s what’s allowed me to go a little farther in life ... I just shrug it off and move on in life and do what I want.”

IN DEBATE

As female policymakers shatter higher and higher glass ceilings, Design by KATIE PEPLOW AND JAYCIE WEATHERS female policy debaters are

is aggressive like a male debater would be expected to be, there’s sort of the perception that she’s being bitchy,” Hopewell said. “I’ve watched debate rounds and been in rounds where female debaters who I thought were just holding their own against aggressive opponents have been told not to be aggressive.”

Social studies teacher and debate coach Megan Johnson has witnessed those tensions at play among her own students.

“As a coach, the biggest example I can think of is a situation where … a novice boy was borderline harassing a female and telling her she was not going to ever be good at debate because she was a girl,” she said.

For some debaters, defying those societal expectations comes at a cost.

“Counteracting [gender norms] often comes off as overly mean or

Matt Harding, physics teacher

overly sensitive to the issue, but it’s also very hard to let that happen, to be sort of run over by someone who is more aggressive,” Hopewell said.

Nevertheless, Hopewell has seen some members of the debate community step up their efforts to combat gender-based tensions.

“There’s a team of two women who, instead of reading the traditional ‘plan’ that says what the federal government should do, reads arguments that expose the exclusion of women from debate … Some people have been very receptive [to those arguments], others almost hostile. As always, there are people who are in the middle,” she said.

Johnson said other solutions have gained near-unanimous support.

“I think one of the things that people are really trying to get behind as of late is ensuring that there are role models for female debaters,” Johnson said.

Hopewell said those efforts could increase female participation in debate overall.

“It’s very difficult to attract and keep female debaters for long if there aren’t many successful female role models for them,” she said.

Johnson hopes those structural solutions will accompany increased recognition of the problems female debaters face.

“I think a lot of it is just about if there are people who are going to say [disrespectful things] to females in debate, they have to sort of be called out on it so that awareness is brought to that issue, and perhaps then it will become less common,” she said.

Hopewell looks forward to the positive effects those efforts may have.

“More women in debate would certainly be a good thing because debate is, in many ways, a liberating activity because it allows anyone to voice an opinion,” she said.

Trans*gender By stephon berry

as an individual signature.

“I feel like a lot of guys are more rough, but it’s mostly just There was a time when being born male meant that you were destined different personalities,” Hu said.

Kinlein believes there should to be referred to as “him,” you’d pee be increased awareness about at the urinals standing up, you’d gender identities. wear pants and only pants and you’d different “I feel there should be more never question what it meant to be you. Then, times progressed, and public education on how people the lines between sex and gender identify,” Kinlein said. “If we became more defined. It is no had more education, it would decrease the bullying longer guaranteed that and harassment.” sex designates gender.

Hu has lived in This idea is a heavy a diverse range of contributor to the environments from Iowa phrase “gender to China to Roscoe, identity,” which Illinois. His international students today often experiences have lent find difficult to define.

Jacob Kinlein ’14 him a holistic perspective “When people think on gender roles. of gender identity, it’s “[In China], everyone was either physical, which is what gets put down on your birth certificate, just [his or herself] ... I never or … it’s what you feel you are, but met any trans people,” Hu said.

This is a common response.

I don’t believe it has anything to do Many people go through life with with feminine or masculine because you could be a girl and be really masculine,” Jacob Kinlein ’14 said.

Jeremy Hu ’16 is a member of COLORS, West High’s Gay-Straight Alliance. He doesn’t believe in the confines of societal gender roles.

“Guys are supposed to be gentlemen, take care of women and be the breadwinners ... I’m a guy. I’m a little more feminine than most guys, but I still think of myself as a guy,” he said.

Instead, he sees gender stephon.berry15@gmail.com

the belief that they’ve never met a that gender identity and sexual transgender person. Sometimes, orientation are two separate pieces that perception results from a of what defines an individual.

Since the majority of clinics and lack of awareness. After all, even those in the LGBT community hospitals don’t offer hormone find it nearly impossible to define therapy or sex reassignment transgender. However, other factors surgery to minors, transgender also contribute to the invisibility teens who would otherwise opt for of the transgender population. surgery grow into the gender they’re Some people feel uncomfortable assigned at birth. After puberty, disclosing such information the process of correcting this inconsistency between about themselves. personal identity and “[Transgender people] publicly perceived are kind of outcast more identity becomes a than gays and lesbians,” lot more complicated Kinlein said. “They and expensive. This don’t have as much difficulty may be support, so sometimes, related to depression in they’re afraid to Jeremy Hu ’16 transgender individuals, express their views.” according to a report Sexual orientation and gender identity are often by the Boston Children’s Hospital.

There are ways to combat the lumped together as an indivisible and isolation package.

However, some discrimination transgender individuals. believe that this assumption is of “It could be accomplished by inaccurate. Instead, they believe talking about it a little in health class or Personal Development, at least touching on the subject,” Kinlein said. “There should be more outreach for them.”

He also has advice for those questioning their gender identity.

“I would encourage anyone who identifies as [transgender] to go to West High COLORS or the UAY [United Action for Youth] group,” he said.

[ ] “Trans don’t have much support. They should have more than they do have.”

6 INSERT DECEMBER 2013

-Jacob Kinlein ‘14

DESIGN BY//APOORVA RAIKWAR

GIJane Doe

By AMELIA MOSER

moser.amelia@gmail.com

In reaction to growing reports of sexual assault within the military, the U.S. Senate recently discussed a “bill that would strip commanders of their ability to overturn jury convictions, require ... dismissal for any individual convicted of sexual assault and establish a civilian review,” according to a Fox News article.

D e s p i t e the publicity surrounding these crimes, several West students have plans to join the military.

Stephanie Leners ’13 graduated after first trimester this year and joined the National Guard last Feb. After having gone through basic training this past summer, she now plans to report to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Lee in the spring.

Leners said she has heard of allegations of sexual assault at Fort Lee, but she isn’t convinced that all of them are true.

As part of a buddy system at the AIT, Leners said men and women will occasionally go to bars together, creating situations where alcohol can add to the melee. Fort Lee took off-post passes away temporarily, but they’ve since been reinstated, according to Leners.

“Especially with two guys and one female, if you go out to the bar and

Against a backdrop of reports of discrimination and sexual assault, female West students look to join the military.

you’re drinking … then [women will just be] like ‘oh, they raped me.’

It could be that way; maybe they really did, but if you think about it, [everyone involved is drinking],” she said.

An annually required Department of Defense report stated that an estimated 26,000 servicemen and

[ ] “I think sexual assault is a problem

everywhere.”

DESIGNED BY//JAYCIE WEATHERS

-Allison Clements ’14

women experienced “unwanted sexual contact” in 2012.

Leners isn’t overly concerned for her own safety.

“I can stick up for myself,” she said. “But obviously if they’re bigger than me it could happen. I guess I don’t really think about it so much.”

Leners pointed out that one of the ways the military is attempting to quell these concerns is through a program called Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP), which includes classes during basic training and AIT. Hannah Fairfield ’14 also plans to enter the military and hopes to join her two sisters at the United States Military Academy at West Point next fall. She agreed with Leners

that the risk of sexual assault seems lower than the media portrays it and is about as much of a threat as exists in civilian life.

“When I’ve talked to my sisters ... they only know of one person anything has happened to, and there was drinking [involved],” she said.

Allison Clements ’14 is from a military family as well and similarly hasn’t heard about a lot of problems first hand.

“I think sexual assault is a problem everywhere, so I don’t know if it can necessarily be attributed to the military,” she said.

Clements isn’t concerned.

“I’ve lived in a military family, so I know how it works ... and I really just haven’t seen that,” she said. “None of my family knows anyone that has happened to. That’s why it’s a little bit like ‘[sexual assault] happens everywhere,’ so it’s probably a little more [public] because it’s the military.”

As far as how cases that do occur are handled, Fairfield would even go a step further than what has been discussed in Congress. “[Prosecuting sexual assault cases] should be civilian-led. It shouldn’t happen, and [violators] should be punished the way everyone else is punished for it,” she said.

While almost half of military sexual assault victims are women, females only make up 15% of the military as a whole, according to the think tank Center for American Progress. “[The gender gap] doesn’t really

bother me, but it’d be a lot better if [the numbers] were somewhat equal,” Leners said. “When I was at basic [training] … there were like 250 of us but then there were only like 30 females. And that’s really a big difference.”

Leners explained that once the physical training kicked in, there were even fewer females.

“You have to be able to do running and pushups and situps, but a lot of [the women] couldn’t even do it, so then they kicked them out, so then there were even fewer of us. … I think there are women who think that they can’t do it, but really they can,” she said.

Leners compared the experience to what she had seen in past P.E. classes - girls not even trying.

“They put themselves down,” she said.

Leners said that in addition to women selling themselves short, she thinks some men don’t believe women can handle it.

“It’s like, no, I can do exactly what you can do. … that’s how I feel, they’re like ‘you can’t do what I can do.’ But there were plenty of guys I outdid at basic training,” she said.

Fairfield thinks the way the military is viewed socially causes it to be more male-dominated.

“Maybe women don’t think about it as a career option,” she said.

“It’s definitely right now more of a manly thing to do. I don’t know if it should be ‘manly’ ... I feel like women should be able to join and not be looked down upon for joining.” art by//Kelsey Keranen

DECEMBER 2013 INSERT 7

Womenof the

photo by//madie miller

WORLD

Although this insert has explored the many different facets of gender issues at West High, Layla Siddig offers some international perspectives on gender equality and women’s rights in different countries.

By lushia anson

lushia.anson@gmail.com

Layla Siddig ’15 has experienced life in three different countries. Although she is of Sudanese descent, she was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there when she was younger.

Now, her father lives in Qatar, and Siddig visits him every summer.

Siddig believes that sometimes Western cultures may misunderstand the meaning behind clothing items such as the hijab, a traditional veil, and the abaya, a full-length, sleeveless outer garment.

“I think it’s also important to note that what a lot of people in the West see as ‘oppression’ is just like, cultural norms or strict beliefs that people in certain religions have,” she said. “For example, people think that women wearing headscarves are oppressed, but a lot of women make that choice to wear the headscarf, and they see it as a way to be closer to God … so I think people misunderstand what’s happening: there are a lot of injustices and unequal rights, but things concerning dress are a woman’s choice.”

QATAR

“I would say that, comparatively, Qatar is one of the more liberal Arab countries, like compared to Saudi Arabia or something, because when I go there every year, I have to dress modestly, but I’m not required to wear the traditional abaya or the hijab, so obviously, it’s still modest,” Siddig said.

Siddig believes a large part of this “liberalism” is influenced by Western countries and the country’s growing tourism industry.

“There’s a lot of tourism in Qatar, and more foreigners than there actually are Qataris, so they have to be more open about gender roles,” she said.

SAUDI ARABIA

“Women probably have a lot less rights in Saudi Arabia, like you can’t drive: you have to have a male guardian with you,” Siddig said.

Women are also required to wear a headscarf or cover their heads.

However, she believes this religious conservatism comes from the government’s desire not to upset tradition.

“I feel like a lot of this comes from the fact that the government is

pretty conservative and they don’t want to upset a lot of the conservatives in Saudi Arabia, so they just follow a lot of very strict traditional rules of religion or of that culture,” she said.

Progress is being made for women in areas such as suffrage, according to Siddig. “[Women] are finally going to be able to vote in the upcoming election … which is very progressive for that country,” she said.

Although Saudi Arabia seems to be making progress, Siddig still believes there is work to be done.

“There are also a lot of crimes against women where women are prosecuted … like them being raped and they’re blamed, which I think is a huge flaw in their judicial system,” she said.

SUDAN

“When I go to Sudan, I get very angry,” Siddig said. “I feel very oppressed when I’m there, because … women are subject to a lot of sexual harassment on the street.”

There are many restrictions placed on women when they go out in public.

“You’re not supposed to go out

alone by yourself; you’re supposed to have a man with you and be covered up,” Siddig said.

Siddig doesn’t feel like much progress is being made in regard to the rights of women.

“A lot of the women I’ve seen in Sudan don’t feel oppressed, I think,” she said.

This acceptance of the fact that sexual harassment is expected for women could potentially be problematic, according to Siddig.

“A lot of [women] have also gotten used to the sexual harassment, which I think is a problem,” she said.

Siddig also believes that the condition of Sudan depends greatly on the government, as it does in most Arab countries.

“The previous president was all for religious tolerance and stuff, but he was overtaken in a coup by the current president, who was a lot stricter,” she said. “I have pictures of my mom from when she was a teenager and she was wearing normal things, and that was considered fine, but now you have to be covered in the streets.”

Designed by katie Peplow