1

Baxter,Thomas

Mrs.Reid

English10,2ndperiod

11/13/15

Dohighschoolsencouragebinarygenderexpressiontoomuch?
ByThomasBaxter

Genderbinary:Theclassificationofsexualityandgenderintwodistinct,oppositeforms
ofmasculineandfeminineIsthatamanorawoman?

Whydoparentsandschoolsenforcewhatyouresupposedtoenjoylikegirls
enjoyingbarbies,orboysenjoyingsportsbeforethechildevenhasthementalcapacity
foranopinion?WhenIwasabout13or14,mylifewaschangedforever.ItwasOctober
ofmyseventhgradeyearandmyclasshadonlyaboutninepeopleinitintheentire
grade.Iwenttoahalloweenpartyandhostedbyoneofthekidsinmyclass.Theparty
wasfine,ofcoursesmall,butwasstillfunnonethelessandafteritme,andupuntilthat
pointofmelivinginAmerica,mybestfriendswenttooneofourhousesforasleepover
whichwasbasicallysomethingthatwasaneverymonthevent.Inoticedhowmyfriend
hadaroomfilledwithpicturesoffootballplayerswhenIknewhedidntevenlike
football.ThenInoticedhowhissistersroomwaspinkandfrillywhenthebesttwo
wordstodescribeherwereTomandboy.

InmoderndayAmerica,girlsstarttheirschoolcareerdressedinpinkskirtsand
boyshaveactionfiguretshirtsonwithdirtyjeans.Iknowthisafteryearsofvisitingthe
kindergartenclassmymotherworksat,andeveryyearitsthesame.Thisisthebinary
andbecomesanunspokenrulethatyouwillfollowtomeetthedemandsofyourgender
thatsocietywantstosee.
Thisbecomesevenmoreapparentinhighschools,whenmostsportsaresplit,
betweengender.AmIjustnotallowedtoplayfieldhockeyformyhighschoolcareer?
Weshouldnthaveourhighschools,thetimeinourliveswhenwebegintodiscover
whoweare,
tellus
whoweareorwhatwewishtobesimplybecauseofdecisionmade
aboutyoubeforeyouwereevenborn.
WhileIagreethatbinarygendermakeslifealotmoresimpleandhasworkedout
inthepast.Nowinthe21stcenturyAmerica,themostfreeahumanhasbeentodecide
theirlifeforthemselves,weshouldntforcepeopleintoroleswithouttheirconsent.I
believewestillusetheassumptionthatgenderisastrictandunchangeableconcept
wheninrealityitisntbyanymeans.Forexample,withmoderndaygendertransitioning
awomenwantingtobecomeamancanhavehormonesuppressorsandtestosterone
injections.Otherthatsexualorgans,thishormonereplacementprocesswillmakeher
biologicallymale.
Evencollegesarebeginningtobecomemoreacceptingofallgenders.According
toanarticlewrittenbyKarenannGajewski,awriterforTheHumanist.Sowhyjust
startatcolleges?Whycanthighschoolslettheirstudentsdiscovertheirpathsthrough
notonlyacademicsbutthroughtheirbodiesaswell.

Makinghighschoolsmoreinclusivetogenderidentitybyremovingthebinary
wouldhelpquestioningtransgenderstudentsdealwithdepression,anxiety,hormones,
andjustabouteveryotherthingEVERYteenagerhastodealwithwithouttheworryof
rejectionbynotonlysocietybutalsobytheschoolboarditself.
Inconclusion,Ibelievethatwhenwestopdecidingwhatstudentsareallowedto
dobasedontheirgender,studentsareabletodiscovertheirpathwithease.Sonext
timeyouseeamanorwomanbuyingsomethingtypicaltotheoppositegender,donot
thinkitsweirdinsteadquestionwhywhattheyrebuyingisevenconsideredmeantfor
men.ormeantforwomen.

WorkCited:

Burke,CathyPlanwouldbaseschoolsportsongenderID,notbiologydec1,2014

Gajewski,KarenannManyUniversitiesandcollegesaretakingstepstobecomemore
welcomingtostudentsofallgenderidentities.nov12,2015

Meltzer,MarisaWherehaveallthetomboysgone?oct13,2015