Lierre Keith on gender

23 Mar 2009, 13:37 · ranting and politics

I enjoyed this interview with Lierre Keith about destroying civilization, especially these definitions of genders.

Sexual domination and subordination are institutionalized into the very concepts of masculine and feminine. Masculinity is simply a conglomeration of the personality traits necessary for the patriarchal soldier-rapist: physically strong, emotionally cauterized, rational, domineering, cruel. All of this is supposed to add up to “handsome” as well. Likewise femininity is ultimately a description of the personality that results from trauma and powerlessness: weak, passive, yielding, emotional, hyper-vigilant to the needs of the dominators and desperate for the dominator’s attention.

Comments

I find it really useful to consider ideas of handsomeness in relation to concepts of masculinity—I can see where my own notions of handsomeness are based in someone (of any gender) being visibly self-controlled, unemotional and hardened. I wonder how we can reclaim words like this—like how do we compliment our loved ones on looking cute, without using words that reinforce these concepts of masculinity? I have tended to use the word handsome, but now it doesn’t seem appropriate.

— sarah h · 23 March 2009, 18:41

This is the solidification of a nascent thought I have had in my head for years and simply haven’t figured out how to put it into words. The inherent violence in our created dichotomy and the power it yields through supposed universality – frightening! And makes me think of Star Trek.

— Tracey C · 23 March 2009, 19:23

Tracey— I appreciate your saying that you didn’t have words for this either. I tend to worry that I’m the last person on earth to read anything, which is clearly in my own mind, but it helps to hear it when other people (especially my friends I think) are figuring things out too.

Also, Star Trek? Like Captain Kirk’s gender antics or something else?

Sarah, I got to thinking about handsomeness and posted separately about it.

— sarah · 24 March 2009, 18:52

I automatically thought of both Kirk and Spock and their portrayals of the “masculine” dichotomy of cool emotionlessness or anger/patriotic/fight-ness.

I had a big crush on Spock. And Data. Hm.

— Tracey · 24 March 2009, 20:05





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