Trans Youth, Science, and Art
1) What do you think goes into creating
spaces for trans and queer people requires in terms of mental structures,
activities, forming bonds of understanding with non-queer people?
2) Were the “science lessons” more
about understanding the idea of sex and gender rather than in depth understandings
of sex reassignment surgery
3) The reading makes mention about
differences in the brain due to hormones, and intelligible genders. Would you say
that it is alluding to gender being of spectrum yet still between the male (XY)
and female (XX) binary archetypes, or explaining that gender and how it’s
practices are separate from binary entirely, explain?
4) Why does free artistic expression
seem to be a good space for all genders to be in, and what form of artistic gender
expression have you’ve seen, if at all?
5) In what way does the virtual world (the
internet, online chat rooms, videogames) allow different kinds/forms of gender
expression that can spread into the physical world?
1. I think that creating these types of spaces require openmindedness to be able to explore the aspects of trans lives with dignity. Many trans people are looking to explore their new gender identities and some activities to help include online spaces and projections such as the exhibitions grey room mentioned in the text to help educate people about trans people and how gender is constructed. This can create understanding between non queer folks and help them understand trans people better.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, I think the science lessons were more about understanding the idea of sex and gender as implied in the article. For example, the article mentions how the trans person felt uncomfortable when discussing the biology aspect of gender and felt the need to create a response regarding the lack of understanding of trans people. In other words, it called to question more about gender identity if anything.
3. I would say that there is more than just looking at the XX and XY spectrum since sex and growth hormones should also be taken into consideration. I do think that binary archetypes do also play a role though.
4. Free artistic expression is good because not only can people be educated in trans people, but trans people also have a space to be free and feel comfortable expressing themselves and having fun. Non trans people can have more exposure to trans people culture too. The forms of gender expression I have seen include sculptures and videos.
5. The virtual world can offer interactions potentially with other trans people also and make friends. These safe spaces can also allow theses trans people to come out and express themselves instead of having to hide and to take up as little space as possible. This free expression can spread to real life clubs as well once people are comfortable enough.
1. I think what goes into creating spaces for trans and queer people is that these spaces have to be safe. I feel like a lot of the times trans and queer people have to constantly be in fear of the people around them so to have a space for them that provides them safety to be themselves I think is the most important. Also, in terms of activities and community, I think having more trans and queer people together allows for spaces to be generated and be more widely represented and recognized by society overall.
ReplyDelete2. I think the "science-lessons" in the workshop were in place for the participates to better understand sex and gender rather than sex reassignment surgery. I think in a lot ways the "science-lessons" helped the participants in the workshop see themselves more as people rather than a project that has to be made up and fixed.
3. I think when the reading refers to difference in the brain due to hormones and intelligible gender it is not only hinting that gender is more of a spectrum, but, I think it is getting at the fact that gender is very subjective and everyone's own idea of gender is very different and possibly separate from biology. I think these ideas really put into perspective how archaic the gender binary is in understanding how gender really is constructed among people.
4. I think artistic expression is good for all genders because it does not have to be about gender at all. I think artistic expression is more so about people expressing their creativity and their own view of the world around them so I think art is a great way for people to express how they feel or see themselves and everything around them. I think one form of artistic gender expression that I have seen is from television like Rupaul's drag race because I mean the contestants are bending gender by actually being gay men who cross dress as women but other than this example I can't really think of any other artistic gender expression.
5. I think the virtual world can allow people to become different genders like for example with videos players having the ability to choose their avatars. In the case of, online chat rooms I think it gives people more freedom to explore how they want to possibly choose how they express their own gender and then over time they can exhibit this in the real world.
I think there has to be a certain amount of education for the non-queer people when planning these spaces. There needs to be a strong understanding of each other in order for it to be a truly safe space, that way everyone can speak more freely and feel more comfortable in the space.
ReplyDeleteYes. I think that these lessons were intended to not only educate about sex reassignment surgery, but they also were meant to further educate about sex and gender. I think this is a positive because simply focusing on the surgeries would make it seem more like each individual was just a sort of “project” to be fixed, yet when they incorporate more of a humanizing aspect it makes the lessons all around more comforting and educational.
I would say that the article is examining gender as a more spectral, rather than binary expression. I think that what it is trying to say is what many people find difficult to accept, that gender is not a biologically driven aspect of our lives but rather a fluid expression of who you are, based on your own perception and feelings.
Artistic expression is something rather unique and treasured. I believe that art and music are two forms of expression that are absolutely freeing, and the ability to express your gender through art is something that can be prized. In reference to gender expression I have seen in art, definitely male ballerinas provide a great example of being a strong masculine presence on the stage. In stark contrast to the usually feminized female counterpart that is more delicate and feminine in her movements.
I think the virtual world allows a free form of gender expression in the aspect that people can choose whichever avatar they prefer, without having to physically face people arguing that they shouldn’t choose that gender avatar because thats not “what they actually are”. I think the freedom of choosing your username or profile picture is great, but there are definitely still constraints on the virtual gender world. For example, if a strong gamer is portrayed as male in the virtual world, but is actually a female in the “real world”, she may face bullying from the other players once they hear her voice on the headset microphone, which I think is unfortunate and wrong, yet still a reality.
1. I believe that in order to create these safe spaces, people need to have an open mind and must be willing to be patient. Non-queer/trans people may not understand the identity of a trans person right away, and I believe it takes some time for these people to wrap their heads around that. A safe space should also be created with time in mind. As it may take a while for trans people to explore their new gender identities and their feelings. Also a group/community should be considered to help trans people know that they aren't alone which may help trans people feel more comfortable with speaking openly about themselves.
ReplyDelete2. I think the science lessons were also there to teach people more about both sex and gender. I think it also helped to have the lessons there so that it helps people learn more about transitioning with hormones and surgery.
3. I do think that the XX and XY spectrum is something that should be noted, but it among other things should be taken into consideration. I think the reading is suggesting that there is more to gender besides what many consider the "scientific norm," and that the environment and the people around you may also affect your gender identity.
4. I think artistic expression is a good space for all genders because of the freedom of the media. Art can be used to express so many different ideas, and it can be used to explain a variety of different concepts and ideas. I've seen artistic gender expression via sculpture and different abstract paintings.
5. The virtual world has a ton of potential to be a safe place for different expressions of gender. You can find many different communities to converse with. You can also find these communities in video games as well. Although like the article mentions, it isn't completely free from harassment. It isn't perfect, but I think the virtual world is a good place to start in finding a safe community for gender expression.
1. Safety most of all. If you don't feel safe, you don't share.
ReplyDelete2. I was under the impression they were of the former as adressing sex reassignment seemed to have missed me. The lessons seemed to be able understanding more the natural side of things.
3. I think the latter as the brain is more than simply instinct and hormones.
4.Art has always been the refuge of outcasts because it exists in a more liminal space than mainstream society.
5. Like art online space is again more liminal. It exists like art as nothing is permanent so experiments can be run, practicing can be done with little or even no consequence.
1) I think a lot of thought goes into creating these safe spaces. The people who are running these safe spaces must have a full understanding of gender and must be accepting.
ReplyDelete2) In the article, it seems that the “science lessons” were more about understanding the idea of sex and gender rather than in depth understandings of sex reassignment surgery.
3) The reading describes gender as a spectrum.
4) Free artistic expression seems to be a good space for all genders to be in since it allows everyone express themselves freely. There are no boundaries to this form of art.
5) People may feel safer to express themselves online because they can avoid certain forms of bullying especially if they are using a site that is used as a safe space.
1.I think its all about being safe and feeling secure within the spaces that they are providing and being conscious of who are the ones entering this spaces because if someone does not feel safe they are not even going to bother going.
ReplyDelete2.Yes it did because i did not read much of it.
3.I think they play a role in some type of way but i mean there is the whole spectrum going on.
4.They get to express themselves freely without feeling scared or hold back with what they feel and is just way better to have a better thought into spaces where they are free to do what they please with no boundaries.
5.Physical or online they will still suffer one way or another but online is less painful because I seen people get beat up when is in person then when is online because they are not afraid of being punched for being who they are and online is just comments that they will make someone feel bad but is less painful then being out and getting punched or pushed around and i dont mean it to sound bad but i dont find a better way to explain it.
1. Creating spaces like these requires people to be unprejudiced against those they feel are different from them. I think one way of forming bonds of these kinds is to ask insightful, not rude, questions. The more you try to understand how other people think, the more open you are to their thoughts.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, these "science lessons" taught about the idea of sex and scientific explanations of the differences of genders.
3. I think the reading mentions the XX and XY systems to show they do have some influence, but all in all I think the reading points more towards there being other systems in play when it comes to gender. This is especially shown when they were asking each week what the participants wanted to be referred to as in reference to gender and name. The activity was about how the participants felt about themselves instead of just the XX/XY spectrum.
4. Art is not about what gender you are, but what you are able to create. Anything anyone creates will be different from anyone else's, no matter what gender they are. Types of artistic gender expressions can be makeup and clothes. These things allow people to express themselves how they want to be seen.
5. Behind a screen people are often more willing to be open to others. In video games they can create avatars to represent themselves in any way they want to. Online chat rooms can be somewhere they can talk to others without worrying about the persecution they would be likely to face in real life.
1. Queer people need to be seen and heard when coming to an understanding with non-queer people. Many times those who are not queer do not realize that what they are saying may come off as offensive and creating a space where queer people can explain issues that involve them helps more than anything could. As a teacher I usually implement a safe place for those who are queer and non-queer by being open about myself so that it becomes more of a space of questioning and understanding rather than just hiding and being misunderstood.
ReplyDelete2. I think there was an aspect of understanding surgery and what it involves, but on a deeper level. They focused on the affirmation aspect that comes with reassignment surgery, and as a reader today I would also note that it’s okay to not feel a sense of affirmation right away. I think they really were trying to get across that understanding of how society views sex and gender.
3. I think that gender is fluid and can exist in binaries and non-binaries simultaneously, and during this workshop those thoughts were probably working as well. I think the participants were working through their own views of gender expression and defining it in their own ways.
4. Speaking from a gamer stand point, queer characters in video games offer so much realism and freedom of expression for many who have been marginalized. The first time I played Mass Effect and my female Shepard fell in love with the female blue alien NPC, Liara, my mind was blown. I had never seen myself reflected in story driven video games before. Now, there are so many more representations (DA:I’s first trans character Krem, Borderlands huge array playable and non-playable queer characters, etc.) and I think it is a reflection of how we hope to see the real world, at least someday. Where being queer is just another aspect of a person, not their only defining quality, and where it is not just accepted, but integrated and an integral part of how humans evolve and define their existence.
1. I would say non-queer people need to have a large capacity of empathy, understanding of what can make LGBTQ people uncomfortable, and gender-fluid activities. This would include activities that are traditionally for men and woman that any queer person can do and should not be limited just to gender. Such as woodshed and knitting, which shouldn’t be restricted by an imaginary “gender line” in the first place.
ReplyDelete2. I think they cover both aspects, but most often then not it seems they understood their body in the idea of sex and gender, and how fluid it can be. Which I think it was more of an important thing to take away as one Trans guy had put it, “once you shed the ideal images of a man and woman then it’s easier to accept your own body”.
3. I think it is alluding to gender being a spectrum but acknowledging how the public sees it as binary, but it does allude that gender is also socially constructed. As Americans tend to go by the binary a lot but seeing Margaret Mead’s research you realize how fluid gender truly is and how the society constructs it.
4. Since art is truly fluid and there is no right or wrong way to do it, or not bound by any rules. Art is truly boundless.
5. We can be who we want to be on a screen, on a screen we put out the character that we allow, this is seen on discord (yes, they’re intolerable for their white supremacy but this is one good thing they do for trans people, everything ever has it’s blacks and whites). In addition to video games such as animal crossing, that allow you to be whoever you choose, without judgement, and nurtures the character you choose to be.
1. I believe that that a sense of trust and community must be instilled in the environment and participants in order for any space to be effective and efficient for anyone, but this is especially true for minority groups such as trans and peer groups. They experience so much judgement and hostility in other spaces, that creating a space where they feel safe to freely be who they are and speak candidly is paramount. Language matters, so as not to ostracize anyone. I think that gender neutral language which acknowledges all people as being included, would be a good start to help build trust and relationships in a safe environment.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the “science lessons” intended to provide information about sex and gender rather than just focusing on gender reassignment surgery and transition.
3. I would say that it is explaining that gender is a spectrum which is free of the gender binary. The XX and XY may be a genders on the spectrum but they are not the end caps of which the gender spectrum lies between.
4. Free artistic expression can be a good avenue for all people, no matter their gender to express themselves. I have seen some really thought provoking feminist poetry which I enjoyed. I have also seen fashion and dance styles as forms of gender expression.
5. I think that the virtual world ca be a safe place for someone to “try on” a gender when they are feeling curious. One can explore the intriguing gender community and see if it is the gender medium which best allows them to express what they feel inside. It can give a person who is not ready to express what they feel inside on the outside, a place to develop confidence to do so.
1. I think an open mind and compassion are key to creating spaces for trans and queer people. Being able to create a safe place for them lets them know that they are accepted by you and those who are in the group.
ReplyDelete2. I think the science lessons were about letting the participants learn and understand their own bodies more. I think it was also to educate them about reassignment surgery and having them understand their own bodies first makes everything easier for them and makes them feel human.
3. I think mentioning the differences in the brain in relation to gender is to show us how society views gender. Although society may view gender as only XX and XY, the goal is to help them realize that it does not have to be like that and that the spectrum can be fluid.
4. Artistic expression seems to be a good space for all genders because art is subjective, so it can be mean whatever you want it to mean. It can have different meaning for everyone and that's what makes it so special. I have seen artistic forms of gender expression through paintings, tv shows, dancing, and music.
5. The virtual world allows different kinds/forms of gender expression spread into the physical world. When comfortable to be yourself in the virtual world, I think it can make it easier to be yourself in the physical world. This ca be through social media, where you can chat online or share personal things, and video games where you can make it your own.
1. I think part of creating a space for queer and trans people will includes having understanding people all around, people can't be judgement or go into these spaces with preconceived notions.
ReplyDelete2. The science lessons were about understanding gender and biological sex, rather than explaining sex reassignment surgery, however the lessons help to give insight to understanding the idea of sex.
3. I think that the brain differences discussed is trying to explain that social constructs and social behavior tries to restrict xx and xy to a binary variation, rather than the spectrum that gender behavior actually is, outside of biological gender, rather it is determined by what society teaches us and tells us to be.
4. Free artistic expression seems to be a good space for all genders because it allows a place for people to truly express themselves without feeling like thy need to hide a part of their identity. I think that some forms of artistic gender expression can be seen in writing, sometimes music and art, I think makeup, hair and even style can also be included in the discussion of artistic gender expression especially when people really go all out for a fashion look or fashion moment.
5. I think that the virtual world allows people to find others they relate to that they might not have otherwise ever meet, this will give them the confidence to truly express themselves they way they want to.
This is from Dana:
ReplyDelete“Trans Youth, Science, and Art”
1. I think that the most integral part of creating spaces for trans and queer people is asking those same people what they want and how they think is the most accessible way of doing that. After that, I believe that only way to create safe spaces like this is education and patience on both sides (meaning LGBTQ+ folx as well as non-queer folx).
2. The “science lessons” were very focused on the idea of sex and gender, but I feel that this may have been necessary to understand the depth and “requirements” that are associated with sex reassignment surgery. They did have an endocrinologist and consultant who were familiar with the processes and there was a short mention of the intersex community, but I feel like it was somewhat lacking. Their goal may have been to show how the biological and medical community see reassignment surgery.
3. The reading alludes to gender being on a spectrum despite binary archetypes. Based on biology, there are obviously those with (XY) and (XX) sex chromosomes, but people are often not aware of gender variant or intersex people who may have differing sex chromosomes that what is “normal”. I think this in itself proves that gender is a spectrum on the biological level at least.
4. Freedom in artistic expression is a good space for those of all genders to participate in because it allows people to express their feelings and identities in ways that surpass verbal communication. This is especially important with trans youth, who often do not have any safe way of expressing themselves. I have seen a plethora of queer folx use art to express themselves, from paintings to music to writing.
5. Virtual worlds like online chat rooms, video games, and social media can allow people to explore and further understand their own gender expression as well as that of others. I feel like because people don’t feel like the internet is “real”, it does not have the same consequences or backlash as if they tried to do the same in real life. The virtual world also gives people the ability to recreate themselves, much like how people “recreate themselves” when moving to a new place, or going to a new school.
1. I think creating the ideal space consists of a no judgement zone for the trans youth to be able to express themselves and not fear what people would say to them.
ReplyDelete2. I think it was meant to understand the ideas of sex and gender rather than simply speaking on the reassigning surgery. It helped them further understand their bodies and its nature.
3. I think the idea of the "XY" and "XX" chromosome should be taken into consideration, however many are not aware of the gender variant who face different sex chromosomes than what is to be considered the norm, proving that sex is not just on a spectrum.
4. It is a good space to be involved in because the art is accepting of all with no rules or right or wrong attitude. I have seen many Drag shows that to me are a sign of empowerment and a way for drag to be seen positively.
5. Online we are able to portray ourselves however we wish, with this many gain the confidence to express themselves in the open, especially when you meet others who share the common interests, ideas, and views as you.
1. I think it is important that everyone has an open mind and is ready to learn about the other person. Also patience and acceptance is very important in order to create a safe space.
ReplyDelete2. The science lessons focused on the understanding of the science of sex and gender, but also allowed the participants to ask questions and learn more about topics that are more relevant to their personal lives. I don’t think the lessons were focused on sex reassignment surgery, but I think its great that they had experts from that field that could help participants better understand the work that they do.
3. I think the text is alluding to gender being on a spectrum and the huge variation of appearance despite XX and XY binary.
4. Artistic expression is a good space for all genders because it allows people to express themselves in a way that they may not be able to in another form. I have seen individuals express their gender artistically through makeup and clothing, a way that can make them feel their best while still being creative.
5. I think the virtual world is a great way for people to get inspiration for their gender expression, especially through styling or carrying oneself. There are so many helpful tools and sites where one can learn things that they can apply in their real lives.