Masculinity

I thought that Kimmel's paper was particularly interesting this week.  The idea that there are "rules" to being a man is something that comes up often.  It was funny that Kimmel lists the ideas that others have had.  While some of these rules are unwritten and, in a way, can't be put into words, some are written.  "No Sissy Stuff!" is one example of the rules of being a man, but there are other rules as well.  In the end, things come down to the homophobia that Kimmel describes.

I run the Gay Straight Alliance at my school and was talking to two students about their ideas about gay people.  They immediately asked me if I was gay and then began to argue with one another.  "Well he runs this club... but I don't think he is gay.  He has two earrings, but if he had one then he would definitely be gay."  The other student agreed and added "Yeah you don't dress or walk gay".  I find this particularly interesting that they have such rigid definitions and rules about what makes someone gay or straight.  While I agree that oftentimes there are very clear (for most people) signs, there are also many gay people who, like me, do not "follow the rules".

When it comes to students, it can be very difficult dealing with these rules.  For many young people the idea that something they do might betray the secret that they are trying to hide is terrifying.  This comes out in various ways, including homophobia.  As David Leverenz states, "Homophobia is the fear that other men will unmask us, emasculate us, reveal to us and the world that we do not measure up, that we are not real men".  Needless to say, this makes high school especially difficult and scary for some students.

Just as people come from different countries and backgrounds, have different skin colors, and speak different languages, there is no set gender role that people must follow.  It is just another spectrum along which everyone falls.