One thing that has been fascinating me since this summer was the discussion that arose in connection with the world championships in athletics in Berlin about the South African runner Caster Semenya. After having completely dominated the women’s 800 metres there was a discussion about that she might possibly not be a woman at all. There was a lot about it in the media and although I didn’t follow it very carefully I understood that there were a lot of tests taken, gender tests, hormone tests, physical examinations and I don’t know what. Still people didn’t seem to be quite sure whether she was really a woman or not.
This was the first thing that fascinated me. Just imagine that there are so many things in our society that are completely based on what sex you are. Your name, your clothes, how you are supposed to behave, whom you are supposed to fall in love with, what kind of job you do, how much you earn for the job you do and the amount of power you get among other things. Yes, a person’s sex sometimes actually seems to be the most important thing about a person. Just think about how the first question asked about a newborn child is whether it is a boy or a girl. I know, many would (rightfully) object that many of the things mentioned above is not a matter of a persons sex but a matter of gender. In a way I agree, but still, the socially constructed gender is very much formed by the sex of a person. Therefore I find it very interesting that not even the state of the art of science can definitely agree on whether a person is a man or a woman. Can it than be so f***ing important!? Isn’t it about time that we start letting people be just what they are?!
This week the whole story got another interesting twist. Now the IOK and IAAF have come to the conclusion that Semenya is one of very few women that have extremely high levels of testosterone, more than ten times higher than a “normal” woman. This higher level of testosterone is suspected to give her some advantages over other female competitors. This high level is regarded as a medical problem that can be treated and therefore persons like Caster Semenya should go through treatment before they are allowed to take part in this kind of sports competitions.
But hey!! Isn’t there something very wrong here?! Isn’t this, what sport is all about?! That there are some persons who have certain physical features that make them better suited for certain kinds of sports?! Shouldn’t tall persons be allowed to play basket ball?? Should we first send them to some anti-growth-hormone-treatment?! I think this is completely sick!! And I also think it is very typical that this is happening to a woman, who is considered not to be “the right kind of” woman. And of course a woman who is not a “real” woman needs to be sent to treatment!
Shame on you IOK and IAAF!
Go Semenya!! Go Girl!!
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
March 8
Well, I just felt I had to write something about women and feminism today; the 8 March, International Women’s day. I can not say I have done anything to celebrate it or taken any political action to improve women’s situation today. Not that I use to either, but today I felt rather miserable because of a cold that I caught more than a wee ago and that is not getting any better and on top of that the weather is also absolutely miserable so I stayed inside the whole day and spent quite some time in bed or on the couch reading.
Very suitable however, the book that I am reading is dealing a lot with feminism and related issues and a big part of the book relates to manifestations held or planned to be held in Belgrade on March 8, 2008. The book is written by a friend of mine, who I met when I was living in Belgrade in 2005, but as the book is written later I don’t know the people she is writing about nor was I there when the things took place. However it is very interesting to read. I know the places she writes about and I feel I would have liked to get to know the people. The book shows the situation for feminists, gay and queer activists in a rather traditional, patriarchal society during times of strong nationalistic influence. I am impressed by the energy and the commitment of these persons and also of their sense for enjoying life. I wonder what I would have been like if I had been living as they did in Serbia during the 90.s.
Reading the book also got me thinking about what it means to be different and about group identity. This is anyway one of my favourite topics and something I have been discussing a lot recently with a gay friend of mine. Since I moved to The Small Town I have felt very very different from my surrounding. I can describe it like being a non-fitting part of a puzzle. The colour looks the same so you might think you fit, but every time you try to fit in you realise that there is no way you ever will and for every time you try your own shape threatens to get misshaped and it hurts. It feels like running head first in to a wall, time after time. My friend had the same feeling; he explained it like being among people who speak your language yet you don’t understand what they say and they don’t understand you. I think he had the feeling much of this was because he is gay and that might not be so easy in any small town. But I claim that is not the full explanation. I am as “normal” as you can be in this place, white, Swedish, heterosexual, not physically handicapped and even born in a small place in Sweden. So there is actually no “obvious reason” why I should not fit in here, and still it is absolutely not possible…
It is all a state of mind. How you feel about who you are and what you are. I find it very interesting to think about how important it is to us humans to fit in and to find some kind of belonging, no matter how different we think we are. Sometimes I think this is even more obvious in small towns. Inevitably you will find in every small town a group of people who think they are very different. The thing is only that they, among themselves all look the same. There are those clusters of “different” people. They might think they differ from the rest, but in the group they are all rather similar. They might dress the same way, eat the same kind of food, listen to the same kind of music, and vote for the same party etc etc. Hence they are rather predictable.
I don’t know a lot about queer-theory, but I find it very interesting and appealing. However also within the queer groups there is certain conformity. You have to be queer the “right” way. This was something that (again) struck me reading the book. There was a chapter about the joy and disappointment among the queer/gay/feminist community in Serbia after Marija Serifovic won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. The community hoped that this victory might be a positive force for their cause, her being lesbian and not representing the standard Serbian female ideal. Therefore the disappointment was big when she didn’t seem to want to play that part, but instead even performed at an election campaign for the radical party. I can understand the disappointment that anyone, no matter who, is campaigning for the Serbian radical party, but still I can not help to think that this is really queer. Here’s a Serbian, lesbian, of roma ethnicity, who just won the Eurovision Song Contest and not with some turbo-folk song, and who does not look like a traditional Serbian female star, but still supports the radicals. I want to once more stress that I don’t share or even understand her political choice and I can understand those who would have liked her to take another stand, but still I think this is queer. Isn’t it?! It is very unexpected and unpredictable. And isn’t that a lot what queer is about?! And what feminism is about?! The right to be who you are and make your own choices free from pre-set patterns and expectations?!
I believe it is, and one of the queerest persons I have ever met was a white, straight German guy who would not stand out in a crowd by his looks. He was (and I guess still is) a vegetarian and strong supporter of the German green party, which fits nicely together, but at the same time he was also an almost fanatic football fan and devoted fan of country music. To me that is a very unexpected combination and therefore queer.
So; cheers to all you wonderful unique individuals out there! No matter who or what you are I hope you will have the right to continue to be who and what you are and please, be kind to and respect each other.
Love
Very suitable however, the book that I am reading is dealing a lot with feminism and related issues and a big part of the book relates to manifestations held or planned to be held in Belgrade on March 8, 2008. The book is written by a friend of mine, who I met when I was living in Belgrade in 2005, but as the book is written later I don’t know the people she is writing about nor was I there when the things took place. However it is very interesting to read. I know the places she writes about and I feel I would have liked to get to know the people. The book shows the situation for feminists, gay and queer activists in a rather traditional, patriarchal society during times of strong nationalistic influence. I am impressed by the energy and the commitment of these persons and also of their sense for enjoying life. I wonder what I would have been like if I had been living as they did in Serbia during the 90.s.
Reading the book also got me thinking about what it means to be different and about group identity. This is anyway one of my favourite topics and something I have been discussing a lot recently with a gay friend of mine. Since I moved to The Small Town I have felt very very different from my surrounding. I can describe it like being a non-fitting part of a puzzle. The colour looks the same so you might think you fit, but every time you try to fit in you realise that there is no way you ever will and for every time you try your own shape threatens to get misshaped and it hurts. It feels like running head first in to a wall, time after time. My friend had the same feeling; he explained it like being among people who speak your language yet you don’t understand what they say and they don’t understand you. I think he had the feeling much of this was because he is gay and that might not be so easy in any small town. But I claim that is not the full explanation. I am as “normal” as you can be in this place, white, Swedish, heterosexual, not physically handicapped and even born in a small place in Sweden. So there is actually no “obvious reason” why I should not fit in here, and still it is absolutely not possible…
It is all a state of mind. How you feel about who you are and what you are. I find it very interesting to think about how important it is to us humans to fit in and to find some kind of belonging, no matter how different we think we are. Sometimes I think this is even more obvious in small towns. Inevitably you will find in every small town a group of people who think they are very different. The thing is only that they, among themselves all look the same. There are those clusters of “different” people. They might think they differ from the rest, but in the group they are all rather similar. They might dress the same way, eat the same kind of food, listen to the same kind of music, and vote for the same party etc etc. Hence they are rather predictable.
I don’t know a lot about queer-theory, but I find it very interesting and appealing. However also within the queer groups there is certain conformity. You have to be queer the “right” way. This was something that (again) struck me reading the book. There was a chapter about the joy and disappointment among the queer/gay/feminist community in Serbia after Marija Serifovic won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. The community hoped that this victory might be a positive force for their cause, her being lesbian and not representing the standard Serbian female ideal. Therefore the disappointment was big when she didn’t seem to want to play that part, but instead even performed at an election campaign for the radical party. I can understand the disappointment that anyone, no matter who, is campaigning for the Serbian radical party, but still I can not help to think that this is really queer. Here’s a Serbian, lesbian, of roma ethnicity, who just won the Eurovision Song Contest and not with some turbo-folk song, and who does not look like a traditional Serbian female star, but still supports the radicals. I want to once more stress that I don’t share or even understand her political choice and I can understand those who would have liked her to take another stand, but still I think this is queer. Isn’t it?! It is very unexpected and unpredictable. And isn’t that a lot what queer is about?! And what feminism is about?! The right to be who you are and make your own choices free from pre-set patterns and expectations?!
I believe it is, and one of the queerest persons I have ever met was a white, straight German guy who would not stand out in a crowd by his looks. He was (and I guess still is) a vegetarian and strong supporter of the German green party, which fits nicely together, but at the same time he was also an almost fanatic football fan and devoted fan of country music. To me that is a very unexpected combination and therefore queer.
So; cheers to all you wonderful unique individuals out there! No matter who or what you are I hope you will have the right to continue to be who and what you are and please, be kind to and respect each other.
Love
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Myth Buster
There are loads of myths about men and women that I would like to see dead, once for all… Simply because they are sooo wrong. Maybe I should make that my mission and a new theme for my blog?!
One is the myth that women would not know what they want and somehow should be indecisive. Another is that women speak in riddles and that men should be more straightforward. That is just sooo wrong!!
I have ever so often ended up in relations with men who don’t seem to have a clue what they want and whenever I tried to find out, the most intelligent answer the man in question could provide was “I don’t know”. No matter how I rephrased the question he would not say anything else than I don’t know. In my opinion some of those questions were just the kind you just have to know the answer to, but maybe the person just felt uncomfortable to tell the truth and maybe thought I would get hurt. Therefore I started giving suggestions for different answers and after quite some time I think I got some kind of answer. After I had more or less put the words in the mouth of the man in question. I just don’t understand!! How fu..ing hard can it be?!!? Just answer the bloody question!! If I ask, of course I want the answer! If the person in question is so indecisive and unclear, of course you suspect he is “just not that in to you” and maybe wants to break up, but why the hell just don’t say that then. It is not one time now, that I have had to break up on behalf of the guy!! Why are men such cowards!??! Stop wasting my time!!
Now I thought this might just be me. Me meeting the wrong guys or me being too pushy or what ever… But now I have heard so many similar questions that my thesis has been confirmed. Recently I spoke to one of my long time friends. She has been living together with her boyfriend for six years. They are both 35+, not married, nor engaged and have no kids and live in a three room rented apartment. I think they both have been quite happy with that, but for some time now my friend seems to want some kind of change or at least get some suggestion to the direction of their relation. Should they get married, try to have kids, buy a house or maybe at least buy a boat or at least do something new? But whenever she brought the question up for discussion the only answer her boyfriend could give her was “I don’t know”. How the hell can you not know after that time!?!!? You must have some idea what you want to do with your life!! And after six years together, would you not think your partner is entitled to an answer!! And IF you of some unbelievable reason really do not know, any normal person should realise that you can not say that to a person you have been living together with for six years and who wants to have an answer. That is so respectless!! Then you just have to give an answer and take the consequences. Oh, I am getting angry while writing. Men grow up!! My friend now realise that she can not wait any more. If she waits and ask the same question in a year, she will only get the same answer. His loss!!
One is the myth that women would not know what they want and somehow should be indecisive. Another is that women speak in riddles and that men should be more straightforward. That is just sooo wrong!!
I have ever so often ended up in relations with men who don’t seem to have a clue what they want and whenever I tried to find out, the most intelligent answer the man in question could provide was “I don’t know”. No matter how I rephrased the question he would not say anything else than I don’t know. In my opinion some of those questions were just the kind you just have to know the answer to, but maybe the person just felt uncomfortable to tell the truth and maybe thought I would get hurt. Therefore I started giving suggestions for different answers and after quite some time I think I got some kind of answer. After I had more or less put the words in the mouth of the man in question. I just don’t understand!! How fu..ing hard can it be?!!? Just answer the bloody question!! If I ask, of course I want the answer! If the person in question is so indecisive and unclear, of course you suspect he is “just not that in to you” and maybe wants to break up, but why the hell just don’t say that then. It is not one time now, that I have had to break up on behalf of the guy!! Why are men such cowards!??! Stop wasting my time!!
Now I thought this might just be me. Me meeting the wrong guys or me being too pushy or what ever… But now I have heard so many similar questions that my thesis has been confirmed. Recently I spoke to one of my long time friends. She has been living together with her boyfriend for six years. They are both 35+, not married, nor engaged and have no kids and live in a three room rented apartment. I think they both have been quite happy with that, but for some time now my friend seems to want some kind of change or at least get some suggestion to the direction of their relation. Should they get married, try to have kids, buy a house or maybe at least buy a boat or at least do something new? But whenever she brought the question up for discussion the only answer her boyfriend could give her was “I don’t know”. How the hell can you not know after that time!?!!? You must have some idea what you want to do with your life!! And after six years together, would you not think your partner is entitled to an answer!! And IF you of some unbelievable reason really do not know, any normal person should realise that you can not say that to a person you have been living together with for six years and who wants to have an answer. That is so respectless!! Then you just have to give an answer and take the consequences. Oh, I am getting angry while writing. Men grow up!! My friend now realise that she can not wait any more. If she waits and ask the same question in a year, she will only get the same answer. His loss!!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Congratulation Serbia!!
Not only to winning the Eurovision Song Contest, which of course is great and well deserved, and I am really glad for that, but I think Serbia won a lot already by sending Marija Serifovic to the competition. It was so refreshing to see a female artist who is not only a great singer, but also can perform without being half naked. She is also so far from the standard stereotype of the Balkan female ideal; not skinny, no silicon boobes, no blow dried long hair and heavy make-up, no miniskirt and no high heals (ok, she might have brought five choir girls to make up for that, but anyway...).
I really do not care whether she is a lesbian or not, but if she is, I think that is an even greater progress for Serbia, considered the general attitudes towards homosexuals in the macho country Serbia. The ESC has for quite some time been regarded as a rather gay-event, but it has been a predominantly male gay event, so it is about time that the lesbians also get their share of the attention!
The absolute contrast was the Moldovan contribution. It felt so taste-less, tacky and cheep that the country mostly known for trafficking of young women would send a young girl dressed as a really cheep porn-star. Bad, bad, bad!!
So, maybe we should have a re-union in Belgrade next year and enjoy the show!?! :-)
I really do not care whether she is a lesbian or not, but if she is, I think that is an even greater progress for Serbia, considered the general attitudes towards homosexuals in the macho country Serbia. The ESC has for quite some time been regarded as a rather gay-event, but it has been a predominantly male gay event, so it is about time that the lesbians also get their share of the attention!
The absolute contrast was the Moldovan contribution. It felt so taste-less, tacky and cheep that the country mostly known for trafficking of young women would send a young girl dressed as a really cheep porn-star. Bad, bad, bad!!
So, maybe we should have a re-union in Belgrade next year and enjoy the show!?! :-)
Thursday, March 08, 2007
International Women's day
By the way, before this day ends I will have to make some comment on the fact that it is International Women's Day.
Not that I really know what to think about the fact that there is such a day, as I think every day should be women's day. Just as much as they are men's day or children's days. But anyway, as there are still quite some unjust and unequal treatment of the sexes I send a thought to all you intelligent, strong, independent, brave, modern and smart people -women and men - out there, who have the guts and energy to stand up for equal rights. Especially of course for all the women how still sometimes face themselves put in second place after a less intelligent, strong, independent, brave, modern and smart man, whose only exclusive quality is that he is male. You go girls! Fight on! Don't give up!
Not that I really know what to think about the fact that there is such a day, as I think every day should be women's day. Just as much as they are men's day or children's days. But anyway, as there are still quite some unjust and unequal treatment of the sexes I send a thought to all you intelligent, strong, independent, brave, modern and smart people -women and men - out there, who have the guts and energy to stand up for equal rights. Especially of course for all the women how still sometimes face themselves put in second place after a less intelligent, strong, independent, brave, modern and smart man, whose only exclusive quality is that he is male. You go girls! Fight on! Don't give up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
