the four right chords can make me cry

what is it exactly that makes one feminine?

i've often had the accusation that i'm not feminine leveled at me by the guys. but why? i wear the occasional skirt, (in fact when i was in school i wore one everyday! so you can forgive me for not wanting to wear one on sundays and saturdays too right?) i have long hair (although it used to be MUCH longer).

is it because i dont wear make up? because i dont like shopping? because i dont have an irrational fear of spiders and dirt? because i dont have an unreasonable tendency to scream at the slightest opportunity? because i dont comb my hair every five minutes? because i dont take a second glance everytime i pass a reflective surface?

those things dont make you female! such a superficial checklist...

but what then makes you female? the absence of the Y chromosome? interestingly, the human body plan is more or less basically female, meaning that in the absence of male hormones, every body develops female characteristics (more or less). but does that make being female the absence of maleness? surely there are things that are uniquely female (other than birth, periods etc or any of the superficial things i mentioned).

the dissolution of gender stereotypes is a good thing. removing any stereotype is good. but what then is uniquely male or female anymore? females are more nuturing, but these days men can be too. females clean house, not anymore. females are physically weaker, again, not always.

posted by beckyboo @ 10:54 PM