Beyond the Norm

Our course is based off of complicating the norms, ideology, and essentialist views as is Feinberg's goal as well. She is trying to get across the point that there is not just an either- or but there's an either-or and more. From birth, its pink or blue, boy or girl. She challenges society's basic, limited views and challenges us to see life from another perspective. Ms. Feinberg does not take a social constructionist approach but more of the idea that people are born that way and choose to live that lifestyle. It sounds sort of contradictory but everything we talk about is contradictory and goes against the norms.

As we have heard through several different types of mediums, violence and discrimination against gays, lesbians, transsexuals, and people who chose to live an alternative lifestyle has become an increasingly growing problem in todays society, especially in Western Civilization. In the eyes of these people, their lives are at risk every day just because of who they are. “This doctor's prejudices, directed at me during a moment of catastrophic illness, could have killed me. The death certificate would have read: Endocarditis. By all rights it should have read: Bigotry.” (Feinberg 3) We see in a personal moment in the Feinberg's life where discrimination almost cause her to lose her life. I didn't realize to what extent this violence has grown to. Its completely ludicrous that this discrimination has found its way into the medical field where lives are on the line each day.

Personally, I feel the root of this problem is that “pink or blue” either- or stigma. If people could break out of the idea that everyone must fit into certain categories, there would not be this problem. This is an idea that we've addressed multiple times in class, but if there are no categories, we all accept each other as we are and not what we want each other to be. I believe this would end the discrimination and violence, but I know this is not at all possible because we can not change everyone's mind.

Feinberg believes that this transliberation movement will not only help the transgendered and transsexuals, but as a heterosexuals, I will also gain from the changes this movement will bring about.“This movement will give you more room to breathe- to be yourself. To discover on a deeper level what it means to be yourself?” (Feinberg, 5) I'm all for equality and fairness, but I do not see how this self exploration is a direct result of the transliberation movement. I can do this now without the movement. I feel she just wanted to offer something that would make transliberation more appealing and beneficial to those that it does not truly affect or help. But, then again, I could be interpreting her statement wrong. You tell me?