That is a good one there. Excellent choice of questions.
My wife recently asked my son if he would rather dress up as a prince or a princess. He chose princess. I have no opinion as to whether this is a predictor for anything. I also have no objection to him dressing up that way. He's a kid. I want to guide him in his life but I will not force choices on him if I can avoid it, at least not for big things like that. Bedtime is another story. If he still wants to dress that way when he's older, if he ever gets hassled for wearing women's clothes then I will march with him. More to the point, when doing so I will wear a dress if I can find one that fits. I am sure my wife will be amused.
Hee. One of the things that makes me a little crazy is that, when the Pirates of the Caribbean movies hit big a few years ago, Disney World started having "Pirate Or Princess" parties at the Magic Kingdom, and my very first thought was, "Why do the girls have to be princesses -- why not pirates? Heck, your own canon with Wendy...." And, of course, if women can be pirates, boys can be princesses, or at least some type of royalty.
Maybe they were thinking of girls dressing up as Keira Knightly? I dunno. Disney is actually reasonably good about these things for a mainstream company, though yes they do have room for improvement.
I believe that all of the Disney princesses have princes as companions. So obviously Disney should have some boys there to be princes as part of the princess parties.
But who would ever want to be a prince? In every Disney fairy tale, the prince was always the dullest character. Disney Princesses are kinda lame too, they spend all day pining for "something more" than the KINGDOM OF PEOPLE they will someday control. Screw 'em.
Ultimately, would you rather have everything handed to you or go out and take it yourself? See, THAT'S why gender politics are so fucked up in this country, because corporations like Disney keep telling generation after generation that girls are the former and boys are the latter. I couldn't give less of a shit what gender my future kids are attracted to, but if I EVER have a son or daughter who would rather be a snooty princess than a kickass pirate, I might just have to disown them.
I recommend that everyone get the princess books by Jim Hines. Love the catch-phrase -- do we look like we need saving? (and ask Jim why he has a grudge against Shrek )
The other day we were at Waffle House, waiting for a table, and noticed a mother with two daughter (approx.7 and 10). The girls were dressed as pirates. Well, pink and silver pirates, but with eyepatches, skull and crossbones, etc. As we chatted, I told them there were real female pirates (Anne Bonney and Mary Read). Just a little teachable moment on female pirate empowerment.
I found it a little disturbing that so many people never considered that homosexuals never chose to be homosexual. As skalja said, "see the wheels turning in people's minds". It's like they never considered that question and they should have. It's that bit of empathy and realizing that your life is NOT the norm for 99% of the people out there is what makes us good people.
How many people said something like "You don't have to choose to be normal. You choose to be perverted." But then you'd have to ask why they would make that choice if they weren't already predisposed to it.
IMHO sexuality is too complicated to have a binary switch (ie straight OR gay). It's a matter of brain chemistry which is partially from genetics, partially developed in the womb, and partially from growing up.
Sadly, I can tell you from experience that this argument fails at least as often as it succeeds. The standard counter-argument isn't phrased in these words, but a translation from Religious Mumbo-Jumbo to English would be roughly: "I didn't have to. Being straight is the default condition for humans, as created and commanded by God. The only time choice is involved is for those who deliberately choose to disobey His Laws."
I've seen that as well. Too many people think their lives are normal and the way things should be. If you've done better then you should be rewarded and if you're different it was a choice you made and should be punished for it.
My counter-counter-argument would go along the lines of "was there ever a time when you broke God's laws and couldn't help yourself?" or "can you prove it by becoming homosexual then return to your usual self at will?"
Everyone thinks they're normal. Or, at least, at any given time, assuming they're capable of putting it in these terms, everyone is who they are, and everyone else who is in some way different from that is not normal. Or something. catalana, do you have a dropcloth? I seem to have painted myself into a corner....
There are LOTS of folks who acknowledge that, in one or more ways, they're not normal. Once a person acknowledges Normal != Good, s/he's lots more likely to consider that they're not normal, but still just fine.
No, because that's DIFFERENT. God made those kids that way for a reason, although we may not be able to understand it. But nobody is born homosexual. That's a deliberate lifestyle choice that has to be made.
So this "God" fellow willingly creates souls with all different kinds of challenging mental disabilities, disorders and neuroses, thus ensuring constant communicational clusterfuck amongst the species He created in His image. He doesn't consider it important to keep life simple by making everyone smart and wise, but He makes DAMN sure everyone's genitals point the right way. At least until mean ol' Satan intervenes with that pesky "free will."
So this all-powerful God, who I hasten to remind thee we are all being asked to worship, cares more for the consistent thought processes of the little head than the big one. You heard it here first: to the Creator Of The Fuckin' Universe, balls are a greater priority than brains.
If that's how He feels about it, why can't I show up for church pantsless, to thank Him for such a bountiful harvest, without being beaten to a pulp by envious nuns?
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:10 pm (UTC)My wife recently asked my son if he would rather dress up as a prince or a princess. He chose princess. I have no opinion as to whether this is a predictor for anything. I also have no objection to him dressing up that way. He's a kid. I want to guide him in his life but I will not force choices on him if I can avoid it, at least not for big things like that. Bedtime is another story.
If he still wants to dress that way when he's older, if he ever gets hassled for wearing women's clothes then I will march with him. More to the point, when doing so I will wear a dress if I can find one that fits. I am sure my wife will be amused.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 11:38 pm (UTC)Ultimately, would you rather have everything handed to you or go out and take it yourself? See, THAT'S why gender politics are so fucked up in this country, because corporations like Disney keep telling generation after generation that girls are the former and boys are the latter. I couldn't give less of a shit what gender my future kids are attracted to, but if I EVER have a son or daughter who would rather be a snooty princess than a kickass pirate, I might just have to disown them.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:31 am (UTC)Even if that Princess happens to be Madame Bathory.
princesses
Date: 2010-11-23 06:01 am (UTC)Girl Pirates
Date: 2010-11-22 03:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 10:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:29 am (UTC)Nifty.
All we got to do was give something up for 40 days.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 03:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 03:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 09:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 10:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:59 am (UTC)How many people said something like "You don't have to choose to be normal. You choose to be perverted." But then you'd have to ask why they would make that choice if they weren't already predisposed to it.
IMHO sexuality is too complicated to have a binary switch (ie straight OR gay). It's a matter of brain chemistry which is partially from genetics, partially developed in the womb, and partially from growing up.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 03:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 03:59 am (UTC)My counter-counter-argument would go along the lines of "was there ever a time when you broke God's laws and couldn't help yourself?" or "can you prove it by becoming homosexual then return to your usual self at will?"
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 05:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 07:50 am (UTC)That means all those kids with Down's Syndrome get to be retarded AND go to Hell.
Gosh, has anyone told Sarah Palin, yet?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 06:50 pm (UTC)I only wish I were kidding.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-23 12:00 pm (UTC)So this all-powerful God, who I hasten to remind thee we are all being asked to worship, cares more for the consistent thought processes of the little head than the big one. You heard it here first: to the Creator Of The Fuckin' Universe, balls are a greater priority than brains.
If that's how He feels about it, why can't I show up for church pantsless, to thank Him for such a bountiful harvest, without being beaten to a pulp by envious nuns?