OUR MARK

Clippings from news sources involving fashion freedom and other gender equality issues.
ScotL
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Re: OUR MARK

Post by ScotL »

denimini wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:38 am
I don't think that we can help someone until they muster a bit of courage themselves and seek out support like this forum offers. It certainly helped me get over the initial hurdle which looked insurmountable until I got up onto my feet. I think that skirts are healthy for men to wear and to a greater extent the process of wearing them in public offers extra mental health to the wearers and the onlookers. I have recognised that in myself; learning to be confident to be myself and for others to learn to accept uniqueness and individuality. Sadly it took me 60 years to do this. I hope and believe that a lot of young people are demanding acceptance nowadays.
This is brilliantly insightful sir. It’s truly amazing how wanting to be accepted for your “peculiarities” makes one less judgmental against others “peculiarities.”
Ralph
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Re: OUR MARK

Post by Ralph »

denimini wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:38 amWe certainly can not help by trying to prevent Labels being created nor people using them but we can help people learn not to worry about Labels. The only Label anyone should have is their name.
Yes! I follow a number of social media sites that are either fully devoted to, or have a channel, specifically for gender non-conforming folk. Nearly every day a confused newcomer asks what label they should use - GNC, nonbinary, bigender (not "big ender" :wink: ), genderfluid, demi-this-that-or-other, etc. I have responded so many times the same way I just about have the script memorised, and it all boils down to what you just said above.

Even if labels mattered, labels like the examples I cited are meaningless because they're neologisms with no "official" definition carved in stone. Nobody agrees on what they mean. What's the difference between a demiboy and a demigirl? What's the difference between nonbinary and genderfluid and bigender? In the end, a label only means what its bearer thinks it means.
Ralph!
Ralph
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Re: OUR MARK

Post by Ralph »

ScotL wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:23 pmIt’s truly amazing how wanting to be accepted for your “peculiarities” makes one less judgmental against others “peculiarities.”
As a somewhat religious person, I used to be troubled by Deuteronomy 22:5. I have written entirely too many essays on the topic of why that no longer bothers me, but what you said was really the turning point for me accepting myself as I am. My religious cohort are generally hostile towards any gender or sex orientation that isn't 100% manly man for XY chromosomes and girly girl for XX chromosomes, and even if they ignore every other of the hundreds of forbidden practises in the bible they always focus on the ones that forbid crossdressing and/or homosexuality. That other stuff doesn't apply to us today, but THOSE laws are the greatest commandments of all and anyone who breaks them is the most evil person on earth!

Anyhow, it occurred to me that I could very well have turned out just like that if I didn't have my own "thorn in my side" to deal with. Knowing full well what it's like to have a personality trait that most of my friends would find repulsive if they knew ("you wear WHAT at home????") makes me far more sympathetic about others whose behaviour I find difficult to understand and accept. You really can't judge someone else until you've walked a mile in their ballet flats. So for all my complaining that life would be so much easier if I could just conform with my hypermasculine neighbours (not to mention cost me less money in not having to maintain two wardrobes), I'm grateful that I did turn out this way if only for the spark of compassion it gives me for others who face similar prejudice.
Ralph!
ScotL
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Re: OUR MARK

Post by ScotL »

Ralph wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:09 pm

Anyhow, it occurred to me that I could very well have turned out just like that if I didn't have my own "thorn in my side" to deal with. Knowing full well what it's like to have a personality trait that most of my friends would find repulsive if they knew ("you wear WHAT at home????") makes me far more sympathetic about others whose behaviour I find difficult to understand and accept.

I'm grateful that I did turn out this way if only for the spark of compassion it gives me for others who face similar prejudice.
Beautifully said. I could’ve easily also turned out a judgmental prick demanding men be men and women be scared of men being men.
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