Gender Identities Presentation

Thursday's presentation on gender identities by Toria and Hilary was completely eye-opening to me, especially because Andie got a chance to explain her transgender experiences and everyday life. I think the subject of gender identities, especially out of the "norm," is very uncomfortable for some people because they aren't able to put themselves outside of the "box" enough to appreciate and/or accept others' unique identities. It's unfortunate that our society lacks language and understanding of transgender identities and people, but I think that presentations like this one are quite necessary for spreading the knowledge and subsequent appreciation and understanding of the issue, especially at Juniata.
I was very impressed by the new gender model that Toria and Andie have been developing. It seems so involved, but really is applicable to almost every gendered situation (which is basically everything...). The fact that they identify gender and sexuality as fluid is really interesting...because I'd never really considered it before; sometimes I live to express my femininity and other times I like to dress more masculinely and act less femininely.  The distinctions of each "type" of gender--ascribed, expressed, and identity--were also very interesting to consider. I have reflected on my (and society's) tendency to automatically ascribe genders to people I see (I think it's pretty normal), but have never really considered how my expression and identity change on a daily basis  to fit the gender people ascribe.
Through this presentation I was also made brutally aware of how uneducated I am about gender in general. Like, I think I'm definitely still stuck in the male/female, opposite gender world. It takes a lot for me to push past that, not because I'm afraid of or made uncomfortable by it, but just because I'm a product of American society. I had no idea what some of the terms meant, like "cisgender" and "intersex" (instead of hermaphrodite). I really would love to learn more about gender issues, especially transgender issues.
Ultimately, the presentation was eye-opening and very inspiring. I give Andie and Toria so much credit for just  having the courage to be themselves and love each other for exactly who they are.