RetroMale Dept.: Tom Hartung

From Honcho Magazine,  September 1981, Mr. Tom Hartung.

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What We’re Up Against Dept.: Smithsonian Cave

 

This excellent opinion piece by NY Times columnist, Frank Rich, details what can only be considered the bigoted beginnings of what will transpire over the course of the next two years in Washington, DC. The right wing is seeking galvanization around demonizing the gay rights movement and using our collective efforts to secure equality as a scapegoat for all they deem wrong with society. The fattest pigs at the trough work tirelessly to reward their wealthy masters while manipulating tempests in teapots. Pay no attention to the bloated bigots behind the curtain. Instead, get the gullible masses to focus on minority differences so that a majority of power mad politicians can enact bad legislation and their failures to govern effectively can continue full apace. We are now experiencing the same dynamics that precipitated the fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism. Expect to see that whatever forward strides we have made for equal rights are actively thwarted by a group of callous individuals intent at maintaining their position in the front of the line and closest to the trough. Mainly, the fear and dissension mongers at the lowest ebb on the human decency scale AKA Republicans. And, if you think the people on the other side of the aisle have our backs, think again. Recent developments show how the entrenchment of the status quo is supported by the ineffectual and passive actions of Democrats. These career politicians play the game in order to secure permanent advantage and placement while using the suffering of their fellow Americans as a diversion. There is no shame to be found anywhere near the Capitol or Wall Street. The only real difference between Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner is that one wears a skirt and the other doesn’t. Both are figureheads bought and paid for by the string pulling opportunists who actually control our government.

 

Progress Dept.: Toy Nazis

So what’s with a picture of a seven year old girl on a site devoted to superheroes and gay male interests?

I think a lot of us can identify with what happened to this little girl and cheer the result. You can read an article about it at Huffington Post.

This isn’t earth shattering news, but the positive side of it is inspiring.

The little girl pictured above is an adoptee named Katie who loves the Star Wars characters, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, because they, too, are adoptees. We all need positive role models that reflect who we are and inspire us to be better people. The trouble for Katie was that some little boys at her school have been brainwashed to believe it was okay to tease Katie about owning a Star Wars-themed water bottle that is supposedly only made for little boys. Katie found out fast just how cruel her classmates could be and responded to being teased by requesting a new pink water bottle to replace the one she loved that was now causing her grief. Fortunately, Katie’s mom is a very hip and cool lady who writes her own blog about raising an adopted daughter. Once mom discussed how her daughter was being treated on her blog news spread rapidly and people stepped forward in support of Katie having the right to chose whatever Star Wars toys she wants regardless of gender. As it happens these days the blog posting went viral and suddenly a legion of girl geeks wrote to Katie to tell her that they love Star Wars, too, and that they completely supported her.

To me this is a vivid example of what a dramatic force for positive social change the internet can be. We may come to see the mass enlightenment of people who, up to this point, have believed that it was necessary to force children to identify with gender specific toys, et cetera. I can remember telling a substitute teacher, a woman who thought “teaching” class was to have all the kids draw–boys draw trucks, girls draw dolls–for the entire period, that I didn’t want to draw trucks and subsequently being punished for voicing my dissatisfaction. It wasn’t that I wanted to draw dolls. I just had no desire to draw something I never played with. (Ironically, as an adult I now own a truck and a few dolls.)

Parental and authoritarian figures have been forcing these gender identity specific prejudices on vulnerable kids and reaping the negative results for a very long time. Fortunately, awareness has raised and many people are wise to the effects of making children go where they don’t naturally feel inclined to go. It is time for the idea of “being all you can be” to represent more than just soldiers. Children who desire to play with what are perceived to be masculine (rough, tough, aggressive) or feminine (pretty and passive) toys need to know their choices aren’t wrong. If Sally likes GI Joe and Transformers while her little brother, Doug, collects Breyer horses or Barbies–that’s cool. Who is being hurt by such attractions? Is the greater society being damaged  by how small children play? And what would be the results if children continue to be forced to adhere to outmoded models of “correct” behavior?

For so many people to voice their stories and support in response to Katie’s being hassled over a water bottle is a sign that, at least for a minority of us, there has been real growth and acceptance that differences are natural and good and actually enhance the human experience, not detract from it. We all win when a child is instilled with the core beliefs that they have worth regardless of how their positive desires go against the standard issue mainstream ideas of fearful adults working to maintain damaging  and restrictive norms.

If Katie wants to identify with characters who are like her and help her to feel personal worth I say–You go, girl!

Katie’s detractors can either grow up and accept that the times are changing or relegate themselves to the hell of dinosaur thinking.

One more thing: I think it would be a good move for Walmart’s customers to pressure them to remove signs that identify toys as being gender specific. Such signage reinforces the covert belief that the company’s customers are so stupid that they are incapable of making proper purchasing decisions for themselves. (Well, come to think of it, that might very well be true, but the signs still need to go.) For a company whose primary concern is increasing sales revenues keeping people from buying whatever toys they feel are appropriate for their children is an outstandingly stupid marketing strategy.

If little Greg wants to spend his playtime dressing his Ken doll sell his folks the damn dolls and clothing for Santa’s sake!

Here is a link for a website devoted to stopping bullying: Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying

 

Superhero Slash

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