Confronting Gender Norms in Today's Society

The notion of man and woman is so ingrained in our society that challenging this binary is perceived as deviant. However, this increases the importance of exploring gender norms in our society.

Socks "for men" and vitamins "for women", how much do gender norms really impact our lives?

With all of the strict gender-normative marketing and media that we consume every day, transgenderism is a concept that challenges these traditional gender roles and norms. As a result, perceptions of transgender people vary greatly in society. Transgenderism is an important issue in today’s society precisely because it is so misunderstood. Education and awareness serve as some of the most effective solutions to the aggression and negative stigma against being transgender.

Due to the harsh gender norms that invade every aspect of our daily lives, transgenderism is an issue that challenges established societal principles and constructs. This results from gendered language and culture being imposed upon us as children, if not by our parents, then subliminally by society. Products from vitamins to socks are marketed as “for men” or “for women”. This strict gender-normative environment breeds a strong phobia and a negative stigma against those who do not conform to these expectations. Fears of being perceived as too feminine or too masculine breeds ideals of hyperfemininity and hypermasculinity. Resistance to challenging the gender roles and normative behavior in our society not only affects those who are transgender, but also impacts everyone in society.

There are various reasons why transgenderism is an important issue in today’s society. For one, some people are still debating whether or not transgenderism is a real phenomenon. This debate distracts from a much bigger, more essential conversation: What can we do to provide a more inclusive and supportive society to those who are transgender? Transgender people are more likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse. According to the Williams Institute, 41 percent of transgender people have attempted suicide, compared to 1.6 percent of the general population (Haas, Rodgers, & Herman, 2014). Due to the stigma against transgenderism, there is no recent data concerning how many transgender people there are in America. Demographic censuses such as the United States census only allow for two answers to the question of gender: male or female; making it considerably more difficult to accurately survey how many transgender and gender nonconforming people there are in the United States. Transgenderism is an important issue in today’s society precisely because it challenges traditional norms and because the general public is still so uneducated about how to create an inclusive community.

The simplified solution to transphobia is education, awareness, and activism. We as allies can learn how best to erase transphobia in our society by being mindful of our speech; referring to transgender people as “transgender” and not “transgendered,” for example. We must always be open to being educated and challenging our pre-existing ideology. In order to promote love and acceptance of all different types of people, national campaigns, protective laws, and active educational groups should be prominent, preserved, and well-funded. Only when we as humans accept each other can we truly unlock the full potential of all humankind.

Works Cited

Haas, Ann P., Ph.D., Phillip L. Rodgers, Ph.D, and Jodi L. Herman, Ph.D. "Suicide Attempts among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults." The Williams Institute (2014): n. pag. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.