philosophy conference - what would i say?

[Rachel Flowers]

I went to watch a friend's presentation to the local uni philosophy society last week. At the end, the lecturer gave out flyers for a conference they are holding in March called "battle of the sexes", inviting people to speak and/or supply poster presentations. For me with my views, a conference dedicated to polarising men and women is misguided and frankly unphilosophical!

Here's the thing:

Mrs Flowers thinks I should present. Dressed and made up. With my beard and furry arms.

What do you think I should tell them? What would you say? And should I wear the red dress or the black? xx

[GBJoker]

I'd say to just stick to the philosophical and possibly historical aspects of gender roles and how they are today vs in the past. I dunno, I'd have to have more detail about the presentation before I could fully help. I made a post earlier talking about my presentation when I was all dressed up concerning images and junk in sociology, plus I've studied a lot of philosophy for various reasons, so I think I can help a great deal.

As for the other part... I've always looked at it as color has to match skin or hair... Maybe face... I mean, if the color of the dress does not work well with the hair style, then it just doesn't hit me right, ya know?

[jillleanne]

I think you should present in a red dress; it's demands attention more. I think you should attack the philosophy of gender identification/expression as deemed acceptable/unacceptable by society as a whole, and the negative/bigoted results and how they affect gender variant people that can lead to suicide for some. You have a great opportunity here to educate many on something they know little or nothing about; the relationship of clothing and people as well as who we are as people in a complicated black and white world. Be sure to keep your legs closed, ok?

[Rachel Flowers]

As soon as I saw the conference title "Battle of the Sexes" I felt really cross. The whole thing presupposes there are two sexes (applying to present requires you to declare whether you're male of female) and that the two are locked into a vast range of diametric oppositions. As a CD who identifies both male and female personae within, when dressed in either mode, it offends me greatly! If I present I'll be undermining the whole premise of the event. And I'll be there in a bright red wrap dress, fantastic legs, black heels and a man's head. Complete with sideburns and goatee.

[jillleanne]

Don't get too upset Rachel. I got booted out of class in university because I constantly questioned 'norms' and the prof. hated me for it and thought I was intentionally trying to disrupt class. What an ass he was.

[NatalieBliss]

Not to be a troll, but "Battle of the Sexes" does not presuppose any number of sexes, other than negating there being only one. However it does seem likely that the are refering to women vs. men.

I would attempt to be an ambassador.

I think that if you prepared an insightful and informative speech/presentation, being mindful that for the majority of this planet sex and gender are rarely if ever questioned, you could do a lot to educate a fore mentioned majority of the planet.

[KellyJameson]

There does seem to be a great deal of hate between the sexes often portrayed by the use of vicious humor, sexual objectification, implying that one sex is morally superior to the other sex and the many double standards and social hypocrisies each sex partakes in or is accused of. Unfortunately hate between men and women is beneficial to many people who make money off this hate and is encouraged but indirectly. It would be interesting to expose those people who fan the flames of hate starting with how the media stereotypes men and women.

Examples are. "Men only want one thing" said in a disney movie by a seven year old girl in a movie called Enchanted.
Another movie called "Failure to Launch "shows a woman hitting a man on the back of the head for crying

There are thousands of examples everyday that show one sex as stupid,insensitive,violent,immoral,ect... in relation to the other. The double standards of dress is an excellant place to start.

[Rachel Flowers]

Not to be a troll, but "Battle of the Sexes" does not presuppose any number of sexes, other than negating there being only one. However it does seem likely that the are refering to women vs. Men

The flyer specifies that all participants must state whether they're male or female when registering, so the poorly thought out presumption appears to be that the while human race can be clearly delineated into these two mutually exclusive categories!

Natalie, You wouldn't pass as a troll if you sat under a bridge and ate goats!

[KimberlyJane]

Humans are simplistic. It is SO much easier to think in a binary way, and we do so in ALL aspects of thought, even though the world is clearly shades of grey! To try to define gender as binary ignores the portion of us humans between the two bells on the graph! Our society thrives on polarization, as is clearly evident in the two party system of politics. Only those with vibrant minds can grasp the analog world we live in, and those that cannot are simply at a severe disadvantage!

I think you should attend, mark both boxes for gender, and present the fact we are all human, and only separated by some slightly varied ratios of hormones. Maybe enlightening those that would demand a binary world about the true shades of grey in it would open some minds! But I think that sadly most of them can never grasp such a strange concept.

Any yes, Red dress for sure!! :)

[naughty-gina]

Humans are simplistic. It is SO much easier to think in a binary way, and we do so in ALL aspects of thought, even though the world is clearly shades of grey! To try to define gender as binary ignores the portion of us humans between the two bells on the graph! Our society thrives on polarization, as is clearly evident in the two party system of politics. Only those with vibrant minds can grasp the analog world we live in, and those that cannot are simply at a severe disadvantage!

I think you should attend, mark both boxes for gender, and present the fact we are all human, and only separated by some slightly varied ratios of hormones. Maybe enlightening those that would demand a binary world about the true shades of grey in it would open some minds! But I think that sadly most of them can never grasp such a strange concept.

Any yes, Red dress for sure!! :) I'm finding out, just this week actually, that the more I accept this part of myself.....the better defined my boundaries are becoming and the more I am able to be myself...even when not dressed. But I think wearing something of Gina's everyday will be a physical way to remind me of how much I love this part of me now.

I much prefer the greyscale to the black and white world that is offered to us on regular basis.

[Sarah Doepner]

The battle of the sexes is that continuing effort to put Sex and Gender in the same box and force everyone to the binary. The Battle for the Sexes would be one of liberation and understanding it's not simply men and women fitting into the stereotypes that make it easy to be judgemental and rigid in one's beliefs.

[Lynn Marie]

Here's the thing:

Mrs Flowers thinks I should present. Dressed and made up. With my beard and furry arms.

Personally there is no possible way I'd ever get up in front of any crowd of people without at least trying to look the part. Either go all the way with proper attire, heels, hair and makeup, or go in drab. Mrs Flowers is making you a characature of who you would really like to look like. If it were me, I'd get a complete makeover, wig styled by a professional, no hairy anything, and a professional manicure. I'd look good and make every guy in the class want to go out with me and every girl too. I'd look so good, that Mrs Flowers would shrink to insignificance.

[noeleena]

Hi, Rachel.

Then that then says one thing theres only two groups of people male & female what's the premise for that, So if i came along & stated both male / female, I S. i would not be allowed to enter in to the debate that to me is more than bloody bigoted to start with ,that really says i dont have a case or we dont count,
So with that in mind are you going to dress as ether male or female & then what are you going to state male / female or a mix , so dress as female state male or the other way round. so if you do dress your done any way a beard & hairy arms & dressed as a woman .show the hairy legs tho,

Oh i just love it , go for it , stir the buggers up. Of cause the RED dress for .....MAX ..... exposure .dont for get the pic's.........

As a side issue we have a Lawer name of Bob Moody who did just that to stir the other jumped up lawers in wellington at a case that was in process.

He changed his name to miss Allice deed poll & wore a top & dress to the Court house till it was over just to shovle dirt on them .& they did not handle that at all well... & yes it was in our papers ,

& i spent time with Bob at a B B Q that was held when i was up that way. & yes we had a lovely talk about things,,

So you see you can do things if you set your mind to it as your S O has said just do it . it'll be a hoot.....

...noeleena...

[GaleWarning]

It's always a good marketing ploy to choose a title which will stir up controversy and ignite the passions.
Seems the organisers succeeded admirably!

The notion that the sexes should be at odds with each other may be challenged on a number of levels, and I am sure that there will be more than a few presentations negating the assumption from perspectives other than yours, Rachel.

What should you wear? I tend to agree that you should obviously be a male in female clothing, given your perspective. Red is good!

All the best.