litangel
12-28-2012, 02:04 AM
I have read several posts, asking if we are OK, if we are freaks, etc. The answer is obvious that how we are is acceptable. But we are so much more! My belief is that each human being, if they follow their heart, has meaning not only for themselves, but for the world.
Throughout time and different cultures there have always been those who blurred or crossed the lines between the genders. In many cultures those individuals were celebrated. In a number of native American tribes, if you had a child who was a two-spirit (their name for trans folk) if was like today having a child with an IQ of 200, or a great quarterback. You were considered blessed, and the child was a gift to the tribe. I think that folks who cross gender boundaries are nature/spirit's way of keeping some balance and healing in gender relations. The fact that folks like us have been so persecuted in Western cultures has contributed to the deep and painful divide between the genders. The lack of gender crossers has led to imbalance.
And there is another purpose in our gender crossing that is unique to this time in history. I did a lot of research on the history of dressing and gender for a book I was writing, and what I discovered was this. In the period right before recorded history, all the evidence shows a time of cooperation, and little human to human violence, There appeared to be no particular power differentiation or big role differentiation between the genders. If anything females were more celebrated for their ability to give birth.
And around 3000 BC, something started to happen. All of a sudden tribes started warring with one another, and a tribes success was tied to it's ability to conquer or at least defend itself. So the tribes that dominated evolved a gender differentiation where the men accentuated being strong, smart, and out of touch with their feelings (so they could do heinous things in battle) and the role of the females became to raise the children and make things pleasurable enough for the warriors that they were willing to go out and fight.
This system has lasted for thousands of years. What the "warriors" needed to be has shifted from brutishly strong, to smart and strategic, to economically successful, to tech and science skills. But the roles were the same.
The competitive, domination paradigm no longer works. We would destroy ourselves. And really since at least the 1700's humankind has been healing it's splits. And we as men who cross the gender divide are a part of the world becoming the way it needs to be. We are bringing together beauty and power, efficiency and joy, practicality and sensuality. Along with the wonderful female bodied folk who have crossed the lines we are healing our world.
What we do is more than OK, more than acceptable, as we follow our hearts we are a gift to the world.
Throughout time and different cultures there have always been those who blurred or crossed the lines between the genders. In many cultures those individuals were celebrated. In a number of native American tribes, if you had a child who was a two-spirit (their name for trans folk) if was like today having a child with an IQ of 200, or a great quarterback. You were considered blessed, and the child was a gift to the tribe. I think that folks who cross gender boundaries are nature/spirit's way of keeping some balance and healing in gender relations. The fact that folks like us have been so persecuted in Western cultures has contributed to the deep and painful divide between the genders. The lack of gender crossers has led to imbalance.
And there is another purpose in our gender crossing that is unique to this time in history. I did a lot of research on the history of dressing and gender for a book I was writing, and what I discovered was this. In the period right before recorded history, all the evidence shows a time of cooperation, and little human to human violence, There appeared to be no particular power differentiation or big role differentiation between the genders. If anything females were more celebrated for their ability to give birth.
And around 3000 BC, something started to happen. All of a sudden tribes started warring with one another, and a tribes success was tied to it's ability to conquer or at least defend itself. So the tribes that dominated evolved a gender differentiation where the men accentuated being strong, smart, and out of touch with their feelings (so they could do heinous things in battle) and the role of the females became to raise the children and make things pleasurable enough for the warriors that they were willing to go out and fight.
This system has lasted for thousands of years. What the "warriors" needed to be has shifted from brutishly strong, to smart and strategic, to economically successful, to tech and science skills. But the roles were the same.
The competitive, domination paradigm no longer works. We would destroy ourselves. And really since at least the 1700's humankind has been healing it's splits. And we as men who cross the gender divide are a part of the world becoming the way it needs to be. We are bringing together beauty and power, efficiency and joy, practicality and sensuality. Along with the wonderful female bodied folk who have crossed the lines we are healing our world.
What we do is more than OK, more than acceptable, as we follow our hearts we are a gift to the world.