Kay:
Hey there Questers, and welcome back! It’s August 26th, and this is Episode 168. It is also Women’s Equality Day here in the US, so – to our ladies out there – Happy Women’s Equality Day!…We’ve got a great quote for you today from Emma Watson to celebrate!
Shi:
It’s from her UN speech on gender equality in 2014. And, she said, “It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum, instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”
Kay:
Gotta love the wisdom that comes out of this incredible actress. We all grew up alongside her, (well, not “we” all) – but I know Shila and I basically grew up alongside her, and getting to see her come of age in Hollywood, and now watching her stand forth as a protector for equity really throughout the world has been a beautiful transformation.
Shi:
Yeah! She’s just so lovable as, of course, Hermione in Harry Potter. She is Belle in the live action of Beauty and the Beast. And, this is a pretty progressive stance, and – we’ve got to remember – she was saying this six years ago…talking about gender being a spectrum rather than two sides of an opposing force, and really bringing this more dimensional understanding of gender is an interesting thing to talk about when we talk about Women’s Equality Day. Because, it’s about (A.) making sure that we apply equality equally. And (B.) it’s about maybe shifting perception so that it’s not so rigid and binary.
Kay:
Well, it’s been great to see the embracing of a more fluid definition of gender within the media, in general. In fact, Disney is introducing their very first bisexual character, which is going to be cool to see. I believe it’s going to be a series on Disney XD. They even did some play with that within the live action Beauty and the Beast with LeFou having an interest in another man. I think it’s great to see that there are more media outlets that are embracing the fact that gender isn’t one size fits all for every single person. Because, to say to someone, “You are a man and that equals this.” Or, “You are a woman and that equals this,” puts us beautiful, expressive, creative, humans inside these tiny boxes that are hard to live up to!
Shi:
Well, and we’re beautiful, and expressive, and unique! And so, no one’s going to fit into either one of those boxes exclusively. And, by having these societal markers around them, you learn to feel shame about some behaviors, or you work to hide other things. So, it’s not just about say, “Accept the gay folks.” It’s about accepting inside of yourself that, if you were the little girl who was the tomboy, or if you’re a dude who likes Christmas movies or princess movies – when we put each other in boxes based off of those personal preferences, it just ends up hurting us in the long run. And so, by advocating for this spectrum understanding of gender helps all of us live more fully expressive lives.
Kay:
Well, what ends up happening is people set up a fence and then they call, “I’m on this side.” Or, “I’m on that side.” And, with a pretty equal proportion of men and women in our world, and – as far as the counts go, a pretty equal chance of what’s going to come out when babies are born – setting up that fence and calling sides would put us endlessly at odds as a species.
Shi:
Yeah. And, it just doesn’t feel good. And, it ends up oppressing those who identify on one side or the other, if they don’t happen to fall into the box society has put around them. And so, for Emma to tell us here to see gender as a spectrum allows us to say “tomboy” – and possibly even say it with pride, right? Or, to give our little girls some trucks to play with, or not discouraging a son from choosing a pink shirt, or any of those things that sometimes make our little bit more conservative, uptight, gender social conditions rear their ugly heads.
Kay:
An interesting example of this, which I was actually describing to Shila right before this recording was, I saw a video over the weekend of a boy at a party who had a bunch of girls who were ripping his shirt off. And, the boy felt very uncomfortable. He even asked them to stop. And, the other guys around him were saying things like, “What does it matter, man, you have all these girls trying to rip your clothes off.” And, it was such a stark example of how we…
Shi:
Double standard.
Kay:
… try to keep on that double standard into the box. And, you might not consider that as sexual harassment, but that was definitely what was going on there. He even said, “No, please stop,” and the ladies continued, and the friend pressure came in there as well. So, with that being an instance that’s just so stark in a bit of a twisted way that we might not consider, I think this quote is even more relevant than ever before. So, Emma Watson says to us, “It is time.” And, if she said this in 2014, the time is even more right now in 2020. It’s time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.
Shi:
All right, that brings you to your quest! And, it is a reflection quest. So, today, we want you to reflect on whatever you’ve done in your life – (or not done!) – because maybe it didn’t seem “gender appropriate.” Reflect on the reasons that you had for making that decision, and, ask yourself: What’s holding you back from embracing your most authentic self right now? So, reflect on these gender biases, and the spectrum of gender, and see where maybe you can bring a little bit more free thought and understanding here on Women’s Equality Day. Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!
