The article can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/29/church-halloween-event-bans-cross-gender-costumes/
I personally think that this is a very offensive policy. First off, something as minor as a Halloween costume is not going to cause major concerns for parents in terms of kids being confused about their gender. This policy means young girls wouldn't be able to dress up as Spiderman or Harry Potter because the character is a boy. It just seems like a very small correlation between a costume and gender identity. Secondly, this message strongly insults individuals who don't identify with their biological gender because it shows that the church looks down upon cross dressing. With such policies, acceptance will never be obtained.
To what extent does faith play a role in the acceptance of non-hegemonic norms in terms of gender and sexuality? Is faith becoming more and more concerned with gender identity, or is acceptance slowly growing?
Blogging Assignment Week 11: Rebecca Iloulian
ReplyDeleteThis weekend, while my mom was in town for parent's weekend, we went to get manicures in downtown LA. While we were there we noticed that there was a man next to us getting his nails done. he was painting them black, which could have been for halloween or could have just been for every day. Yet getting your nails done is typically associated with women,and being a very feminine thing to do. It goes along with the female beauty stereotype. Yet I think it was great to see a man comfortable enough with himself that he was getting his nails done, overcoming a gender barrier put up by the stereotypes of society. Then about 10 minutes later, a second man came into the salon to get his nails done. This man didn't put any color on his nails, and just had the groomed and cleaned, topped with a clear coat of polish. Seeing two men in the salon within the time I was there I thought was very interesting, something I had not experienced before. Perhaps this indicates society is becoming more comfortable with men doing things typically associated with females, and also that society has stopped so strictly defining what each gender stereotype is. 50 years ago I think that to see men getting their nails done would not be accepted and be thought of as very weird. But nobody in this salon reacted surprised at all when either of those men were getting their nails done. It seemed completely typically, as if there had been no gender stereotypes to begin with and it was equally normal for both men and women to get their nails done.
I think that religious values play a huge role in the fight about homosexuality. For example, if we look at the debate over gay marriage, a strong reason against it was that it was immoral, or that it defies the meaning of marriage. Both of these arguments are religiously-affiliated, as morals are often based on what we religiously believe is right and wrong. Also, the idea of marriage being between a man and a woman is often based on historical references linked to religion.
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting when religion comes into play with the gender/homosexuality/cross-dressing debate. It certainly is unfair that the church has put out a policy that seems to have little to do with religion. I see this policy as an unjustified attempt to suppress gender confusion and impose gender roles in kids early. Since this is coming for the LDS church, I wonder - on what basis does the church oppose children dressing in a costume of the opposite gender?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting and alarming situation. Halloween is supposed to be a time when you can dress up as whatever you choose. This idea is especially exciting for children who still have wild imaginations and innocence unaffected by adult politics and judgements. Forbidding children to wear costumes of other gendered characters is taking the kids out of their innocence and forcing them to ask why they cannot be accepted when dressed as such. It also puts restrictions on their imagination before it is necessary. I think it is also unfair for a religious group to be in charge of this decision as it puts a negative light on that religion and religion in general when there are many churches out there that are very progressive and accepting of all people.
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