Gender Equality & Neutrality
Last week, I touched just a little bit on gender equality and neutrality in my post about the collective consciousness. In it, I speculated about a future in which everyone chose to be gender neutral. It was an example that I came up with at the spar of the moment, but it actually got me thinking more about gender equality and neutrality.
Though we are making strides, we are far from equal, much less neutral. But I don’t think equality happens just by completely ignoring our physical differences. Our bodies ARE different. We can’t circumvent this fact. There are things only female bodies can do, and other things that only male bodies can do. We can’t walk around this wall. We can only accept that it’s there and incorporate it into the new path we want to create.
What’s the Difference Between Gender Equality and Neutrality?
I think gender equality happens when both sexes have a clear understanding and appreciation of how the bodies function in both sexes. There will be no embarrassment about the way they work, and because of this, we will work together to make sure no one is penalized for having (or lacking) a certain body part.
Gender neutrality, on the other hand, happens when we recognize both the masculine and feminine qualities within each of us. Gender differences will simply be seen as individual differences, just like differences in our personality. In my opinion, this is a stage we can only get to once we reach gender equality first.
Does It Really Matter?
I don’t know how important gender neutrality is to you, but for me, gender equality is a subject that interests me. And as a mother of 3 children, I know that is a topic that they will not be able to avoid in their adult lives. I want them to be prepared. By now, I’ve learned that the best way to “teach” my children is to show them through my own actions. The first step is for me to be comfortable in my own body.
So, in my next post (or maybe two), I would like to talk about what fascinates me about my own female body. I think it will help both men and women increase a sense of awe for their existence. When we realize how miraculous our bodies are, there will be no room for embarrassment!