‘My brain is much more female than it is male’

Before the first sex reassignment surgery in 1930, the definitions of what it meant to be a man were clear as rain and anyone born outside those margins was seen as abnormal.

So what changed?

Society is fluid, what is perceived as the norm or what is seen as acceptable changes over time.

Lawrence H. Summers, once president of Harvard, suggested that women had different brains from men. That did not end well for him. He was branded a sexist and his reputation hit the dirt. But when Bruce Jenner said the same thing he was praised for bravery and is now seen as an inspiration to some.

“My brain is much more female than it is male.” – Bruce Jenner

But you see, Bruce Jenner’s idea of a woman is very stereotypical. It involves showing cleavage, talking about hair and spending hours on makeup.

Of course there are minor differences in the chemical compositions in the brain of a man and of a woman. There are three major factors that define gender roles – biology, religion, and society.

Society aims to make biology and religion obsolete. Religion sticks with biology meaning that because a man is physically stronger (more often than not) he is the head and the woman is his subordinate. And biology, well biology is just sex and reproduction and as many sex change operations that are carried out, nothing can beat the original.

“…they replied, what is your woman? Is she just a container for the child?” – Frank Ocean

The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence states that, “We hold all these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

I’m sure they were talking about social classes and not men and women but it ultimately remains that we are all equal.

A man is a man because he is born a man.

A woman is a woman because she is born a woman.

Traditional gender roles are a social construct.

Boys like blue and girls like pink. These are all societal parameters to clearly define a boy from a girl. There is nothing wrong with that. Just like when arranging a closet you may label a drawer for socks and another for underwear just for the sake of order.

Asides from that, before the law, there should be no bias, no prejudice. A woman should get equal justice as a man would.