I have spent the last several days in Denver, Colorado for gay Pride and it made me even more aware of gender stereotypes. I met 11 new people: 2 gay men, 6 lesbians, and 3 transgendered female-to-males. Among them, I felt so instantly comfortable. I never had to second guess myself in anything I did, from what I wore (I consider myself androgynous) to how I walked, or wondering who would see me with my girlfriend. I was truly able to be myself without doubt or fear.
Now I've come back to "real life," where I am not out at work and am therefore so aware of everything I do, lest I be thought gay. One of the lesbians I met had a mohawk with an other-wise shaved head. At pride and throughout the Pride fest weekend she wore a tool belt. She works at a school for smart young children. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that several of the parents really liked her mohawk. I considered it an acceptance of her sexuality as it makes her seem very masculine and she has had her gender questioned. One of the children once asked her if she was a boy, she answered no and he asked why she had a mohawk. Another little girl answered, 'she's a girl and she has a mohawk because she's gay'. It's interesting that young children are aware and have some knowledge of the concept, as this shows a way in which our culture is constantly changing.
Over the weekend, I learned that there are many different types of people, some that fit the mold of my opinions and some that don't. One example being the sadomasochists who walk around in 'costume'. While I don't like seeing this display in public, I respect their right to do so. Overall, I found strength and hope for a better society among those people, because we were all marching for the same reasons: to live without being judged or mistreated.
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