Response to Michele's Blog: Week #3

I used to be a dancer, and had one male in my ballet class. Never did it cross my mind that he might be gay. The only thing that I concluded was that he had a passion for it, and his parents supported him in following his dream. I was glad to have a male dancer in the class, to prove that dancing can be for anyone. The way a dancer moves is graceful and what society sees as “feminine” would make someone believe a male dancer to be gay, when some of the time that is rarely true. The same could be said for those males who pursue a dream on Broadway, one assumes that he has to be gay; men should be out ‘trying to save the world’ or playing in a professional sports league. I feel it is unfair in the respect that a female can do what men do, and she is not looked at as being a lesbian. I think it is hard to judge someone by their mannerisms and voice, because assumptions usually turn out to be completely wrong. Society creates so many double standards. However, when I was younger, children I knew and grew up with played with “girls” toys and “boys” toys, and not once, that I knew of, did their parents say that girls and boys should play with certain toys or only play certain games. So yes, I agree that it has to be the culture that one in raised in, because I rarely come across and gender stereotyping, unless I’m just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe where I live is in its own world, blocking itself off from the rules of society.