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Apr. 5th, 2021 10:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bartstationbardStudying Spanish. Not because I want to, because I will need a second language if I want to advance at work. Of the languages on the acceptable list I'd much prefer to take German or Japanese, but Spanish makes the most sense for so many reasons. First and foremost, Spanish is the language I should have been speaking since kindergarten. By treaty, when California became part of the United States, we were all supposed to be educated in both English and Spanish. Spanish is also the language other than English that I hear and see most often, and I have friends and coworkers to practice (or torment, at least at first) with my efforts. The buses have signs in both languages around here, and there is plenty of Spanish TV to watch. It will also be handy to know what people are saying to me or around me.
The inherent sexism in the language and the culture is making me a little crazy. This is part of any Romance language, but it is hard to take. The day is masculine, the night is female. The good old receptive/projective split. Funny, in ancient Egypt the sky was female and the land male. In Irish the sun is also female.
Why is it necessary to gender EVERYTHING? Why can't we humans have the simplest conversation without making sure we identify exactly what is in everyone's pants? Having a female body, I am even identified by complete strangers not only by gender, but by age and marital status. I'm "ma'am." If I protest, I'm "miss." Or guys, thinking they are being so gallant, address me as "miss," with a benevolent smile, expecting me to melt at their feet. If, as often happens when I'm in uniform, I'm called "Sir," and turn around to answer, the person who realizes their "mistake" apologizes profusely an corrects themselves to "ma'am."
Neither is correct, for me. Neither is necessary for any of us. A simple "excuse me" and a request for the information they want would leave the question of who I am and how I identify out of a conversation that has nothing to do with it. People aren't offended by this, it's how I deal with visitors and strangers all the time.
The inherent sexism in the language and the culture is making me a little crazy. This is part of any Romance language, but it is hard to take. The day is masculine, the night is female. The good old receptive/projective split. Funny, in ancient Egypt the sky was female and the land male. In Irish the sun is also female.
Why is it necessary to gender EVERYTHING? Why can't we humans have the simplest conversation without making sure we identify exactly what is in everyone's pants? Having a female body, I am even identified by complete strangers not only by gender, but by age and marital status. I'm "ma'am." If I protest, I'm "miss." Or guys, thinking they are being so gallant, address me as "miss," with a benevolent smile, expecting me to melt at their feet. If, as often happens when I'm in uniform, I'm called "Sir," and turn around to answer, the person who realizes their "mistake" apologizes profusely an corrects themselves to "ma'am."
Neither is correct, for me. Neither is necessary for any of us. A simple "excuse me" and a request for the information they want would leave the question of who I am and how I identify out of a conversation that has nothing to do with it. People aren't offended by this, it's how I deal with visitors and strangers all the time.
