Gender is a person’s most basic identity. And objecting to that is equivalent to forbidding the person itself, from being part of the “accepted” society.
Gender biases have existed for centuries. It took decades for women to be able to assert their rights.
But what about others? What about transgenders, non-binary, homosexuals, bigender, genderqueers, and so many others?
Will they too, have to wait for so long?
Are we to neglect them and deem them non-existent just because it doesn’t seem right to us?
As Taylor Swift said – ‘Shade never made anybody less gay’
So why spread hate! People need to calm down!
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We can never truly progress when only a portion of the population reaps the fruits of everyone’s contributions. Equality is essential. Gender stereotypes such as "Girls play with dolls and boys play with cars", "girls should be soft-spoken while boys should be aggressive", "same-sex couples cannot make good parents", " transgender or gender non-conforming person is profoundly wrong", "women are too emotional", "men are too impersonal" and myriad other stereotypes are very much prevalent today.
These gender biases and stereotypes are ingrained in our way of living. Even our cities aren’t designed in a way to be inclusive of all kinds of people. Gender inclusion is not just about mere equality. It’s the notion that all services, opportunities, and establishments are open to all people.
But before reforming other structures, reforming our minds is essential. Our mental barriers, stereotypes, and prejudices need to be broken down. For some, this might not be easy and can take a lot of time, but a few baby steps can make huge differences.
For example, using the correct gender pronouns. We should use gender-neutral pronouns. Gender-neutral pronouns are those pronouns that don’t recognizably refer to any gender. Common gender-neutral pronouns include ze/Zim, ze/hir, ey/em, xe/xem, and they/them among others.
If you are referring to a group of people, instead of ‘guys’ or ‘ladies,’ go with the more neutral ‘folks’. The beauty of language lies in the different ways we're able to express ourselves — so why bother tying ourselves down with binary pronouns when there’s a whole host of other ways to be.
Another step is educating the people around us. Especially children.
Take it upon yourself to educate your younger siblings and even the elderly about gender inequalities and how to fight them.
Sexism is everywhere around us, and sometimes we too can indulge in it unknowingly. So we must be extra cautious to refrain from making sexist comments such as “Boys don’t cry”, “Don’t be a sissy” etc.
Gender inclusion is about the acceptance of all people so that no one feels unheard, unrepresented, or just not valued enough. And everyone deserves that.
We are all just human beings and not very different from each other.
And in the end, we can never escape the “society”. So rather than rejecting some people and hating them, why not spread love and make life , a pleasant experience for all?
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