Journal #4

1. The Hijra is Indias third gender and has now received full recognition under the
law. They are known for wearing saris as well as bright makeup and having their
own songs and dances. Similar to affirmative action policies in the United States,
they will now have quotas to ensure that discrimination is kept at a minimum in
areas such as education and the work place. Hijras can be eunuchs, intersex, or
transgender and have been around for thousands of years. They are even
celebrated in texts such as the Karma Sutra. The Hijras were negatively affected by
colonization which lead to them created their own language for safety, forming their
own communities, and becoming heavily involved in prostitution. Lorber makes a
good point about how we treat people based on gender without even necessarily
realizing it. When we see other genders that are different that what we know then
we often times become confused which can lead to the discrimination that the
Hijras and other genders face.
2 and 3. The sworn virgins, the five genders in Indonesia, and the Hijras illustrate
the difference between sex and gender by showing the gender is culture while sex
is scientific. The five genders in Indonesia coexist and find balance with each other
which shows that their cultural is accepting. On the contrary, in order for a woman
to have the rights of a man in Albania, she has to become a sworn virgin. In Albania,
becoming a sworn virgin does not mean that you disagree with sex; it represents
being a part of a culture where women are not treated equally and afforded the
same opportunities. As Lorber states, gender roles change and this is a perfect
example of that. Lorber makes an important note that gender means sameness to a
lot of indivuals which means we want people to fit in and at the same time we want
to connect with people who are similar to us. No matter where we look over the
globe, we are going to see distinct groups of people in various cultures that find a
way to connect and intersect with each other. We just have to remember to keep an
open mind and understand that we need to accept differences for what they are.