Melit Jane R. Yu Dr.

Hilton Aguja
POS128 Gender, Peace Building, Conflict Resolution and Development November 9, 2021

The Law Should Not Discriminate… On the Basis of Sex

“A court ought not to be affected by the weather of the day, but will be by the
climate of the era.” —Paul Freund, a respected constitutional law scholar. I have two
levels of reflection on the film. First, at a time where the patriarchal United States
were in denial of the existence of gender discrimination, Ruth Bader Ginsburg made
sure that these struggles were not only heard, but addressed. Her ground-breaking
tax case with her husband reflected how the times has changed, and how they ought
to protect the right of the country to change, for it is these radical social changes that
pushed forward the liberty, dignity, and rights of their generation, and will do so for
the next generation. While I understand that the whole point of the film is to feature
the successful story of people like RBG, the conversation on gender equality has not
ended yet. This leads me to my second analysis which is that these prejudices still
exist in the status quo. It has not ended with RBG successfully championing gay
rights, women’s rights, and rights of other marginalized groups. For instance, there
are still news articles framing headlines with implicit prejudice against women
compared to that of men with equal, if not, lesser achievements. If exceptionally
intelligent personalities like RBG struggled, how much more those who are not in the
limelight? Those who fought the same way or more but are not as intelligent; or who
struggled but were unsuccessful in their endeavours; or who did not have the same
opportunity. My point is that to be noticed, you have to be greater or better, as if
being a woman, or gay, or queer, or black was a defect one should compensate for.
I do not want to be rewarded or be specially acknowledged. I merely want to be
recognized as a human person, as a citizen whose dignity and rights are on par with
every other taxpayer regardless of gender, race, or identity. Just as the film tries to
reflect the reality, even men are ironically harmed by this stereotype. In short, I want
to live in a world where you don’t have to compromise or compensate for being you.