Why have women denied their gender? Explain?

Question

In response to the overarching hurt women have experienced many solutions have presented themselves. Feminists sought to reconcile gender inconsistencies. But what began as an attempt to right inequitable promotion, pay, and wage scales has morphed into an animal of a very different kind. No longer is it about equal pay for equal work; it has become an all-out drive to displace men. Women are insistently encouraged toward the adoption of what were previously labeled dominant male chauvinistic attitudes and behavior patterns. Women are encouraged to leave their families in divorce and embrace sexuality in every form. (Girls Gone Wild, perhaps?) Implying women should beat men at their own game and prove themselves the superiors. Feminists hoped these tactics would secure women positions of strength on every front: sexually, professionally and relationally. This lie has resulted in an entire generation of women who are not only afraid to trust men, but who also fear being women.

Answer 1

Much of your question holds the answer. I often hear other men ask "where are all the Ladies?" I usually reply "you mean females, Don't you? cause there are very few ladies in the world"

I don't believe most woman in today's day and age even know what it is to be a lady. I think a woman needs to be a woman first before she can be a lady. There is a serious identity crises in woman today. Much attention has been given to this identity crisis. Both women and men have grappled with our struggle to be equally human. Dorothy Sayers wrote an interesting little book entitled Are Women Human? A man named Freud wrote about 26 volumes trying to identify the problems of humanity. There are many intelligent definitions in his works, but no identity emerges from all these efforts. Many images have been projected of the female: the temptress, the waif, the matriarchal aggressor, earth mother, etc., but now that Sue, Gloria, Betty, and Germaine have become, shall we say, "household names", now that we have learned to express our outrage and define our hangups, are we any closer to having security and identity for woman?
Woman were never intended to have a self-centered identity like many do today. We were expected to have a God-centered identity. When my car malfunctions I don't take it to my neighbor for analysis and repair. I refer it to the manufacturer. He has a manual (it's awkward to say "femanual") which describes his intention for that particular car and how it operates. There is a manual that goes with woman, issued by her Maker. Too often in approaching God's word, where we should expect to find our identity defined, we labor under a cultural preconditioning which gives a negative connotation to what God is saying. In no way does God intend to strike at us with his word. He does not think negatively toward us; we have his full acceptance. Let's trust him and approach his word from a positive stance. It is refreshing to return to the Bible after reading much of the current literature. His word is so simple and uncluttered, so concise, and yet infinitely profound---as profound as God himself.

Genesis 1:27 says, so simply: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 5:1, 2 says: "...when God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created." In those simple, concise words we have the summation of our equality, the duality and mutuality of our humanity. We see in those few uncomplicated words that we project the image of God as male and female, since God is male-female in his totality. It is necessary therefore to encompass both the male and the female in order to have a balanced projection of who God is.

We have heard a lot of complaints and seen a lot of cartoons about the use of the masculine pronoun for God. Actually the Hebrew language has no neuter gender, so, it is said the male theologians arbitrarily assigned to God the masculine gender. Lady Julian, who wrote in the 14th century, was not threatened by the masculine pronoun. She wrote a prophetic theological pronouncement in a book called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love: "God Almighty is our kindly Father; God All-Wisdom is our kindly Mother." She picked up what Genesis is saying---that God is Father-Mother, male-female. In this we find the definition of our roles and the assurance of our equality. (Interestingly, Wisdom is personified in the female gender in the book of Proverbs.)

The father is to represent leadership, authority, and objective truth. The mother's role is nurturing life in the framework of subjective truth: love, compassion, submission. These attributes are necessary to the role of nurturing life.

In each of the sexes is the shadow of the other---in the male the female; in the female the male. Each contributes to and fulfills the other by being wholly other. The wholeness of our mutual sexuality is the true expression of the image of God. We need to be concerned, then, with being whole women, as well as with what being whole women contributes toward making whole men. It is the two in complement which reflects the image of God. This is the definition of our humanity. This is what it is to be a woman.

I think we just need to remind people of this. people are forgetful by nature, and tend to go with the flow. The problem here is the flow wants to find a neutral position, a balance to all things. In this balancing process the genders are getting mixed up. So the answer to your question is not that woman are denying their gender, it's a lack of proper guidance, and the decline of our moral fortitude, that has led to this shameful dilemma.
Excellent question.

Answer 2

I don't think it's that feminists "deny" the existence of gender, it's just that
feminists recognize gender mainly as a construct. What they really deny is that gender roles are completely natural -- feminism maintains that men and women are naturalized into their roles, and contemporary feminism recognizes that in many ways women are en-gendered. Feminists are not after displacing men; they hope to reveal and subsequently topple those false, yet very real, structures maintaining gender politics.

Marketers, on the other hand, might very well be interested in perpetuating a pseudo-feminist myth -- you know, the Rush Limbaugh feminazi trope. Hell, MGM used Thelma & Louise to the tune of $45 million + numerous film awards. Neo-conservatives use this myth to supplement their fodder, which in turn increases their ratings, which in turn ups the price on running advertisements during their programs. Etc. etc. So, in this respect, maybe women are in fact encouraged to "deny" their being women, but this is itself an encouragement that further promotes the performance of a specific role.

Answer 3

Gender is a two part identity. Socially definable and internally definable. It seems you're referring more so to the former, which relates to how society deems a woman should behave in order to be identified as a woman. This generation of women are not afraid of being women. They AREN'T afraid of disrupting society's preconceived notions of what a woman is.

This isn't feminism. It's humanism. Points to the contrary only disrupt the overall concept. It's not about displacing men. It's about being identified as a human being first and a woman second. It's about removing the subordinate status from the social definition of the gender.

Answer 4

I really don't know what you are complaining about. Women as a whole only want equal rights.

I'm studying in a previously (and still) male dominated career...architecture. I have no problem trusting men on a daily basis or in relationships. And I am not afraid of doing girly things like cooking dinner, wearing dresses, doing my hair, or raising babies. I may even...the shame...wear something sexy from time to time.

Does that threaten your masculinity for some reason? Most women aren't trying to exterminate the male gender. We just want equal rights...that's it.

Answer 5

Huh? I think you may be in a bad relationship or something, because that's not the case as far as I've seen. I work full time, take care of my kids, do the grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, etc.. I haven't displaced my husband at all, we're partners. If you think we're superior, its in the fact that we can handle everything and keep our heads on straight. I have no fear of trusting my husband, and I certainly don't fear being a woman. There's no way anyone could take my kids from me, husband or not. I do get awfully tired from time to time, men have such a hard time sharing the housework that its usually us who ends up stuck with it all. We don't wanna displace men, but it sure would be nice if they could actually do something useful, besides go to work, come home and sit in front of the tv, and of course, gripe.

Answer 6

I think you're completely right. This generation's women have been so compelled to give men a taste of their own medicine, that we've become just like them in almost every aspect...it's obviously not working very well, because women are still not treated equally, although we have proved to be independent, smart and hard working, just as men are many times over. I just wish more people could see that their actions "against men" are making them the opposite of what they are and afraid to be who they truly are and want to be in this world.

Answer 7

Many men don't act like old fashioned provider protectors,like THEY used to.They usually never show up for anything involving responsibility(they're glad you live on your own-they don't want to bother with girls).The old fashioned men wanted to get married and take care of you,and not just to keep you down either,but to provide you with a home and secure safety and to be in your company-but not now.Many men seem exploitative now.

Answer 8

First of all that is a small group of women you are talking about. Second, all minorities have splinter groups that do this.

Answer 9

dont know what women you have met-i have enjoyed most of them that have crossed my life-they certainly didnt forget what it was and is to be a women-do not believe you know of which you speak-old hippie here-lots of love to all women

Answer 10

Why in religion? And a guy at that.