It is nearly impossible to get through the day without encountering strict gender guidelines. From the moment a child is born they are labeled and locked into stereotypes that we should have moved past years ago. From dictating which bathroom it is appropriate to use, to which color to wear; pink or blue, these rigid labels support sexism and alienate people who do not identify with the two conventional genders.
It is nearly impossible to get through the day without encountering strict gender guidelines. From the moment a child is born they are labeled and locked into stereotypes that we should have moved past years ago. From dictating which bathroom it is appropriate to use, to which color to wear; pink or blue, these rigid labels support sexism and alienate people who do not identify with the two conventional genders.
We live in a society where gender barriers are not only unnecessary but also harmful. According to the Huffington Post, research showed that women, who checked the gender box before their AP calculus exam, rather than after, did worse on the exam. Recognizing their gender, brought anxiety from the stereotype that women are not good at math. People are being held back from their full potential due to the title of their sex.
Children especially suffer from gender stereotypes. A child who does not relate with their gender is left feeling confused and out of place. The separation of genders is inescapable, for instance when entering a store it is very easy to tell which section is meant for boys and which is for girls. Boys and girls are expected to play with different toys, wear their hair differently, and a boy should never wear a dress. Even the signs on bathrooms are discriminatory, the sign female bathrooms display the silhuete of a person in a dress, and the sign on male bathrooms implies the silhouette of a person in pants. However, these social rules are nonsense and serve as emotional abuse to anyone who does not fall perfectly in place with these stereotypes.
The problem of gender goes beyond the sexism between men and women because, varying between different cultures, there are far more gender identities than just male and female. Although society has definitely made positive changes towards accepting all genders, there is still a despicable stigma behind abandoning the title as a male or female for something more fitting. According to The Daily Caller, New York City now includes 31 different gender identities for individuals to choose from. Discrimination towards those who do not identify as a conventional male or female is ignorant because it implies that we judge people based on preconceived genders rather than who they are as a person.
To ensure equality for everyone, it is crucial to protect equal rights and fair treatment. This entails abolishing all gender barriers that motivate discrimination. For far too long genders have determined not only how people are viewed but also how they must behave. Gender should be irrelevant in most situations but when it takes the form of a strict, powerful label, it serves as a cruel trap.
