Tori And Hird On Sex And Gender

Running head: WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES 1

Tori and Hird on sex and gender

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WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES 2

Tori and Hird on sex and gender

Sex and gender debates have increased over time where people feel that the feminine

gender is less superior to men. Discrimination has become rampant over the years where women

have faced many difficult times, but the evolution of feminism has helped women to fight for

their rights. However, modernity or western civilization has changed the forms of gender and sex

discrimination among the people. Various people have various methods of bringing out their

views on sex and gender. However, many people use art, music and literature to bring out their

ideas. Therefore, this paper focuses on Tori Amos and how she used music to bring out her

thoughts on sex and gender in addition to comparing her views with those of Myra Hird who

utilizes literature in bringing out his ideas on gender and sex.

According to Tori Amos, women have faced discrimination and sexual violation during

their lifetime from men, who view them as a weak gender and tools for sexual amusements

across the globe. In her song the “me and the gun,” she speaks of her rape cases as a way of

encouraging women to open up about their incidents of sexual harassment (Greitzer, 2013). Tori

argues that many women have experienced rape and other sexual violations, but have chosen to

remain quiet because they fear that their voices would not be heard because of their gender.

Thus, they tend to remain quiet, but suffer from emotional and psychological problems as a

result of their traumatic experiences. Prolonged periods of emotional distress result in the

development of the post-traumatic stress disorders, which have adverse effects on the body of the

victim.

Thus, women should be encouraged to open up about their traumatic experiences to avoid

the occurrence of the post-traumatic stress, as well as, ensuring that they are given equal rights

with their male counterparts. The violation of women occurs due to the binary view of gender

and sex but has changed with modernity and violation whereby it has extended to relationships

and marriages between people of the same sex (Greitzer, 2013). The use of music in her

feminist's roles helped in fighting for the reproductive rights of women and the reduction of

violence across the globe, as well as, act as an inspiration to another feminist.

Myra Hird also raises various arguments regarding gender and sex where he says that

sexual differences have been acknowledged by science. Thus, it is a mistake for the feminists to

fail to recognize that the role of women and their gender has been facilitated by science and the

natural law thus, should embrace their position as women (Hird, 2004). Both the natural law and

science have led to the hierarchy or the emergence of respective roles that are performed by

people from each gender. Myra continues to argue that sexual production acts as a proof for the

differences in sexes that exists among the people. However, the argument is correct based on

science but has led to contradictions in various cultures where women have ended up being

sexually violated rather than being treated with respect. If the natural laws were to work

efficiently, then women should be given their rights and be protected from any harm or

discrimination by men instead of men harassing them from time to time.

However, modernity has led to changes in gender and sex binary because there has been

an emergence of homosexual beings that portray various behavioral changes. According to Hird,

genetics and biology have led to the emergence of diversity among human beings thus, should be

respected (Hird, 2004). Tori Amos also feels that modernity has led to shifts in gender and sex

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES 3

binary through the emergence of homosexual and heterosexual groups of people. She admits that

she has both lesbian and gay audience listening to her music. Thus, they should not be treated as

lesser people in the community. Just like the females, gender diverse individuals are constantly

discriminated against the homosexual groups in the society. However, such groups should be

empowered to speak out and air out their grievances, which would ensure that they are given

equal rights with other people in the community. The hierarchy of sexes or gender has been

contradicted by the emergence of homosexual groups in the society whose social adaptation

contradicts the rule of the natural laws. This is because males and females come together for

reproduction, but same-sex marriages contradict the applicability of the natural laws in the

contemporary world.

Additionally, both Myra and Amos acknowledge the existence of the transsexualism as a

form of gender dysphoria in the modern world. A transsexual individual is described as a person,

who experiences extended discomfort with their sex and wishes to change their physical anatomy

to suit the gender in which they want to be associated with in the end. It can be argued that the

transsexualism incident is a psychological issue rather than physical, although science has shown

that it can be triggered by hormones in the body of an individual. An endocrine malfunction

during birthday results in a female being born with male genitals and vice versa. Nevertheless,

the society does not treat these individuals with the respect that they deserve thereby causing

their psychological distress (Hird, 2004).

Thus, there is the need for such people to campaign as a way of creating awareness of

their existence in the society and fight for their rights as human beings as shown by Tori.

According to Tori and Myra, the myth that sex comes first before gender contradicts the

comprehensions of the issue. Thus, there is the need to focus beyond the binaries by establishing

freedom and possibilities that exist in trying to comprehend the two concepts. It can be argued

that both gender and sex are socially constructed thereby supporting the ideas that there is a

hierarchy among the classes of human beings. Therefore, it means that although gender and sex

are taken as two different aspects, they are closely related and socially recognized in a

community. Thus, sex positivity should be embraced by all people. They should also be ready to

fight for their rights at all cost despite the sexual differences or diversity that exist among them

(Greitzer, 2013).

From the arguments, it can be identified that gender and sex have long been treated as

two distinct binary terms. However, the two aspects are closely linked. Gender and sex result in

the establishment of the hierarchy-based society where different people have different roles to

play. However, the emergence of diversity such as homosexuals and transsexualism has

disrupted the existence of the natural laws that are created by genetics. Therefore, it is necessary

to respect the sex differences and diversity that have emerged in the world and allow the

individuals to coexist peacefully with other human beings. Different gender and sex groups

should create awareness of their existence across the globe by engaging in active activism that

aims at fighting for their rights. The society should also be ready to accommodate such people

and allow them to embrace life as they should.

It can be argued that gender and sex binaries have led to the development of hierarchy of

human beings based on gender. Women at this end have been viewed as being inferior to men as

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES 4

seen which result to make taking control over women and even sexual violation as seen in the

song me and the gun,” by Tori. Natural law and genetics play a significant role in determining

the roles that are played by different individuals depending on their sexes as shown by Myra in

his literary work. However, modernity has introduced contradictions to the existing natural order

by introducing same sex relationships among the people that have transformed the issue relating

to gender and sex. Both Tori and Myra acknowledge the existence of these sex differences in the

society. Myra uses genetics and biology to explain that endocrine malfunctions during birth that

may cause the diversity in the gender and sexes among the people. On the other hand, Tori feels

that the existence of these people in the society should be recognized as she acknowledges that

her music is universal and her audience include gays and lesbians, who can also use music as

platform of airing out their needs as a group. Currently, sexual harassment has changed from

being female-oriented to more violations among homosexuals and transsexual beings. However,

there is the need for such individuals to create awareness using literature, music and art among

other methods to reduce discrimination and violation of rights in the society.

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES 5

References

Hird, M. J. (2004). Sex, gender, and science. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Greitzer, M. L. (2013). Queer responses to sexual trauma: the voices of Tori Amos's" Me and a

Gun" and Lydia Lunch's Daddy Dearest. Women and Music: A Journal of Gender and

Culture, 17(1), 1-26.

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