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Gender week 2015
How do you pronounce that? Mariano
”I am an i”, a vowel may say. ”I will wiggle into your ear and nestle in your brain so that you henceforward know what a good I is, what a good i I am.” Vowels like to proclaim their separate uniqueness. They crave attention. They need to be built, defined, defended. We need them so, too. We can’t speak without them. But these claims vowels make do not mirror reality. Reality is more flexible, springier, bendier. More so than we and vowels would like to believe. There is more out there than a – e – I – o and you. These behaviors of our tongue and lips were modelled for us as we grew up. The conventions of the language we call home needed these sounds, so we got to know them intimately. We adopted them lovingly, then believed them alone in the universe. But later we land on planet English and come across mitt, across lip, across shit. Can you hear how shɪt sits there, nestled somewhere between shed and sheet? Yet ɪ is not less than i, though they fit the same category: close, front, unrounded vowels. Think also of all the miriad variations between a and e, for instance. The Nordic æ is only one of them, but there’s also ɶ - ä - ɑ - ɒ - ʌ - ɔ - ɐ… And many others. These vowels are as real, as pure, as separate to the speakers of the languages in which they exist as a – e – i - o and u are for me. They are not mixtures, not combinations.
They stand by themselves, but they are part of a continuum, too. In this continuum many are unconventional. Members of little known languages, like ɯ in Marshallese. Some are nameless, the idiosincratic pronunciation of a given speaker. But no less real for that. No less valid. No less defensible. So how do we pronounce ”gender”, then? Gender, which pervades and shape our life and experiences so? Gender, which is part of us, but part our construction? Maybe we can pronounce it fluidly, respectfully, playfully. Like clay. Like vowels running into each other. iyiuɯuɪʏɪʊ̈ʊeøɘɵɤoe̞ø̞əɤ̞o̞ ɛœɜɞʌɔæɐaäɑɒ... And who knows how many more. Hyphens and comas are optional, but judging people for their pronunciation is always a no-no.
Photographer: Tao Gadd
Model: Philip Sumner
Be a girl!
Aya Abdelrahman
Don’t be loud they said, you won’t be a polite girl they said! Follow the traditions. Be like how a polite girl should be, otherwise you won’t be wanted as a wife. Cover your body they said, it’s dangerous they said! They tell me I have to cover my curves, my body and my hair. I ask why, they say it turns them on. I ask why they stare at my body, they say because they are men. It’s matter of hormones. Don’t come late they said, someone will see you they said. I find them telling me not to come home late, but my younger brother does, I ask why, they say he is a man. He is younger than me and I have to take care of him, but when it comes to freedom he has more freedom, because he is a MAN! Study well they said, to be a good mother they said!. They keep on reminding me that one day I’ll become a mother, my whole life is a preparation for the moment when I become a mother and responsible of my kids. I have to learn how to be a good mother. I have to be educated to be a good mother. Don’t fall in love they said, save yourself for a future husband they said. They explain how all guys just want my body not my love. They tell me the real love is the one for my future husband, so I should save my “love virginity” for my husband. This is called “period” they said, don’t tell anyone they said. My mom told me to not pray or touch the “Quran” because I’m not clean. She told me I shouldn’t talk about it in front of men. I’m grown up woman now, I have to wear hijab, but I don’t want.. Don’t lose your virginity they said, it’s the most precious thing you have they said. My mom told me nobody should see or touch my “lower part”. She didn’t say more. She didn’t even say “vagina”, it sounds impolite. She knows, I’m not going to have sex before marriage. That was what most of the girls in my society hear, they hear more and more. Anyone thinks he/ she has the right to give you instructions based on your gender. You would have advantages and disadvantages from your gender! To describe how a girl is suppressed in my society and why it would take ages to give the full image. So I’ll just leave you with this..
In shadows of safety One body naked body two three four dont forget to lock the door others might not see how normal naked can be without shame or claiming it provoking wouldn’t it be liberating
-Anonymous
Him She has blue eyes that lead to emptiness She seems isolated from the world She's tall for a girl She's not into ‘girly’ things The other girls don’t like her very much They have blue eyes like the storm inside They seem lost in the world Their head isn't above or below They don’t have many hobbies anymore The others don't know what to think of Them He has blue eyes that dazzle in the daylight He seems trapped by this world He’s short for a boy He’s not that ‘manly’ The other boys don't know how to treat Him -Anonymous
AboutSirishrinking Gjertsen
14 “Let`s buy fruit” my ex-friends says. “Let`s buy chocolate”, I say “But we`re gonna get fat”, my ex-friends say But I don`t understand They`re not much fatter than me If they are fat, what does that make me? My ex-friend is shrinking. My other ex-friend runs 13 km every day. Then she goes to the gym I do a little bit of both My third friend eats cake and chocolate and candy We laugh at her when she isn`t there And when she is I want to go to the beach They don`t They say they’re ashamed. I call bullshit They buy sport shorts. The long ones Now we can go to the beach I remember how I used to love my bikini 15 I used to love my abs I used to be proud when people asked me if they could touch them I used to love how you could see the clear structure of them after I`d been working out I didn`t use to consider them anti-feminine Then I heard then talk about them
They talked about how ugly they were Someone even talked about how they wish they didn`t have theirs They said it was meant for boys They said we should stop working out so much They said we ruined our bodies 17 They call me a slut I have never corrected them My self-respect tells me I should But who decides what self-respect really is? Cause I`m not ashamed At least that`s what I think “I want sex”, he says “You should have sex with her tonight”, the other one answer “no, that would be weird”, the first one respond When did my body become something they could pass around like a bottle of vodka? I want to spit in their face But that would make me a drama queen Why am I the drama queen when they`re the ones who ask me what I never ever have done they`re the ones who wants to know all my secrets they`re ones who is asking for the list Sadly there is no such thing as a drama king They call me a slut Yet they`re the ones who start all conversations about sex They are the ones who asks for random hook ups They`re the ones who`s asking for sex Do you feel the irony Today I never questions the fact that my mother told me I ate to much But neither did anyone else Cause they were too busy preparing for their marathon talk about all the stupid relatives who are gaining weight or watching movies where models pretends to be actors and you wonder why they teach us to shrink I would never hide myself Or shield you from my body If my body has the power to offend you
Then please, be offended Cause we`re allowed to be free We are more than or bones and spine Maybe that`s what the ads should start telling us
AndrogYny
By Julia Damphouse Photographs by Mateo Dupleich Rozo
Photographs by Anna Margr茅t Sverrisd贸ttir
March 2015 Layout and design by Anna Margr茅t Sverrisd贸ttir Made in Flekke, Norway Published by Gender and sexuality group at RCNUWC