With and without

I’ve got a test for you.

Look at the two pictures of my poorly drawn landscapes:

What is the difference between the two?

Now look at these three pictures:

What is different between these three pictures?

Look at these three pictures:

Again, what is different between these three pictures?

Finally, look at these two pictures:

What is the difference between the two?

How did you answer? Did you answer like this?

1)      The one on the left has a tree, the other doesn’t

2)      Two have a tree, the other dosen't

3)      One has a tree, the others don’t

4)      One has a tree, the other has mountains

(If you didn’t answer this way, I hate you and you missed the point I am trying to make!)

The point I am trying to make is that we notice clearly visible differences. In the first three, the tree sticks out, right?

A few years ago in college, a woman ( I can’t remember her name) came to speak. Instead of having sociology class, we had to go to her talk. She was born a man but had a sex transplant and is now a woman. I can’t remember if she is a lesbian, but if she was, she would be like Mr./Mrs. Garrison from South Park.

She was talking about gender issues. She mentioned how doctors, when describing newborn infants, would define a male as “one with a penis” and a female as “one without a penis”. Nearly everyone in the AER (Art Exhibit Room) gasped in horror. I did not. What was the problem?

Have you seen a newborn infant? You cannot tell what gender it is by looking at the face. When they are naked, you can tell. A penis sticks out like a sore thumb (pun?). You will notice it. Anything without one will look like they are without one.

That was the point of my tree experiment. Did you notice how the tree sticks out? Whatshername mentioned that you can describe a newborn girl by many things she has, all of which are inside her and not clearly visible. Do you look at a two very different looking men and say “One has an appendix, the other doesn't!” How would you know that? We as humans notice the visible differences. Penis, no Penis. It’s not sexism. The fourth question represents two grown and mature humans. One has a tree, one has mountains. You can figure out what they mean.

When a doctor describes a newborn male and a female as "with and without a penis" respectively, this is not a way to keep women down and describe them as inferior. It is simple human observation. Women around the world have had acid thrown in their faces because they have stood up to abusive husbands and taken charge of their own lives. Women around the world are being forced into sex slavery. Please, let us focus on the real issues facing women today, not imagined overreactions.