I hate airports. But when my Teacher Education program halted for a two-week break, I went to Mexico for some rest and relaxation and this required spending some time in airports. For some reason, the number of strange looks I get because of my gender expression skyrockets in airports. I’ve come to expect it. But something happened in the Mazatlan International Airport that I never would have predicted.
Prior to boarding my flight back to Canada, the customs officials had the people at the gate form two lines: one for men and one for women. My passport says I am female, so I thought I’d better get in the women’s line-up and did so reluctantly. As the crowd split into two lines, a nearby female passenger who was jammed in the men’s line-up suggested that she and I switch places. I uttered words that felt like a betrayal of myself in many ways, “Unfortunately, I am a woman.” She tried to act like the exchange didn’t happen and made her own way into the women’s line. The line slowly shifted forward as passengers were searched and then allowed to board the plane. Soon, it was my turn. The customs officer shyly said that I should be in the other line. “I am a woman,” I said again. She took my passport, inspected it and my boarding pass, and waved me through to the next phase of the security check. The customs officer there took one look at me and angrily pointed me to the men’s line-up: “Over there!” she demanded. I didn’t want to get into trouble with customs, but wasn’t sure how to best avoid it. I went into the men’s line-up. A feeling of pride swept over me and I smirked with satisfaction. This was the line I’d much rather be in. Until I realized they were screening the men with more intensity. Many men were being patted down, whereas only the women’s carry-on luggage was being searched. My heart started thumping hard in my chest. What if the customs officer patted down my chest? Fortunately, when it was my turn, they didn’t pat me down. They must have thought I was just a teenage boy so it was unnecessary. I boarded the plane with bemusement.
Maybe you’re asking yourself: What does this have to do with education? Well, my airport experience reminds me of how often boys and girls are required to form separate line-ups in schools. Do you remember having to line up by gender, perhaps in the hallway or during gym? I do. I also remember a time in gym class when my practicum teacher instructed the girls to line up, and one of the boys galloped off to line up with them. The result was that he got laughed at by his peers. This particular student likes many traditionally feminine activities like gymnastics and knitting. He is also in touch with, and quite good at expressing his emotions. Perhaps he (consciously or unconsciously) felt a stronger association with the female group. Or perhaps he just wasn’t listening to the teacher’s instructions.
Either way, his gender was being policed through the line-up, just as my gender was policed by the customs officials. The implicit message of the requirement to form a gender-based line was: You are either male or you are female. Not both. Not neither. You must choose one. The other message was: Whether you are male or female will not be determined by you. Your identity is not up to you. The group will decide who you are and will discipline you to comply through fear or shame. Is this an ethical way to teach? I don’t think so.
As a friend of mine says, we wouldn’t ask students to line up by race: “Black kids line up here and white kids line up there.” We don’t ask kids to line up according to whether they have a disability or not. Or whether they are middle class or working class, or whether they are straight or gay. Why is it okay to ask them to line up according to gender – and considering the harm it does to students who don’t fit in these boxes, is it worth it?
Couldnt agree with you more. And which wise friend made that comparison
Haha, try not to let it go to your head, eh?
couldn’t agree with you more, and which wise friend told which wise friend that comparison originally
I had an experience this week in EVERY 4-7 class I taught music too. It was my first week with these new classes and they came in and sat in chairs that had been arranged in a large circle (we were going to do a drum circle). Every class divided by gender, boys on one side and girls on the other. Since many of the students are of colour, I asked them, “If I came into this class and say all the white kids sitting on one side, and kids of colour on the other, would that be kind of weird?” Every class was able to identify that as racist behavior.
Then I asked them, “So what kind of behaviour is this when classes separate by gender?” When you’ve made a decision to NOT sit next to someone because of their gender, what is that called? Sexism.
In a conversation in the staff room later with a group of teachers about this kind of situation, one teacher commented that is was this behavior was just developmental. It’s a normal part of the transition to adulthood to want to be with your “own” gender. I asked if this were true, or if we are just allowing sexism to prevail unchallenged. Moreover, that assumption that this is developmentally natural is heteronormative. The theory goes that once they get over this awkward stage of avoiding the “other” gender, they will eventually find that natural urge to want to try anything to sit next to them when their sexuality matures.