Reflective tag:
People are born in a world that identifies them as either a man or woman by a simple glance at first sight. Society demands that a person live the life that was intended for them during the nine months in a womb. But, not everyone can live that life. Some people go to any extent to escape what they do not believe was intended for them. Depending on where they are on Earth they can be met with resistance or acceptance, and even death.
Article 3
Does everyone on Earth have to be either a man or woman, or is there a grey area in between? The world is a demanding place that has certain “understood” values for all people. Humans understand that men and women are separate for a reason, mostly for the sake of reproduction. Therefore society tells people that to be anything other than man or woman is wrong and if a person feels for any reason that they are not what they were born to be then they do not belong to any society. These people are often times left in the grey area with no hope of being seen as equals in the world. At least in America that is how these people of the Third Gender are seen.
The culture that exists here in America is one that appreciates hard work and traditional values. Men and women are considered equals and granted most of the same opportunities if they are deserving. Unfortunately for the group of people who believe they are stuck inside a body that was created with the wrong destiny there is little hope for achieve the same levels of opportunity. Many people in America have been beaten, murdered, belittled, threatened, and even burned alive for being something out of the ordinary. How does this exist in the country that supposedly has more freedoms than any other? Traditions coming mostly from religion tell Americans that only man and woman can be part of the world. For instance, I am a Christian and in the beginnings of my religion if someone was anything other than a man or woman it meant certain death for that person. However, my religion has evolved since the beginning of the world, Christians are told to love everyone for who they are no matter what they are. Therefore I accept everyone for who they want to be as long as they show me the same love and respect. In America though, people can not be recognized by the government as being a member of this “Third Gender” on their birth certificate. Countries like Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany to name a few, do allow people to be labeled as something different for the rest of the world to recognize. Even if it is not recognized by government people do find a way to make themselves known. In Thailand there is a group called the Kathoey or “ladyboys” who are men that identify themselves as women. These men undergo castration and other procedures to change their bodies to the form they believe they were intended to be. The society of Thailand is very open to this change and does not object. However, most families will not accept these ladyboys back into their homes and they can not get jobs, forcing them to either beg or prostitute themselves as a means to survive. Different cultures react in unique ways to this change, but there is always a stigma that follows.
World views are ever changing and might eventually accept this third gender as part of society everywhere. Personally I do not fault these people for trying to change if they are unhappy to the extent that they would rather die than live as they are. However, my beliefs tell me than man and woman are created for a reason, as do most Americans beliefs. Unfortunately for the people that fall into the third gender they will likely always have a harder life than the normal man and woman.

HR: Handouts from class, Google “third gender acceptance”, notes from video “middlesexes”