fandomhigh | Sex Ed, Monday [3-9] Third Period

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Sex Ed, Monday [3-9] Third Period

"Good morning, class," Steve said. He had a stack of notes to read from, and while he looked very pink, there was not a hint of embarrassment in his voice or expression. "Let's talk about sexual and gender identity.

"For a long time on Earth, heterosexuality, or attraction to individuals of the opposite gender than yourself, was considered the norm. Everything else was deviancy." Steve looked his class over, and then said calmly, "Which is absurd. There is nothing wrong with not being heterosexual. Homosexuality and bisexuality are both perfectly normal. There's a whole argument about 'choosing' to be gay, but that's nonsensical as well, as I defy you to find one straight person who chose to be that way. Everybody is the way they are and that's fine.

"There are, of course, other parts of the continuum between these three points. Some humans just aren't interested in sex, and self-identify as asexual. And the gender binary is not always so clear-cut. Some humans identify as neither male nor female, or genderqueer. Some people are transgender, identifying as the gender that is not the one they were born as, biologically speaking. Since they exist outside of the binary of gender, genderqueer and transgender individuals may choose to refer to their sexual orientation as 'gynephilic' or 'androphilic,' that is, preferring men or preferring women, which actually seems more sensible than this whole straight vs. gay division to me.

"Some people are bicurious--they prefer one gender, but are curious about or willing to leave the option open for a relationship with the other gender. Some people really aren't sure what they are, or are still deciding. At your age it's normal to be questioning. In some of your realities, there may be sentient beings other than humans, in which case the term 'omnisexual' or 'pansexual' may apply, particularly if there are genders other than male and female, but the terms are also used within the human race for individuals who identify as able to be attracted to anyone along the gender continuum."

Steve paused and grinned at the class. "So, now that I've talked for a while, it's your turn. If you're comfortable sharing where you fall along the gender and sexuality spectrum with the class, you may do so, and then I'd like to hear what your society thinks of all of this, and what you think, and maybe a little on whether living in this dimensional nexus we call Fandom has changed your thoughts, and we can have an open discussion. Go."

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What does your society think? What's your take? And has Fandom changed your opinion any?

"Well, given the number of people I now know who can turn into the opposite gender on accident, or on purpose, it really has kind of made me think about what makes someone bisexual or homosexual or heterosexual. Since gender is kind of optional here."

Edited 2009-03-09 13:29 (UTC)

"That's a good point. I mean, do we need new terms for someone who's into their birth gender when their randomly the opposite gender? Or do people start calling themselves homosexual for the day?"

"Yeah, and are they homosexual for the day, or do they change gender preferences too?" Dinah wondered. "Most of the people I know who do this are bisexual anyway, but what if you're not?" She's really kind of sorry she didn't know what was happening to Chuck, but maybe asking him about it would be a bad idea.

"And can you imagine trying to deal with that if you're homophobic? I can only hope those sorts would get over it quickly."

"Kind of karmic justice, hunh." Dinah grinned, then looked perplexed. "But yeah, if preference is as much biology as gender, how confusing would that be? Especially if you had an opposite-sex boyfriend or girlfriend?" She shook her head. "I guess we'll find out if the Island changes us for a day." She kind of wished there was a definitive answer so you could just know what you were. She was pretty sure she was straight, but so many people she knew weren't; how could you be sure?

"I gotta admit, I'm kinda looking forward to it. I've always wondered what it was like to be a girl."

"You did? I never really wondered about being a guy. Although. Might be interesting." She'd be tall enough to really punch someone who had it coming, maybe? Except if they'd turned into a girl, that wouldn't work. "You'd be pretty as a girl, I think."

Priestly batted his eyelashes and grinned. "Thanks. It'd be fun to mess with all that hair. . . ."

Dinah started chortling. "You could have so much fun with that. Mohawk plus braids? And ooo, make-up to match." More than just guyliner. "Okay, now I'm looking forward to this just to see you as a girl."

Priestly laughed. "What, my Valentine's dance outfit wasn't enough?"

No. No it wasn't. "And, hey, it'll be cool to see you as a guy, too."

"I'll probably be even more of a dorky stork," Dinah realized, mildly discouraged. "And I loved the outfit, but that was more... yeah, you were still a guy. Even in an evening dress."

Hunh. Something to think about there, sometime.

"Oh please. You'd be unstoppable, once you got used to rearranged muscles and center-of-balance change, or whatever."

Snickering, Dinah said, "Great. I'll get the hang of it, then be a girl again. You have to help me when it happens." Weird to be saying when about this, not if.

"Like, lend you clothes and stuff? 'Cause I'm not sure I could help with some of the other stuff."

"Yeah, for starters. I don't think I'll be Chad-size, when I'm a guy." She grinned. "I'll loan you a bra or two."

"I'd probably appreciate that. But isn't Chad's boyfriend not-huge? He could probably lend you a couple things. . . ."

"This is true. I might be Teddy-size. And they're way used to all this." She marveled at that again. "And switch genders for fun. Sheesh."

Re: Discussion

lovemykilt - 2009-03-09 16:39 (UTC) - Expand

"Depending where you are in my world, different lifestyles are condemned or accepted," Jamie said shaking his head. "And yet in the same placed where they are condemned? The same people revere heroes who run around in tights. Tell me they don't have issues."

Steve was confused. Of course, Jamie Madrox was frequently confusing to him, so that was nothing new. "You think New Yorkers condemn different lifestyles?"

"New Yorkers could really give a damn about someone sexuality," Jamie said with a shrug. "However in other parts of the world that attitude is a bit different. Plus? Let's not call all New Yorkers enlightened. There are people in New York who'd want to try and hurt a person just because they're a mutant. I wouldn't call that exactly embracing different lifestyles. Not that being a mutant is tied into sexuality but you can see the parallel."

"It happens, of course," he said to the first with a faint, weak smile, "but it's nothing that's supposed to extend outside of a fling or two, if that. Not a relationship, certainly.

"And I don't particularly care. I think there are much more important things to worry about."

The last wasn't exactly something he could answer, since Fandom had largely formed his opinions before the Emerald City had had a chance. Most of what he knew about Ozian feelings on it came from Trism.

"I am well aware that many here are attracted to their own sex," Éowyn said. "And I certainly do not expect others to live as I am expected to live. But for our people, for a lifetime commitment, men must be with women and women with men. That is how it has always been, and always shall be."

Someone hadn't met hobbits yet, after all.

That got a bit of a shrug. "You keep it q-quiet either way," she said. "But I don't think, overall, that it m-matters."

"My society was very much decided that men go with women, and women with men," Alice said. "Fandom has, needless to say, a different approach entirely. I had never really thought about the matter, before I arrived here; I suppose I hadn't realized that such things occurred, in order to think upon them."

She lifted her shoulders. "It was surprising, when I heard otherwise. I suppose I took some time to adjust to the idea. But once I found myself less confused, I discovered that I had no real objections. Not that it would be my place to object, or anything so presumptuous as that. I only mean that ... such concerns seem unimportant, I suppose. Some kiss boys, some kiss girls, some kiss both. Well and good for them."

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