Ze Missed the Point

There are many crazy things going on in this world. Some are simply strange and some are down right scary but every once in awhile something comes around that boggles my mind. I understand conviction and I even understand random evil. But I don’t understand the total loss of identity that is being pushed on society. Folks, I realize that this should not be news but apparently it is – people are not gender neutral. No matter how many Bruces become Caitlyns, or vice versa, unless there is a medical issue at play, gender is assigned before birth and no amount of make up or crying at sappy movies can change what was predetermined.

Now, before the picket lines shows up outside my office accusing me of being small minded and judgmental, let me say that I have nothing against how anyone decides to live their life. Well, so long as it doesn’t harm anyone. But, just because a small demographic decides to live differently doesn’t mean that society norms have changed. If a guy wants to dress up in a frock, wig and make up and go grocery shopping, that is fine by me. He is entitled to live his life his way. But, if you decide to live outside the norm then you should not expect society to bend to accommodate your choices and decisions. Should the haters be hating? Personally, I don’t have time to hate someone because they are different. I also don’t have time to learn new pronouns because they offend those that are pushing for gender neutral. And I will go so far as to say that no matter how many times we use the word ze instead of he or she, there is really no such thing as gender neutral.

Some may have heard this week, via news or social media, that The University of Tennessee Office of Diversity has suggested using gender neutral words such as ze or xe instead of the traditional pronouns of he or she. Apparently, this is to avoid offending anyone that is “identifying” with a gender other than the one the was assigned pre birth. The University of Tennessee proper tried to field the suggestion of the Office of Diversity by releasing a statement that said that the gender neutral language suggestions are not the policy of the University of Tennessee. They acknowledged that most people prefer the traditional pronouns but that some people like the new, gender neutral alternatives, concluding the statement with the assertion that the University strives to be an inclusive and diverse campus. Really. Kudos to them. After all, their main goal is not to impart knowledge but, rather, to jump on the reality television band wagon. If this is the best that comes out of the Office of Diversity, we should really be looking at how we spend our money at State universities. One of the values of the Office of Diversity is authenticity, being truthful and exposing realities. Since when is gender outside of reality?

The hard, cold truth is that no matter what we identify with, be it a different race or gender, we are what we are. Sure we can dress up like the opposite sex or pretend to be another race. But at the end of the day, that is all just window dressing. The true substance of a person, their real worth, is not defined by the pronoun that they are assigned or the box they check under race. Gender neutrality is not the answer to the woes of the world and reassigning pronouns is a short sighted response to a world that is increasingly unsure of what it stands for and where its values lie. I am surprised that the Office of Diversity has so totally missed the point. Perhaps they should try identifying with a group with clearer vision. If it were that easy, I would be a tall, slender, multi millionaire, supermodel. I would also be twenty four. In my heart, I know that is who I was meant to be but apparently life knew better. Sometimes things and people just simply are what they are and that is exactly how it should be – pronouns included.