From one of the class readings by Andre Lorde titled, “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference” Lorde talks of the oppression she receives as a Black, lesbian feminist socialist. No matter where she goes, she is defined/labeled by different groups. What caught my attention was when she mentioned the fact that those who are oppressed are the ones who have to make the first move and bridge the gap of differences between our oppressors, by becoming “them” and not “other”. Then what becomes of self-identity if everyone is the same? Are we all just puppets that have no choice but to follow where the strings move?

Among our class readings, I related very much to Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “The Story of My Body (1993)”. Cofer explains from her perspective as a Puerto Rican girl, who came to live in the United States, how she became “different” from typical white Americans due to the way she looked. She showed how her skin color, her size, and appearance were variables that were judged. This makes me ponder how women were so harshly criticized, especially ones of color back then when it was much more stricter. In current times, unfortunately, this trend still exists and I can attest to that as someone objectified by others just for being born a woman. Gender does not define a person. It does not mean that we have to follow the roles assigned to us based on our biological anatomy.

Jonathan Ned Katz' "The Invention of Heterosexuality" talks of how heterosexuality which dates back to the nineteenth century is not universal and is not unchangeable as it was once believed to be. Katz also speaks about how homosexuality was seen as something that is caused by an abnormality in 1930-1945. I, myself never saw any reason to view homosexuality as alien. Recently, I came to conclude with myself that I identify as heterosexual, but I am open to experimenting with the same gender.

I recall reading Angela Davis' "Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights" where I found out that voluntary motherhood was seen as audacious and outlandish during the nineteenth century. Women had no right to choose when they wanted to be a mother. That choice is solely made by the husband because women's purpose was to satisfy their husband's sexual urges whenever. Birth control was seen as a mockery against women, especially abortion. By all means, women deserve to choose when and if they want a child, especially in matters concerning abortion. Because it's their body that carries a baby for 9 long months. Even in the movie that I watched, "No Mas Bebes" where Latino women were forced to be sterilized, their choices were taken away as well. I will not let myself have my choices for having a child be taken away.

This reminds me of a point that Leslie Feinberg brought up in "We Are All Works in Progress". Feinberg mentioned that each person should have the right to choose something other than blue or pink. Blue is stereotypically meant to be for boys while for girls it is pink. She also said that bigotry shouldn't go unchecked because that is when prejudice becomes a poison for us. Throughout the GSST course, we learned that there is no single divider or specific category we should follow based on our gender, our class, our race, etc. Falling into stereotypes and unjustified prejudice is not the solution. We need to let go and look at things with an open-mind.