Gender Comportment

I found Susan Stryker’s definition of Gender Comportment appealing. I always thought that when it comes to sports, a female’s biological makeup limits her. After reading our assigned article, I thought about how our bodily actions are not something that we inherit, but something that we imitate. We learn our gender composure from our parents, friends and in a broader sense society. So whenever you see a female randomly run—whether to get out of the rain, crossing the road, catching up with some friends in a hallway—it is always this galloping little shuffle. When you see a guy run, it’s more of an athletic strut. I also think of the difference of when a girl throws a football or baseball: the awkward stance, the weird arm movement and the release of the ball accompanied by a little giggle. When a guy throws, it is much more fluent. I wonder if a female mirrored her male counterparts her entire life and her masculine comportment was endorsed, if the way she runs across the street or throws a baseball would then differ. I have met a couple females in my life that can throw a ball as hard as I can (or even harder) or run with a similar stance, but of course never approached and asked her why she throws a baseball differently than most females. I understand that there are some differences in the biological makeup of males and females. However, I also understand that at one time our ancestors were hunter gatherers regardless of gender. It was not until the practice of a sedentary lifestyle that gender differences became more apparent. So this makes me believe that gender comportment is responsible for femininity and masculinity. I think it would be awesome to be with a girl that can throw a baseball far and hard, and she would probably love it if I joined her in a gymnastics class. Unfortunately appropriate gender comportment is limiting such relationships.

Domalski