Gender and Sexuality as a Social Reality

Activity #1

Name: Section:

CONTEMPLATE: Let us think about how gender is portrayed in your community. List down as
many words or phrases (not less than five words/phrases) used to (a) identify and (b) describe the
following genders. 15pts.

Men Women Homosexuals

1. Masculine
2. More exposed to heavy
jobs like lifting, construction
work and the like
3. Thinks objectively and
does not let emotions
interfere with their decisions
4. They are usually not
expressive with their
emotions
5. Associated with different
vices like drinking, smoking,
gambling
6. Most likely to cheat with
their wife or partner
7. More involved in politics
1. More expressive with their
emotions
2. Tend to let their emotions
affect their decisions
3. Most likely to do the
household chores like
washing clothes, cleaning,
washing the dishes
4. Soft-spoken
5. Considered to be the “Ilaw
ng Tahanan”
6. Takes care of the children
7. Interested in fashion,
make-ups, jewelries, and
shopping
8. Usually handles the
finances of the family
1. Attracted with the same
gender
2. Called as gays and lesbians
3. Symbolized by a rainbow
color
4. Interested and active in
pageants
5. Discriminated by other
people and considered as a
disgrace in the community
6. Has great sense of humor
7. Member of the LGBTQ+
Community
8. A man dressed as a woman
or a woman dressed as a man

What are your thoughts? 10pts.

 These words and phrases mentioned above has been our basis in determining the gender
of a person. It seems to be fixed and automatic in the perception of the community. If you are a
man, you are expected to be masculine and show manly traits. If you are a woman, you are
expected to be good at doing household chores. You are deemed to be soft spoken, delicate and
be conservative. You must only wear clothes that are for women. These expectations have been a
challenge for homosexuals. Just because they don’t fit with the norms of the community, they
have been bullied, discriminated, and are not treated equally. But how gender is portrayed in our
community has constantly been changing over time. There have been a lot of changes as we
approach the modern generation. Before, women are portrayed as soft spoken, delicate and must
always stay at home to take care of the house and the children. But in the modern world, that
definition has been changed. Women can also go out for work and equally do what men can.
Before, men must only show manly traits but today, we also see men that are as delicate as
women and they are no longer afraid to show that. They can also do the household chores and be
expressive of their emotions. Homosexuals are also more treated equally today as compared in
the past. The minds of the people have been more matured and open which resulted to the
acceptance of gays and lesbians. We have now what we called the “LGBTQ+ community” which
boosts the confidence of many homosexuals to come out and be proud. At the end of this
activity, I have realized that a certain gender cannot be only be defined or identified by fixed
traits. All of us possess different traits and behaviors. Even though the society expects us to be
this to fit in, we must always aim to show who we really are. We must be proud no matter what
gender we belong because at the end of the day, we are all humans who deserved to be treated
equally.