funny moment at the dance studio

After ballet on Thursday, one of the women in my class started asking about what I am up to in school. I replied that I am a double-major in gender studies and political science, to which she responded, "gender studies--what's that?"

Let me just add that at this point, I was in a tiny sitting area, and at this point I had the attention of the woman with whom I was speaking, her daughter (age 10ish), some other younger girls, a traditional Indian mother (I say she was traditional because she just finished vocalizing the horror of her daughter being tall) and her daughter.

I ran my usual line, and explained that it is the study of women and men, social constructions of gender, and how that shapes sexuality. This is where I think it gets funny (at least for me), because the woman asked me, "How did you become interested in this?"

It was in that moment, I ran through in my mind the potential upset of mothers upon hearing some adolescent go off on a personal anecdote filled with cultural taboos and sex nonetheless. During that instantaneous internal moment, I actually considered censoring myself lest I offend other notions of propriety in the room.

And then I weirded myself out. Why was I going to affirm the RIDICULOUS notion that female sexuality should be silenced? If any one finds an open and academic conversation about society offensive, that person small-minded.

So I let out with it: sometime during my senior year, I realized that I was conforming to an oppressive gender role that disenfranchised my livelihood--that for some reason I had wanted to shortchange my independence, marry young, and pop out a kid by LATEST 25--how I thought Prince Charming was going to bring my own happiness, and how I absorbed sexist and emotionally abusive/traumatic ideas that "if you are not a virgin when you get married, you won't get a good husband."

I couldn't help but be pleased with my decision afterwards. These young girls need to be exposed to alternative messages, even if their mothers are going to rush them in the car and tell them that I am a femi-nazi and dilute my monologue with the virtues of purity and family.