You’ve come a long way

I haven’t taken a gender studies class here at IU, but it’s obvious gender relations are still changing.

What is interesting is how much opinions on this differ depending on whom you’re asking, especially between the genders themselves. Our opinion also seems to be based on how we’ve observed ourselves progressing in the world. Joe Millionare is more apt to think everything is fine than a mother on welfare.

There’s no real oppression of women by a governing body, only subtle social prejudice coming from individuals and small groups. For example, a professor might favor gender the same way they do athletes and people from their hometown. It’s an annoyance, but that’s not a boundary keeping any of us from advancing.

Any real problem lies mostly in beliefs and ideals from older generations still floating around in the populace. On average, a 20-something is going to be much more accepting of male nurses than a 90-something. Logically, things will get better as our generation takes control of our country.

Granted, our perspective here in Bloomington is going to be slanted. We are a liberal town in a conservative state, and gender relations differ based on where you’re from.

While a few issues still remain important such as birth control, I am confident these are things that we can solve. The annual march and vigil, “Take Back the Night,” is an excellent example of striving to fix a social issue that can only be done with time and determination.

We do not need to pass any laws or ordinances to achieve perfect equality: We just accept responsibility. Both sexes are guilty of stereotyping their gender. For every “Girl Gone Wild,” there’s a guy roaming the bars looking for a fight. In actuality, there’s nothing wrong with following social norms if that’s who you are. The key is accepting those who don’t.