SB7

Class this week was interesting talking about institutions and ideologies. I found it fascinating watching the transgender parenting video and how close minded we are as a society when it comes to defining a family. I think we have all heard the saying "We choose our friends, not our family"? Well I don't find that entirely true, I have many friends that I consider family, many are my parents friends that have been in my life since birth whom I considered as aunts, uncles, role models, etc. My best gal friends from kindergarten I consider as my sister because I feel I can share anything with her. One of my "brothers" has a two year old whom I consider my nephew as if he was my own blood. And don't those of us who are pet lovers find ourselves considering our pets as "our children". I know I do so what difference is it whom we consider family? Who are we to judge on how a family should be and who should be in it. I find my "extended family" no different than those who are gay or transgender wanting to have children or consider themselves in a different parenting role than society demands them to be. We think too much inside the box and I was glad when the daughter in the video stood up for her parent as she was trying to figure out what she wanted to define herself as. I know there are some people who have problems with being gay or homosexuals getting married but I think it is an awesome thing. It may not be something I choose for myself but I see no reason why people can't be happy with themselves and find others who make them feel special. My dad always makes the joke "Let them be as miserable as the rest of us". His philosophy is no one should get married, too much stress lol. I have a cousin who is gay and his partner is an absolute sweetheart and I hope that someday they get the chance to officialize their togetherness and maybe have a family of their own.

Here are some of my "extended siblings" to prove that you can choose your family and blood is not always the thickest bond.

   ..... ok never mind this website apparently thinks my photos are too large to add to my post:( So! On to Google Pics! This clip resembles the fact we need to think beyond the binary boundaries and be more accepting. 



http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=3_usvLThJK3iCM&tbnid=d4wVSTM1W-ELEM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hanfordsentinel.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fschools-prepare-for-transgender-law%2Farticle_32cbd57a-6459-11e3-922a-0019bb2963f4.html&ei=FvA4U8XWEOvfsAS4tYKoDg&bvm=bv.63808443,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNEs2UzzDOJF2H_8_Oxf5vzzqRTkpA&ust=1396326663440185

SB4

What was your favorite toy(s) as a child? The one thing you would play with hours on end without switching your attention to something else. Maybe one that has been passed down through generations or something you got from someone special that made you smile. Now think about how society would define the toy. What I mean is, would society define it as a girls toy, boys, or no preference (unisex)? 

One of my favorite toys was Lego's, and I am not talking about the duplos. I am talking about the small pieces with knights, castles, spaceships and blocks of multiple colors; mainly primary colors for the longest time. My father introduced me to his love of Lego's when I was two years old, a little young for playing with pieces so small, but lucky for my dad I was not a child that ate them. 

I never considered the thought that Lego's that I played with were considered more of a "boys" toy. I just knew that it was something dad and I loved to do. It wasn't until my grandma and other family members bought me pink Duplo Lego's because they were more "girly" and was afraid I was turning too much into a tomboy. My guy friends would come over and play Lego's with me and would just be brutal to my Lego's, throwing them as they had their epic battles, bitting off the heads and breaking some of the pieces. I would get so mad but I was considered "such a girl" when I would fuss that the Lego's were not in their rightful places. 

As I grew older Lego introduced the "Friends" Lego just for girls! Bright pink and purple Lego's where the pieces and people were bigger, for our smaller hands, not being able to change outfits or come apart like the traditional Lego's. I was frustrated that the thing I loved the most as a child was being in a sense segregated by the gender that you were. 

Growing up with this confusion I would ask my dad if I was meant to be a boy since I liked "boy" Lego's. He would explain that Lego's were meant for anyone and the variations in the Lego sets were just to help introduce more kids into liking the Lego's. It didn't matter what Lego's I liked and that I never had to be a boy to do or play with anything. My dad always encouraged my sister and I to do anything we wanted and to never let anyone tell us it was "just for boys" or "was a man's place", we were just as good (if not better) than any boy. He helped my oppression for liking a stereotypical boys toy and made it an awesome childhood full of happy memories as well as a continuing obsession for collecting Lego's to this day. 

SB3

Watching the video of the Westboro Baptist church this past week was a real eye opener. I had heard of the church before and I think in a previous class I had seen a short clip different than the one shown. I know that everyone has the right to believe and say what they want but I found the video disturbing and disrespectful to everyone that the church aimed their hate at. But if we take the time to think about it, I have noticed a lot of churches discriminate in some way.
 During one of our masses, the father said that anyone who does not belong to this church, are gay, don't come to church on a regular basis, or anyone who was different in that matter were not allowed here. I was furious, I have plenty of friends who are different religions, gay, and I personally believe that we could pray from home so I decided I wasn't gonna go except for Christmas and Easter to please my grandma.
I know one of my friends religions belief in eternal families and they find our wedding vows "until death do you part" strange. To them that statement means that we don't have an eternal family or won't be together once we die, which is not what we believe at all.
Why do we have to hate others because they are different or have different views. Now this does NOT mean i agree with what the Westboro Baptist Church does, absolutely not. I was horrified that those little kids were holding the signs, being forced to participate because if they wouldn't I can only imagine what would happen to them. They might've been disowned then, its bad enough that they do that to those who change their hearts later. This next comic slightly describes how I felt during the video. 











 Google search:  http://www.ironiclast.com/2012/02/westboro-baptist-church-cartoons.html
And this next one is for comic relief and I truly believe that they should change their thinking, or just keep their thoughts to themselves.


  Google search:  http://www.ironiclast.com/2012/02/westboro-baptist-church-cartoons.html

SumBlog2

Alert: I have never done any blogging in my life so I have no idea if I am doing this right or if anyone will comment but here goes. 

This weeks topics were confusing to me as well as intriguing. I was placed in a group with the sexuality concept and I was confronted with a very controversial question. "Do you believe sexuality is a choice or something you are born with?". Honestly, I really don't know, like many people, I could never distinguish the difference between sex and sexuality. Even with personal experiences of knowing people who are gay or see themselves as the opposite sex. To me it never mattered because they were my friends and family and I was just happy for the fact they were happy with whatever they decided. That's why when I was asked the question what is sexuality, I gave an answer that apparently was different to what my classmates were thinking. I said a little bit of both but I leaned more towards choice because I thought you are born with certain characteristics, genetics, and develop your own unique personality but you choose what you want to act on. Its our free will that gives us the choice on who we want to be. However my confusion with the topics just made my answer even more confusing.

So for my external media and since I still trying to understand the differences of our topics, I thought, pictures say a thousand words, why not let them speak for me. I am also a photographers daughter so I will probably be adding a lot of pictures with my blogs. As well as some comedy because comedy makes every confusing and seriously controversial topic better.







From  http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/confused.jpg?w=478&h=318. Google search.




 
From http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rmo/lowres/medical-ladybug-lady-ladylike-tomboy-gid-rmon1686l.jpg - Google Search

Test

Never done this before so this is just a test. Also trying to figure out how to make my template show up.