My Gender Hat - green crown

(Caucasian; Plan II/Government major, junior; age 20)

1. My sexuality ranges from how I view my identity as a woman to how I see myself as a sexual person. It includes a lot about how I interact with others. I can’t really pinpoint it though.

2. I suppose I can default to queer.

3. Cigarettes/smoking sign - Obviously I am a smoker, and I know that it bothers some people so I try to let people know that I smoke before it becomes a problem and I have to hide it.
HO!! - My friends always call me a ho, although I am definitely not one. I just think its a funny sticker. It’s important to have a sense of humor about sex.
Condom/Safety - I am pretty paranoid when it comes to pregnancy and STDs. I am a staunch supporter of reproductive rights, including the ready accessibility of contraception.
Marriage/Why?/Freedom/Rest of My Life Cartoon - I am a little scared of commitment, especially marriage. I know not all marriages have to be patriarchal, but I have just seen so many women destroyed by a bad marriage, and I want to make sure I know what I am getting into beforehand.
Left/Right - I know political parties should not be important when talking about sex, but a lot of how I express my sexuality is shaped by my political views. In a patriarchal capitalist society, oppression comes form anywhere and everywhere so I think it’s important you know what your partner believes.

For this section, I had my three guests analyze my gender hat. These a the main comments that they had about the hat:

First, the public/private splits heavily effects how she looks at sex. She is very conscious of the politics surrounding sexuality and gender, and as a result, it seems that she has closed herself off to optimism concerning sex. Megan almost seems to loathe the burden she carries as a “woman.” She lacks any celebration of her sexuality. Secondly, she seems to attach a fearful quality to sex. Her concerns with safety and her apprehensions toward marriage are always on her mind. American culture, which dictates that sex is a dangerous act that should be feared and guarded, has clearly affected her attitude toward her won sexuality.
Next, she demonstrates a heightened awareness of the politicized nature of sexual relations, especially those between a man and a woman. The picture with the woman covering her breasts with boxing gloves clearly exhibits an apprehension toward letting her guard down and expressing her sexuality in a manner with no limits and no judgments.