Man Verses Masculinity

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: John Ames Birch <amesbirch403@gmail.com> Date: Fri., Sep. 3, 2021, 4:47 p.m. Subject: Man Verses Masculinity (Opinion) To: <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>, <chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca>, <dujarric@un.org>, <antonio.ferrari@un.org>, <anthony.rota.c1@parl.gc.ca>, <aclupreferences@aclu.org>, <actso@naacpnet.org>, <assistance@liberal.ca>, <carolyn.bennett@parl.gc.ca>, <haqf@un.org>, <calgary@globalnews.ca>, <chinaembpress_us@mfa.gov.cn>, <cnn.feedback@cnn.com>, <dir_enq@cso.gov.hk>, <edmonton@globalnews.ca>, <eonline@bellmedia.ca>, <editor@japantoday.com>, <GlobalBarrie@globalnews.ca>, <GlobalOttawa@globalnews.ca>, <haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk>, <info@ccla.org>, <jean-yves.duclos@parl.gc.ca>, <jsavikataaq@gov.nu.ca>, <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, <media@aclu.com>, <msnbctvinfo@nbcuni.com>, <newstips@globaltv.com>, <newschannel@ctv.ca>, <newsonline@ctv.ca>, <premier@gov.ab.ca>, <premier@gov.bc.ca>, <premier@gov.nl.ca>, <tips@thetexan.news>, <tonews@cbc.ca>, <washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org>, <w5@ctv.ca>, <weekend@cbsnews.com>, <ncte@transequality.org>, <gladcanada.info@gmail.com>

Hey Everyone, I have been reading reports about possible censorship of sexuality and expression and I find this deeply disturbing. This in my opinion is an attack on identity to force people into boxes they don't fit in. Growing up for years I heard about gender roles and expectations and how due to me being male I had to follow a strict code to be considered a man. Being told how to dress, how to act, how to live and how to love. Being told that if I didn't meet this expectation then I would be different and because of my differences, shunned by society. This is wrong. We are each different and unique individuals with hopes, dreams and feelings. We wake into this world with our identities hidden behind questions, we learn, grow and achieve to identify ourselves throughout our lives. This is a personal journey of self discovery, not a collective one. Who we are is decided long before we take our first breaths, our soul gender is not bound by biology or defined by distinction. Which gender you love and how you identify are up to you. We have to discover who we are by understanding who we are, you cannot be told who you are, you just are. This outdated and limited idea of Gender serves only to dismantle the identity of the individual and constrain the potential of the populace. Being shoehorned into a box that doesn't define you or serve to elevate your heart, mind or soul. This is like putting your heart and soul into a prison made of other people's expectations. In the news, television and media we are bombarded with these expectations of who we should be. Being told that this word, this one limited word and expression is who you are. The question asked is whether we form our identities around a word that was defined for us or do we surpass those expectations and evolve despite them? I think that we are here to discover who we are, learn our gift and teach it to others so that the jagged path we walk gets a little smoother with each identity. When one person discovers who they are, it's like a lighthouse beckoning others to discover their own inner destiny. Throughout our history, as we evolved so too did our understanding of Gender and the definitions therein. Women as we know were considered property, owned by men for their whims and wishes. Women were defined as subservient and made to stand in the kitchen and slave away without consideration. As we know this did not go over well with women and they evolved what it meant to be a woman and what expectations there were. The idea of masculinity however has barely changed from the neanderthal days. Men are still expected to be exaggerated versions of themselves, treating women as objects to be owned instead of earned. A persona that doesn't allow for freedom of the soul or expression of the mind. Due to this outdated definition many men were prohibited from art, dance, music...love. Being told that because they were born one way they had to forgo what they wanted in their hearts due to the demands of others. Lately we have seen a change in society as more and more people understand that gender doesn't just mean one thing, gender is a spectrum and we all fall on different points along the way. I say this because in our society we have multiple choices on different things, things to buy, rent, build or eat. We give our society choices because we understand that each person is different and that one or two things will not satisfy their needs. This is why I find it so strange that we shoehorn people into two genders. For evolution to occur we need unbiased and unburned thought, action and self expression. This is the spark that leads to new technologies, new ways of looking at things and new innovations for the human race. If we are only ever one thing, we can only ever be one thing. If your society is the same, unable to discover themselves or others your society will stagnate and fall. History has shown this time and time again as empires rise, stagnate and then fall. I have studied history and the same lessons reappear age after age, when you hold people to outdated and limited understandings, your potential is diminished. Think of the great people throughout history, the rebels. The ones that despite others expectations, rose above adversity and changed the face of our world. Without expression how many great people will die never having found their gift? What will our future be without those gifts? and why do we always try to control one another? Men can be anything they want, they can be strong, smart, beautiful, a dancer, a lover, a poet or a writer. They can be and do anything they want to do in life including identifying with who they are. This is important for evolution and any country that tries to imprison gender to two stereotypes is limiting the potential of their people. Instead I say let people be who they were born to be no matter how they identify. Together, through all the different distinctions, we will find each other in the equation of us. Stay Safe, Stay Sanitized and Stay Supportive, John Ames Birch