Earlier this week during my Wonder Women post, I mentioned the person sitting here at the bottom of the photo holding the phone. This person's talent, dance moves, seeming charm and pulsing music had the crowd enraptured and enthused.
This person was everywhere...
...at the opening, during the speeches, and was even to be found "twerking" on the corner of Rampart and Canal as the march made that corner.
It was quite a show and a show with a cause. It also seemed to be a show that needed an audience, but I guess some of that is what marches are for. Everyone does have an opportunity to express themselves and their views.
And by the looks on some of these faces, they had opinons about the performance as well.
That said, I'd guess there were some who took issue with the use of a cross and an American Flag (or material that looked like an American Flag) during the performances.
For me, it was more of an issue of gender.
I am acutely aware of a push for gender neutral language. There have been people on the periphery of my life who have made me more aware and challenged me to use gender neutral language depending on how that person identifies themselves.
This performer challenged me to think in gender neutral terms from the beginning. I began to ask myself what this person might want and how they might feel. How did they self-identify?
The bottom line is that you don't and can't always know. But, until someone in your life challenges you to use gender-neutral language, you don't really give it much thought. if you love them and care about them you will try to do that.
I wrote this post today, to challenge myself to try to use gender-neutral language throughout. What do you think? Was I successful?
I encourage you to try it sometime!
Happy Thursday!
PS-I do have some of the twerking captured on film if anyone wants to see them, let me know and I'll send them to you privately.
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