Gender. Some of us think about it more than others — one may happen to notice this particular aspect of one’s identity more in certain situations, such as walking home at night in the city. For some, gender identity does not factor into one’s daily, conscious decisions such as what to wear or how to act around others, but the reality is that gender is often at the forefront of many of our minds.
Each day, it’s hard to not see a headline in the news on a controversy surrounding gender: the #MeToo movement, the gender-pay gap and transgender rights are all hotly argued about by a deeply divided country. These issues are important and deserve discussion, debate and action. Often, these nation-wide debates, such as whether to confirm a Supreme Court justice accused of sexual assault, pertain to topics close to home, such as sexual assault on campus. How else does gender affect our lives? This week’s Mirror takes a look into the various ways gender impacts our classrooms, social spaces and everyday interactions.
