Sex objects. (Who to, or to what sex objects, we don't really know)

Cultures across the world have worshipped symbols of masculinity and femininity for all of its archeological history.

The evidence suggests that until about 3-5 thousand years ago the feminine dominated. And since then the Masculine has dominated. At least from one point of view.

Nice rotund pregnant looking women at the centre of things. Carved into rocks, moulded out of clay. The feminine raised as the creative goddess.

The phallus doesn't seem to have existed only from the time of what I shall call, 'the takeover'. It was around thousands of years ago too. It could be argued that the phallus and the womb were worshipped together, as equals.

However: something happened at the dawn of civilisation. Different religions began writing about how women were essentially the property of men. Rules written into the books of religions. Demanding the obedience of women, defining their value as brides. Ordering fidellity in women on pain of death. Women became chattle. Even the supposedly enlightened Greeks, saw little difference between a woman and a slave.

By the time Christianity arrives, at least a part of the worship of the womb returns. But as a passive almost invisible aspect of the scenery in a masculine world. The insipid Mary. A mere vessel to deliver a 'god' into the world.

Some fragments of real women from that time exist, Cleopatra, devious, alluring, dangerous. The machiavellian Livia, wife of Augustus, Mother of Tiberius, great grandmother to Caligula, grandmother of Claudius, Great great grandmother of Nero. With a huge influence on the History of Rome. Boudica, vengence run riot.

Real women. Women I could see in my own mother. Tigress, She wolf, who knew exactly what depths they would go to to protect their children, their legacy. As dangerous as any man.

And worse was yet to come. From that point women become increasingly invisible. Edited out of history. Though now historians are uncovering their significance once again. AEthelflaed emerging from the mists of the dark ages.

Outside Europe in many places the same things occured. Though not in the pacific islands, or North America, and debatably India. Where the evidence suggests more of a gender balance. Which is not to say divisions of roles. But one was allowed to step outside the roles. Become other.

It seems to me no surprise that in the west, as feminism has deconstructed the old order, that transgender issues have come forward. Archaic thinking wants to define some transgender activities as ok and others as not ok.

Women working in male professions is Ok. So long as they are not in charge has been the order of the day, for decades, though there is some sign this is changing. Though there is still a strong expectation that women be feminine in their presentation.

Biological males acting in overtly feminine ways seems to the archaic mind, a big no, no. When the Christians discovered the two spirit people among the indigenous Americans, their first instinct was to try and wipe it out before anyone had a chance to record it. 

Of course biological males are now allowed to be nurses, and occupy other formerly female dominated professions. With a tendency to try and take over these professions. 

We even have some tolerance of homosexuality, and yes visible trans people. Lana Wachowski springs to mind. But this veneer of acceptance is still quite thin.

But the archaic mind is still there. Wanting to pathologise femininity, particularly when expressed by men.

I have a theory this, might be related to castration anxiety. Which would seem a natural anxiety for a cisgendered male to have, though prehaps not something to run his life around. For those with a less developed sense of self, to be confronted with what they regard as a biological male who either embraces the notion of castration or has actually experienced it, must I think be a little intimidating.

But I digress.

The Christian hegenomy spread around the world, and almost destroyed the Hijra of southern asia, and the Mahu and the Two Spirit people. All to reinforce male property rights over women.

And in the modern western world where equalities hard fought for stand on the cusp of inclusion, the old Abrahamic despots lurk on the fringes, seeking to nibble away at progress. To take us backwards.

Now.. one might think I have something against men. But I don't think its men, not per se, that are the problem. (Its not that I haven't had something against men in the past, but that was entirely consensual)

Its the notion that religion can tell us what we can and can't do with our own bodies, with whomever we like. A notion that politics sometimes seeks to appropriate. Another form of slavery, a mechanism of control.

The archaic thinkers have lost control or are in the process of losing it. The Trump backlash in the US, is a symptom of this. The archaic right, voted for a man they thought could take them back to the good old days. When no one cared about the environment. When coal and oil ruled, where the men could letch at the women with impunity.

A world where they were not confused when they found themselves attracted to a transgender woman, becoming so angry about this feeling they had to kill the woman for provoking it. Back to a world where they think they can grab cisgendered women 'by the pussy', and this is just 'high spirits'.

These are not the majority, but a big enough minority to matter. And yes there are other agendas too.

And then we have the death spasms of Islam. A mysogynistic culture thrashing about trying to destroy female emancipation, and re-establish male hegenomy.

Why are there so few women and children refugees? people ask. Answer because the Islamists seek to control women first. But here they cannot win, women find their own voices, yes many would wish to stay muslim, but even within it they find a pathway to a more liberated life. Just as christian women did before them.

I know the world seems sometimes as if it is going backwards. That the archaic thinkers have seised the reigns of power. But always reason marches forward, the regressives can do no more than plug gaps, and each day set their defences a little further back. The old at heart, cling to their preconceptions and certainties, whilst the young at heart challenge them at every step.

The word gender shares its root with the words genra and genus, which just mean class, or group. The feminists have taught us that biology is not destiny.

Theists in particular, (who represent most archaic thinkers) would have us believe, homosexuality, transgendered identities, even female emancipation, represent a break down of society. I think the opposite is demonstrably true.

A culture which values all its members is more strongly bonded together than one that does not. Is able to present a unified front. Offers freedom and liberty no religion can hope to compete with. And a freedom which values cisgendered, heterosexual men just as much, but not more than any other human.

A bit of a rant,
and not as tidy as I would like,
just some thoughts I wanted to write.
No offence meant to any one,
So there you go, think I'm done.

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