Alan shaved his beard! Opening with a few breaths together before diving into this heavy topic. Thank you to our listeners for providing feedback; you asked us to dive deeper into the impact our gender identity has on the roles we play in life. The topic also felt timely due to current events during the week of recording. Alan shares a text thread regarding the signing of an executive order that allows participation in men's or women's sports based on gender identification/ identity regardless of biological sex. They talk more specifically the impact transgender females will have on women’s sports.
Feb 3rd is Women in Sports Day, Bre talks about her own experience & the influence that high school, collegiate & semi pro sports had. They address there are always exceptions, but they are exceptions, not the rule. Women worked hard to get their own division in sports. Bre played water polo which wasn't in the olympics as a women’s sport until the year 2000. They talk about the biological differences in men and women, specifically as it relates to sports. They also share it is important for transgender men and women to be able to compete and suggest transgender divisions. Alan and Bre talk about testosterone, estrogen and the advantages that Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) plays in sports.
Discrimination is part of the human DNA. It’s what kicks on fight and flight mode which helps us make split second decisions ultimately keeping us alive. We are different!! And that is great! Imagine if we all had the same superpower. That would be lame AF. There are physiological differences. Women bleed monthly! They can also get pregnant & potentially deal with abortions. Rape happens, and it happens to everyone. And to support everyone more effectively, we need to acknowledge these differences. They bring up if we can identify as different genders, why is there such a problem with identifying as different cultures. A double standard that needs to be addressed.
Union is not uniformity. Equality is not equity. One only equals one, it never equals one and a half. Life isn’t fair, and that is a good thing. We all don’t want the same thing. The feminist movement has pushed women into male roles which is creating sameness. You can be both CEO and parent, but then who is raising the children. There is a pendulum swinging - men realize they want to be home more with their families - this is a warning sign for women to not to let that pendulum swing so far as you will regret not being with your families. Alan circles back to feminism and his hatred for the term “toxic masculinity.” A man’s job is to protect and provide. Masculinity and Femininity is in all of us. Men and women should be honored for their roles, their superpowers and their choices around it. Everyone needs role models that look like them. Helps to see what is possible. Alan shares his journey in masculinity with a shout out to Sheryl and Paul Titone for raising a functional human being. Always ask for permission to give feedback and learn to ask the question - “How can I support you?”
JOURNAL PROMPT:: Write about your thoughts from the episode. Write about your thoughts on masculinity and femininity.
HUGE THANK YOU to the Allyson Band https://allysonband.com/ for the podcast’s music & Brianna Cote http://briannacote.com for photography and cover design.
Podcast and Book referenced: Being conscious about what we consume, how we consume & where we consume, please support your local bookstore, they can typically order most books for you if they don’t have it in the store. Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781455566389 The Relationship School by Jayson Gaddis https://relationshipschool.com/podcast/how-to-raise-a-boy-to-be-a-great-man-michael-gurian-317/
