Welcome back, you guys, gals, and enby pals! Today we're talking about gender.
For many people, gender is not something that can really be pinned down. It is a part of our personalities, our identities, our unique experiences and perspectives of ourselves and the world around us. Those of us who have struggled with aspects of our identities understand this better than anyone.
Gender is a spectrum, fluctuating and changing (more so for some than others) and no two people experience it the same way. Because of this, it is difficult to compare notes, or even to discuss the subject deeply in general. It isn't tangible, and trying to wrangle it down into the boxes society has thus far deemed acceptable can be a brutally difficult thing.
I don't have answers. Science hardly does either. Unfortunately, money dictates what research will happen where. Gender is so bizarrely politicized and controversial that funding is even more scarce. Perhaps it will come in time. For now, we are left to flounder in ignorance.
That being said, I have a proposal. An idea. A crazy dumb experiment. Maybe others will understand it. Maybe no one will. Maybe it will help. Maybe it won't. I have absolutely no clue. I want to emphasize that I genuinely don't know if I am right or wrong or completely insane. The models I have dreamed up have helped me, so I am sharing them with you. That is all.
The Munsell Color System
"Munsell Color Theory is based on a three-dimensional model in which each color is
comprised of three attributes[:] hue (color itself), value (lightness/darkness) and chroma (color saturation or brilliance).
The Munsell Color system is set up as a numerical scale with visually uniform steps for each of the three color attributes—in Munsell color notation, each color has a logical and visual relationship to all other colors." -- munsell.com
If that sounds a little crazy you probably won't want to look too deeply into other color systems, as some can get quite wild. A simple one, similar to Munsell's, is HSL, where the axis represent hue, saturation, and lightness. I'll link you to this amazing article if you want to learn more about different systems and play with color in 3d.
Based on the title of this article, you've probably guessed that I am going to relate this to gender. With the system's definition in place, let me run this by you:
"My Munsell-Color-Theory-based model is designed to help visualize the gender
spectrum, though it could likely be adapted to fit other intangible aspects of human
personality (ex. cultural identity, ethnic identity, social identity, etc.). The gender spectrum
model has 3 axes: hue (gender component, such as masculinity), value (the intensity of
the feeling's presence), and chroma (the intensity of the feeling itself)." -- me.
If that was confusing, I am sorry. It is difficult to describe in words. For this reason, I am planning a possible project: devising an interactive model of my own, perhaps depicting the system that I described above, or perhaps based off of a different color system entirely. Maybe I will abandon some aspects or redefine some interpretations. I am aware that this is a large undertaking, but I felt that I had to write an article here because it is so exciting to me. I really want this to work. I'll probably also be consulting some of my friends to get other points of view on the experience of gender.
So yeah. There's your announcement! If/when I finish this ridiculous project, y'all will be the first to see the results. Stay tuned my guys, gals, and nonbinary pals. Keep an open mind and a loving heart, and educate yourselves as much as you can (and check out the cool color models I linked above). 'Till next time!
-Mia