Lizzie Borden directed the film, Born in Flames, in 1983. Born in Flames is a film that addresses many flaws in society such as inequality, sexism, and bigotry. Borden shot the film in a documentary style in black and white to emphasize the setting of the film in an alternative and sci-fi America. The film depicts America as a socialist democracy and has a futuristic vibe during the whole film. Borden implements two radio broadcasters to showcase the inequalities experienced in society by all genders, races, and sexually-oriented people and further accentuates to the audience of such inequalities through various controversial scenes which exhibit issues that are still prevalent in today’s society.
During the 1980s, many issues portrayed
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According to the US Census Bureau, women today still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. In virtually every single occupation, women still earn significantly less than men and experience a gender wage gap of at least 22 percent. The glass ceiling women must overcome is greatly emphasized by Borden in her film as women are always the first to go and are treated as scraps. Another big issue portrayed by Borden is the unjust treatment of the LGBT community which continues today as seen by the implementation of the HB2 bill by the government of North Carolina. HB2 prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice and greatly limits their rights and is an infringement by the government which further translates from Borden’s film as a corruption of a so-called democracy. Instead, HB2 deems that transgender people must use the bathroom that coordinates with the gender they were born with. Perhaps the biggest violation of rights by the LGBT community is that the bill legally prohibits North Carolina government from discrimination against sexual orientation and gender, but will allow business to discriminate and refuse service to members of the LGBT community if they wish. Not only is sexism and homophobia portrayed by
It has been one hundred and twenty-two years since "Lizzie Borden took an axe..", in accordance to the folk rhyme, and Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered in their home; but still today it remains one of America's most famous, or infamous, unsolved crimes. Although Lizzie was acquitted and no one was ever proved guilty of committing the crime; it is still the popular opinion that Lizzie was, in fact, the murderer. Not many people have in doubts in their mind about Lizzie's guilt, although there is no one alive today who could witness to what happened. The eventful day in August was followed by a very short trial. There are many reasons she could have been proven guilty but also an abundance of rationalities for her acquittal; and it makes sense that it is discussed and talked about in the year 2014.
The Lizzie Borden trial of 1893 is one of the most interesting and famous court cases, an axe murder case, perhaps, and still over a century, we have yet to find out who was the murderer of Andrew Borden and Abby (Durfee Gray) Borden. The place where this murder happened was on a hot August 4, 1892 at 92 Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. First, it also included and/or involved Lizzie Andrew Borden, herself, of course, as the defendant and as the lead suspect. She was the only person in/around the house at the time of the murder and may not have liked her stepmother and/or have wanted to inherit the money her father already. Her father, Andrew Borden, had been attacked and killed while sleeping on the
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” (US Constitution, Amendment XIX). The above is the 19th amendment of the United States of America Constitution. Ratified in 1920, after supporters worked tirelessly to change the mindset of a nation. But even with the law, there are still stereotypes. There are still people set on what they think. The issue is not the rights of women. Since 1920, they have had the rights. The issue does not even focus on disputes such as money, working, or privileges. The issue is being understood. In the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents a clear and relevant example of the suppression
For over a century, people have been fighting for basic human and civil rights. When the Europeans took over the US, it shifted the course of history. New government systems had formed which we now call our legal system that consists of Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branch. Society (heterosexual middle class men) started questioning who has these rights which created gaps, prejudice, and violence between people of color and gendered. Over the course of the semester, we discussed social contract by Carole Pateman, feminist waves (second wave) by Alma Garcia, and Queer Feminism by Dean Spades.
Discrimination has always been prominent in mainstream society. Judgments are quickly formed based on one’s race, class, or gender. The idea that an individual’s self-worth is measured by their ethnicity or sexual preference has impacted the lives of many Americans. During the early colonial period, a social hierarchy was established with white landowners at the top and African-American slaves at the bottom. As equality movements have transpired, victims of discrimination have varied. In the late 1980’s when Paris is Burning was filmed, gay rights were still controversial in society. The lack of acceptance in conventional society created hardships in the lives of transgender women and gay men.
We like to imagine that our current society in America is more advanced than most other regions of the world. Recent legislation in Georgia and North Carolina is just another reminder that those thoughts are mere illusions. These states are trying to block the civil rights of LGBT individuals and make it legal for anyone to infringe upon them. This article from Timothy Holbrook attempts to make sense of the reasoning behind these recent laws. I feel he makes a phenomenal case against these bills and presents sound reasoning why it is in our best interest to oppose these types of legislation.
So I 'm washing my hands and a woman comes out of the stall. She looked at me for a second and told me I was in the wrong bathroom and I didn 't belong in there (Masculine Presentation).” The woman is correct, he does not belong in the women’s bathroom, but people don’t consider situations like that when they endorse these bills. By supporting a bill that forces people into the bathroom of their assigned gender at birth, they are putting transgender men in the women’s bathroom. If that were to happen women would become accustomed to having people who are and who look like men in their bathroom. This opens the door to the very thing they are trying to prevent which is, cisgender men going into the woman’s bathroom and claiming they are
Grant, Jaime M., Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011. 158-59.
Susan B. Anthony, a woman’s rights pioneer, once said, “Oh, if I could but live another century and see the fruition of all the work for women! There is so much yet to be done” (“Women’s Voices Magazine”). Women’s rights is a hot button issue in the United States today, and it has been debated for years. In the late 1800’s an individual named Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote literature to try and paint a picture in the audience’s mind that gender inferiority is both unjust and horrific. In her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” Gilman makes the ultimate argument that women should not be seen as subordinate to men, but as equal.
Injustice at Every Turn: A Report from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Rep. National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011. Web. The Web. The Web.
Imagine living in a society where an individual’s future and way of life is solely based on their gender. Does that sound preposterous? The United States is one of many nations to possess a Constitution incorporating rights awarded to every citizen; however, several rights are violated daily. The Fourteenth Amendment holds the most commonly used phrase, “equal protection of the laws,” allowing equal rights for every citizen of the United States. One of the most violated rights, under the Fourteenth Amendment, is gender discrimination. Many factors contribute to inequality between men and women in our everyday lives. Some factors include the early history of internal war conflicts, leadership roles, along with the physical build of men and women.
However, LGBT discrimination doesn’t stop in America. Many other countries partake in discriminating against the LGBT community. For example, in “The Children’s Hour” by Lillian Hellman, Martha says, “No, of course you didn’t. But who says I didn’t? I never felt that way about anybody but you. I’ve never loved a man- (stops. Softly) I never knew why before. Maybe it’s that.” (66). In other words, Martha suddenly realizes that she's never been attracted to men. She then realizes the reason is because she is a lesbian. This is important because being homosexual in 1934 was a huge sinful taboo that could even get you killed. Today, coming out as homosexual is more accepted and tolerated by many. However, intolerance is present all over the world. Some countries have outlawed homosexuality. For example, as of 2015, 34 Africa countries have outlawed homosexuality. Those who are found to be homosexuality are often raped and murdered. On the plus side, South Africa and French colonized countries have not only illegalized homosexuality, as well as placed bans on homosexual discrimination. Another example felt globally in the LGBT community, was when Martha continued to say, “It’s funny. It’s all mixed up. There’s something in you and you don’t do anything about it because you don’t know it’s there. Suddenly a little girl gets bored and tells a lie- and there, that night, you see it for the first time,
An analysis of freedom would be incomplete if it failed to scrutinize the laws of a society that are meant to enhance and promote freedom and equality. Such analyses were undertaken by Catharine MacKinnon (Difference and Dominance: On Sex Discrimination) and Michael Warner (The Trouble with Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life). Their works highlight the patterns of dominance over certain groups (namely women and homosexuals) exercised within the legal structures of society presiding over everything from the military to jobs and marriage. Both authors challenge their readers to think in a way that defies convention, and perhaps become equipped to help make the world a better, freer place.
According to the research done in the year 2013 found that most of the LGBT community members were highly mistreated badly by their bosses who discriminated them in respect to their sexuality transgender and sex personality (Gates, 2011). This act did not please LGBT community and made them to go streets campaigning to be given their job rights and be respected by their employers.. Another report which was done in the same year by the National Black Justice Coalition found that majority of the LGBT community group around 50% who are black Africans were highly discriminated and segregated at workplace. They were not given equal rights like the other Americans but instead got fired from jobs and sometimes undermined. Around 22 states have passed laws making work separation because of sexual introduction unlawful 19 likewise incorporate sex personality LGBT specialist’s still need government assurance (Gates, 2011). Poverty is also another ethical issue experienced by LGBT community. Research demonstrates that against LGBT segregation affects LGBT specialists' monetary prosperity, prompting high rates of joblessness, vagrancy, weakness and sustenance instability. Seat found that LGBT laborers will probably acquire less every year contrasted with the general U.S. populace. Furthermore, from the analysis done about discrimination of LGBT community in employment showed that that Transgender people
Throughout Western civilization, culturally hegemonic views on gender and sexuality have upheld a rigid and monolithic societal structure, resulting in the marginalization and dehumanization of millions of individuals who differ from the expected norm. Whether they are ridiculed as freaks, persecuted as blasphemers, or discriminated as sub-human, these individuals have been historically treated as invisible and pushed into vulnerable positions, resulting in cycles of poverty and oppression that remain prevalent even in modern times. Today, while many of these individuals are not publicly displayed as freaks or persecuted under Western law, women, queer, and intersexed persons within our society still nonetheless find themselves under constant