Gender Roles In 'Passing Realities' By Allie Lie

In “Passing Realities” the author, Allie Lie provides a personal narrative that illustrates daily life for a transgender person, and the struggles that entails. In addition, the clever and confusing use of pronouns really draws the audience attention to the insignificance of labeling.

The first major point Lie discusses is that gender and social roles can be rather complicated and confusing not only to the transgender person, but to everyone around them. The main character was the stereotypically male figure when she began her relationship/marriage with her wife because she was born “male”, so providing for her family in whatever way she could was considered her job. (Lie 452). This really highlights how odd it must be for society as well as a transgender person to fit in. Do her social roles change as she shows her true self? Does she take on the classically men and women roles? We like to categorize people and think there are men and there are women, and men have certain duties, and women have other duties. When

The idea of “presenting herself” is more or protection and her abiding to her family's needs then her considering her own. Society doesn’t generally like people who stand out or don’t fit into a category we are easily and comfortably able to identify. We know how difficult this must be for every transgendered person, but the loved ones of that person deal with that oppression too. I’m sure her children want to support her while also being aware of the attention she draws which could lead to bullying them of them feeling like “freaks” at school. I don’t think anyone can imagine how difficult it must be to be transgendered and choosing to express your true identity could hurt and negatively affect your loves one. Thinking about this way almost paints transgender people in a selfish light which is so