While Australia has not challenged my identity as a white male, it has supported my identity by helping me learn about other identities and gender barriers. I am currently enrolled in a course called Gender Communication, which explores not only the societal effects on the differences between gender but also on queer and non-binary genders such as lesbian, transexual, and gender fluid (individuals who are sometimes attracted to males and sometimes attracted to females). The class teaches how to society unfairly treats discriminates against these individuals, and by taking the class I have learned how to contribute to safer environments for all. The same class has also discussed the differences between male and female communication techniques, and it has taught me how to more effectively mediate and resolve conflict with both male. female, and diverse gender groups. By learning how about non-binary genders and gender communication, I feel that my identity has not only been supported but that I have also become better member of society.
To encourage outside the class room, the professor of this class created a Facebook page for the class to share news articles that relate to the subject matter. Linked is an article I discovered through this Facebook page. It discussed how Sweden created a gender pronoun that does not reveal gender. It is important to have a non-gender-specific pronoun, because some individuals do not feel that they are a"he" or "she". This pronoun allows these individuals to accurately refer to themselves.