Dance has been such a joy and contributor to my mental health. I wish dances were just about dancing and not about semantics. As a non-binary person with two X chromosomes, I want to dance and turn off my gender…
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Stories listed here talk about gender language, with the most recent at the top.
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This week, I attended a great ECD event that used positional calling (I believe that’s the right term–there was no need to refer to someone by a role). There were a lot of new folks there, and I tried to…
I am pursuing being a positional contra caller. It will make me a better caller, if I can figure out how to do it well, and I think it will make our dancers better, too. Our contra group is open…
I prefer gender free role terms because I find myself freer to dance either role, because as a female presenting person the regular comments about why I’m in the ‘wrong’ place (when I’m not) or comments about how I’m a…
I have been to many dances where gendered calling is the norm and it consistently leaves me frustrated and at times has made me question whether to continue. In gendered calling communities I have experienced the expectations of what I…
I love being able to dance either role. It has opened up a whole new world to me. I used to be bored, but now I know that I can give myself a pleasant challenge at any time by switching…
I am a 65 year old woman. For years I exclusively danced the “gent” role because dancing the “ladies” role hurts my right hip. It was a lovely relief when we switched to larks & robins to not be called…
I want to be able to dance with all of my friends, and gendered language and expectations mean that I can’t dance with half of the dancers in the room, which sucks. People should be able to dance with everyone.
Growing up in our Contra, Square, and English dance communities, I’ve always danced both roles, because why not? Children aren’t born with binary gender beliefs — those limits are taught and imposed. As a cisgender little girl dancing in the…
One of the deepest regrets in my life is that I have not had children. It was my dream to be a mother, and every Mother’s Day I feel excluded, less than whole, marginalized, and shunned. But should I expect…
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