The moment Shane Ortega walked into the spotlight at The Hub, I felt a sense of dignity and passion surrounding his character and demeanor. He opened up the presentation by addressing his valiant push for equal rights for trans people in the U.S. military. His very powerful quote of “continuing the fight for 700,000 veteran transgender lives” who were forced to choose between expressing their individuality or fighting for their country highlights his devotion in fighting for trans injustice. Throughout his trans journey, he exclaims that his parents were very open about gender, and didn’t conform to strict gender rules. He jokingly admits that he cut off the heads of Barbies as a way to protest such entrenched gender roles. He exclaims that …show more content…
With a career path set out by both his parents, Shane Ortega seemed determined to change the minds of those who rendered transgendered people invisible and objectified. Moreover, he establishes the idea that the current issue with trans inclusion in the U.S. military is that there is a blatant discrimination and sexual assault prevalence. With relation to sociology, Shane Ortega’s agency, the freewill to change society, allowed him to push for a change in the way the U.S. military views the transgender community. In contrast, the social structures that are already set in the U.S. military prevent and limit Shane from fulfilling his ultimate goal: to provide equal rights for the transgender community. Additionally, Shane Ortega mentions the implementation of “integrated training” is the solution to the rampant misogyny and hypermasculinity in the U.S. military. That being said, the social constructs of gender and the gender norms that we will learn in sociology interlock with Shane Ortega’s ideas. He reinforces the idea that gender-segregated facilities should be eliminated, and that it leads to objectification. Gender is fluid and is also categorized into masculinity and femininity, a concept that Shane believes should be integrated and flexible. In all, experiencing Shane Ortega speak humorously and openly about