Gender roles in society

           Today's world is more open minded than it used to be. For the most part, the issue of gay and lesbian rights has been tackled in most developed countries, but gender is still a controversial topic. In the world today, men are usually the more dominant sex. Men are expected to be both the protector and provider while women are expected to rear children and take care of the household. This mentality dates back to when males and females were defined as hunters and gatherers. One consequence of today's world being more open minded is that many people are speaking out about their feelings and what gender they define themselves as. One may be born in a male body, but considers himself a female, or vice versa. Society dictates that men are the strong protectors, while females take care of the home. Any deviation from this perceived stereotype will result in pain and ridicule. Instead of being more accepting, people who identify themselves as the opposite gender or maybe ambiguous are forced to conform to society's idea of gender. Biologically there are only two sexes; male and female. Mentally there many. People and society should understand that there are seven billion identical people on this planet. The world does not have to cater to every single person's beliefs or identity, but instead, at the very least, be understanding or tolerant of it. This is a new world. Only 20 years ago people were forced to hide the fact that they were homosexual. Today people have to be careful of what gender they identify themselves as, and this should change.