Feinberg's interview brought even more clarity (or confusion, depending on how you look at it) to the subject of gender. More than hetero, homo, lesbian, and bi-sexual, there are a seemingly infinite variety of gender identifications. Her fight for the rights of the individual to express their gender is admirable. Society is just coming to accept the concept of homosexuality, but she sheds light on the fact that there is far to go.
It seems to be popular today for females to be bi-sexual. Whether this is a true gender identity or just to gain the attention of straight men, is subject to debate--I guess it depends on the person, but it sure seems more like pop culture to me. What about the bi-sexual male? Not popular. There are, I would argue, more cases of true male bi-sexuality than female--these men certainly don't do it to garner the attention of straight girls. One young woman even told me that any man who would be with another man is definitely homosexual.
In reading and talking to homo/lesbian acquaintances/friends, many see the bi-sexual as just straddling the fence--they think it is just black or white. That is why Feinberg's opinions are so refreshing; she sees the infinite variations of grey in between.
Honesty is something she mentioned that stuck out. She, like her character Jess, are honest about themselves. So many people in our culture are willing to deny their true self to fit into a nice little category. Or, these people are pretending to be something they are not. Honesty about such a personal issue can bring ridicule, embarrassment, or worse upon the the individual brave enough to stand up and "come out".
We have come far in the last 30 years in accepting "alternative" lifestyles. There are strong parallels with the rights of people of color and the rights of people to define their own gender. Each cause needs it's own flag bearer. Feinberg seems to be carrying this standard, obscure as it may be to the masses.