Andrea Langlois et al - Islands of Resistance - Pirate Radio in Canada

134 • islands of resistance
determines how one should act. They do not understand that gender is
socially constructed and can be transcended. Gender is broader than
biological sex, which is only based upon physical differences. Society
has no room for those whose biological sex is not absolute and does
not fit into the male/female binary. The imposed rigidity of this binary
is more obvious in the case of intersex individuals (born with bodies
that blend biological male and female aspects) in that they are usually
operated on to physically define them as one sex or the other.
The gender binary is a fundamental function of a heteronormative
view of gender. According to this perspective, straight men and
women are seen to have a complementary mutual attraction. The stereotypical
straight male needs the female to accentuate his masculinity,
and to facilitate his needs so that he can do “important” things. In
return, the stereotypical straight woman needs the man, to complement
her nurturing role and give her life focus. Since the traditionally
more task-oriented, active and tangible goals of men are granted
greater value in our society than the passive and relational goals constructed
for women — it remains a man’s world. In examining the
origins of this binary, it is clear that patriarchal society benefits from
the creation and maintenance of standard gender roles. Performing
normative gender roles reinforces patriarchal control. Thus, society
grants power to the masculine domain and relegates the feminine to a
supportive role.
Corporate society benefits from the radio binary in a similar way,
by granting control to the active corporate broadcasters and usurping
power from the passive listeners. To a limited extent, alternative forms
of licensed public and campus/community radio can show that other
possibilities exist. I liken this to the queer spectrum. Straight society
begrudgingly allows queer culture to exist as long as it does not cut
into its psychological and social hold on gender in mainstream society.
Or, in the analogous case of licensed radio, alternative radio can
exist as long as it does not cut into commercial radio’s market share.
Hence, the shock jocks that make fun of CBC and community radio
are similar to straight conservatives who say gays can exist, only so
long as they stay in their ghettos, and do not try to teach or “recruit”
their kids. On the other hand, gender pirates, like radio pirates, tune
into different unlicensed frequencies in order to express themselves
outside of the binary and to challenge its basic assumptions.