Realizations

Due to the nature of my topic and my passionate feelings concerning equality and women's issues, getting a grasp on my subject was very difficult for me. I began my posts inconclusively, as I wasn't really sure how I felt how the subject and didn't fully understand all of its dimensions. As I researched the general trends of women on death row I began to consider the different ways in which women would be treated in comparison with men. At this point I was pulled in two directions, fighting with the thought of encouraging more executions for women or encouraging unequal standards. Being a feminist, it was very difficult but necessary for me to side with the thought that women should be treated in the same manner and held to the same standards as men, even though that may mean that more women will be sentenced to die. This is a simplification of the issue, as ideas about gender and sexuality are more complex than any other subject that I have studied. I still feel that though I support women being treated in the same manner as men, I do feel that there are some circumstances that undoubtedly make women a little different, such as the issue of executing pregnant women or women who killed in reaction to sexual violence. Though I definitely feel like I will never quite be able to wrap my head around all of the intricate interactions that gender and sexuality have in every arena of society, I have concluded that we need to keep gender stereotypes out of the courtroom but consider each case on an individual level. Women who conform to ideas about femininity should not get a lighter sentence just because they are viewed as weak and the same goes for women who reject these stereotypes and behave more masculine. These are the types of things that need to stay out of the courtroom in order for trials to be just, fair, and equal.