I hear you loud and clear on this societal schizophrenia and hypocrisy and double standard. I grew up in a society governed by a fundamentalist conservative orthodox religious belief system. At least on paper the churches purported to stand for and demand the strict separation of church and state. More so, since our [spiritual] forefathers nearly 500 years ago were willing to face persecution and public execution for this belief at the hands of the inquisition, the reformation and the secular governments of the 16th century. But in actual practice, the clergy have insisted to be ex-oficio members of almost every [governing] committee with oversight of all social and economic aspects of the community.

To the point that the clergy had in my eyes lost virtually all credibility by the time I finished elementary school (grade 6). Part of the official arts curriculum included folk dances. But the churches banned all boys from any and all forms of dancing. Because if boys are allowed to dance, that just leads to adultery, rape and prostitution. For the purpose of the couples dances in high school the churches mandated that girls had to cross-dress as boys. Because girls are “incapable of committing adultery, rape or prostitution”. Yeah! Right!

Any boy who dared to cross-dress within a theatrical context faced severe condemnation of fire, sulfur and brimstone; as well as considerable mobbing. But nobody so much as batted an eye-lid at a girl cross-dressed as a boy.

Sorry for the rant. I will now get of my soap box.