The Inequality of Gender Fluidity

The Inequality of Gender Fluidity
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The University of Kansas Library has introduced an inclusive new way for students to help others properly identify themselves. The library has created a series of buttons which identify the preferred pronoun of the person wearing it. The three options are ‘He, Him, His’, ‘She, Her, Hers,’ and ‘They, Them, Theirs.’ The last being for “people who don't identify themselves as male or female...” The library is quoted as saying:

"Because gender is, itself, fluid and up to the individual," a sign at the libraries reads. "Each person has the right to identify their own pronouns, and we encourage you to ask before assuming someone's gender. Pronouns matter! Misgendering someone can have lasting consequences, and using the incorrect pronoun can be hurtful, disrespectful, and invalidate someone's identity."

This is not a new concept as pronoun self-identification has occurred in other areas and mediums, however it is the language used that brings up some important questions. The primary question in my mind is that if gender is both fluid and subjective, wouldn’t this nullify protections that are based solely on gender? This is not a question of the legitimacy of transgender individual’s right to identify as they choose or their legal rights in transitioning. This is, however, a question of how transgender theory influences equality under the law for all citizens.

Gender is not subjective or fluid in our legal system or our culture. Consider that feminism focuses greatly on the rights of women, which tend to be very tangible and physical concerns related to reproduction, assault and sexual harassment. Same Sex marriage is founded solely on the legal relationship between two members of the same sex. Abortion is considered a women’s rights issue as is contraception. Feminists are concerned with a wage gap between men and women and routinely call for an end of sexual assault on college campuses asserting we live in a ‘rape culture.’

Being male removes my right to express or even have an opinion on abortion as illustrated by pro-choice advocate Betsy Housten in a Daily Beast article titled: The Problem With Pro-Choice Men.

Housten theorizes that many pro-choice men may be afraid of stepping on women’s toes, or taking up space that is not theirs to take. Men on the pro-life side, she believes, are much less likely to feel shy about saying, “’I know what’s right for you,’ with no examination of their own privilege.”

Clear gender lines are important to both traditional conservatives and progressive liberals in all areas of life, so how is it we have slowly become accepting of the idea that gender itself is conditional? In truth we have not so much become accepting as we have accepted that the issue is not going to go away and we have to find a way to address it. Unfortunately it seems we have not really thought through the consequences, and I’m not talking about bathrooms.

For example, sexual orientation used to be fairly straight forward. One was born homosexual, heterosexual or somewhere in between.

Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions to men, women or both sexes. Sexual orientation also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.

...

Sexual orientation is commonly discussed as if it were solely a characteristic of an individual, like biological sex, gender identity or age. This perspective is incomplete because sexual orientation is defined in terms of relationships with others. People express their sexual orientation through behaviors with others, including such simple actions as holding hands or kissing. Thus, sexual orientation is closely tied to the intimate personal relationships that meet deeply felt needs for love, attachment and intimacy. In addition to sexual behaviors, these bonds include nonsexual physical affection between partners, shared goals and values, mutual support, and ongoing commitment. Therefore, sexual orientation is not merely a personal characteristic within an individual. Rather, one's sexual orientation defines the group of people in which one is likely to find the satisfying and fulfilling romantic relationships that are an essential component of personal identity for many people.

...

There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.

Planned Parenthood states, “...although sexual orientation is usually set early in life, it may be fluid and shift over the course of a lifetime. One thing is clear — sexual orientation is not a choice and cannot be changed.”

Consider, however, that if gender is both fluid and subjective then sexual orientation would have to be fluid and easily changeable as well in order to adapt. How can I be born with a natural attraction to men if ‘male’ isn’t something I can identify until the other person confirms it for me? Sexual attraction to me is a visceral response to men. I feel it throughout my being. How could this occur without a clear understanding of what ‘male’ is?

‘Male’ isn’t conditional to culture. I respond the same way to men from all over the world regardless of dress or custom. My mind and body react to men uniquely. If a person can decide they are male at any given time in their lives then why can’t I, or my body, agree with them? Follow-up question: Am I somehow oppressing people I find attractive because I assume they are male without asking first? Is identifying as gay offensive or discriminatory because it assumes biologically male is ‘the same sex’ to which I am attracted?

As a side note, if the APA is accurate and sexual orientation is not a ‘characteristic’ like biological sex (or race) then I don’t see how it could be legally viable to have protection laws or anti-discrimination laws related to it.

National Geographic in an article titled: How Science Helps Us Understand Gender Identity states:

In terms of biology, some scientists think it might be traced to the syncopated pacing of fetal development. “Sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place in the first two months of pregnancy,” wrote Dick Swaab, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam, “and sexual differentiation of the brain starts during the second half of pregnancy.” Genitals and brains are thus subjected to different environments of “hormones, nutrients, medication, and other chemical substances,” several weeks apart in the womb, that affect sexual differentiation.

And although it quickly adds this does not mean there is a ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain, it certainly indicates many features of the brain are male or female.

One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for boys and men or girls and women. These influence the ways that people act, interact, and feel about themselves. While aspects of biological sex are similar across different cultures, aspects of gender may differ.

So far we have discussed gender as a socially constructed role, as a requirement for sexual orientation, a requirement for legal protection and reproductive advocacy, a consequence of hormones within the brain that makes it functionally ‘male’ or ‘female’ that may differ from physical genitals, an ‘innermost concept’ of male or female or both or neither and as being fluid and changeable over time.

A recent and controversial article also by National Geographic featuring a 9 year old transgender girl (biological boy) brings up an interesting question related to the above observation. How exactly does a 9 year old know he is actually female?

This brings me to another relevant series of questions specifically for feminists: Why would you accept that someone born male is capable of feeling female?

In my exposure to feminist literature from the past 50+ years there is an ongoing theme of a significant physical difference in the way women experience the world from men. The reproductive cycle from puberty to menstruation to pregnancy, birth and menopause are all considered uniquely feminine and historically underappreciated or even demonized. The core of support for abortion relies on the understanding that men cannot control women’s bodies or their reproductive choices and since they cannot be put into the position of being pregnant they should not have a say in the process.

Gloria Stienem: “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”

Well Gloria, men can get pregnant now. Transgender theory insists that not only are transmen actual men, but they always were men and will continue to be men regardless of their choice in physical transition. So, in connection to the above Teen Vogue tweet, ‘if you have a uterus’ no longer excludes men from the conversation.

Do feminists truly believe that someone born male and has his penis inverted, his testicles removed and either grows breasts from hormones or has plastic surgery understands what it means to be a woman? If he was capable of an ‘innermost concept’ of himself as female while still physically male, wouldn’t that reduce ‘female’ to a mere perception dependent on significant subjective standards entirely reliant on social norms? How else does a boy express his sense of being female other than through socially stereotypical female roles? How could he possibly know what a woman feels without assuming he, dare I say, knows what is best for them as a whole?

Are feminists comfortable with 0.1% of the population (transwomen/men) determining for them what being a woman really is?

Would Title IX remain viable if sex no longer influences gender? Are biological men who become women denied the rights of a woman based on sex or are men now able to access the rights and protections of women based on self-identification alone? Do biological women lose protections when they identify as men or are socially defined ‘men’ now able to influence women’s rights? If men can influence women’s rights based on sex then can we legally discriminate against biological men? Do feminists want people without a uterus deciding abortion if they used to have one or women who never had one to begin with?

Do people who experience both genders have more rights than those who experience only one? What rights do people with no gender have access to? Currently they merely default to their birth gender without question but that seems discriminatory if they are, in fact, genderless.

Affirmative Action for women, women’s rights, discrimination based on sex or gender or sexual orientation, marriage and divorce law, reproductive law, child custody law, gender segregation at all, any foundation designed to protect women from rape, assault, abuse or neglect: all of it become obsolete if gender is entirely subjective to the person expressing it.

We live in a free society that allows a great diversity of choice and identity. We also live in an exceptionally luxurious society where individuals can devote decades to personal customization. But we also live in a country of laws to which we hope are experienced equally and fairly by all. As gender identity advocates push for more recognition with legal consequences I am not sure those supporting them fully appreciate what they may mean for their own movements.

If gender is a choice then there are no gay people, no gay rights, no feminists, no reproductive rights, no women’s studies or colleges or organizations or support groups. Without a firm binary gender, everything the left has fought for will collapse in on itself and no one will be untouched.

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