Question: binary gender opposition

[EunuchAusTX (imported)]

Part of what makes the whole question so confusing for many people is that we tend to use the words "sex" and "gender" interchangeably, when those terms actually refer to two different things, and neither one really seems adequate to describe such phenomena as eunucism and transgenderism. The difference between the two can be summed up by saying that sex is genetic, while gender is not.

"Sex" is the fact of being biologically male or female. This is determined by the presence or absence of the Y chromosome.

"Gender" is a social construct defining the characteristics and behaviors that are expected of men and women, or what is considered "masculine" or "feminine". While gender is closely tied to sex in the social mindset, it is something that is learned through the socialization process that begins at birth. No one is "born" a particular gender, which is why a person's gender identity is sometimes at odds with his or her biological sex.

A biological male who finds he identifies more with feminine roles and characteristics may feel he was "born in the wrong body" and decide to undergo sexual reassignment surgery to bring his body more into line with his self-image. Does such a person qualify as a third sex? The current politically correct answer would probably be yes, however the biological nature of sex makes the designation problematic.

A hermaphrodite, who has physical characteristics of both sexes, could possibly be considered a third sex, although modern medicine can now detect the presence or absence of the Y chromosome, so perhaps there can't be said to be any true middle ground in terms of biological sex.

A third, fourth, etc. "gender" is also difficult to pin down as those who don't necessarily identify with socially prescribed ideas about masculine and feminine don't fall into easily identifiable categories. Many people identify as the opposite gender to their sex, and many others see themselves as somewhere in between. Still others see the terms "male" and "female" as totally irrelevant to how they see themselves. Some eunuchs argue that they are a separate gender, while others are perfectly happy with their male gender identities.

People who choose to surgically alter themselves (eunuchs, transsexuals, etc.) are even more problematic from a labeling standpoint, since you can change your body and appearance, but not your genetics. In other words, you can lose your penis but you'll always be stuck with that Y chromosome. A male-to-female transsexual's physician must always take her male biology into account in order to provide adequate care, so which box do you check on the medical forms?

All of which just shows that the western terms "sex" and "gender" are both inadequate to discuss those of us who fall somewhere in between, which is why many of us have such a hard time forming a healthy self-image. There simply is no word or concept in our language/culture for the way we see ourselves, so we try to define ourselves in existing terms that are inadequate and possibly even irrelevant.

So while there may or may not be a strict duality to what we call sexual and gender identity, there is a strict dichotomy in the way our language describes those things. It's a dilemma that will continue to challenge our society as roles and self-identities become more and more fluid.

[chilliwilli (imported)]

There is also the argument of gender based on hormonal influence, as genetics is also not always to clear. XXY, XYY klienfeler etc. It gets really tricky determining sex, I think that during the olympics there was some genetic studies to determine the birth sex of athletes. Oh the good old days of the ancients where men were men and boys were...well they were athletes really.

I would think that there would be an evolutionary reason to have people with brain structure and chemistry of the opposite sex. Women who lack strong mothering drives and males who are more emotionally inclined/expressive/receptive would open the human experience/dynamic in the days before TV...and well organized religion and punishment. I'm not talking about the decade the "moral" majority took over. Imagine a time when sexuality and humanity was celebrated and explored, and people were valued for what they brought to the whole. A time of abundance, reexpiriencing and exploration...of disco. Yes I'm talking about the seventies...what an awesome decade. A time before people were stiffled and made to be ashamed of theirself or guilty. A time of high morality, when the individual was bonded to the whole, a time of high moral.

chilli-

[EunuchAusTX (imported)]

It is also interesting to note that concepts of gender are not universal across all societies. Contrary to what we've all been taught, the idea of males as dominant/aggressive and females as emotional/nurturing is purely social/cultural. There are tribal cultures where gender roles are completely the reverse of what we are used to here in the West. In those cultures women are the dominant, aggressive ones and men are the emotional, nurturing ones and do most of the child-rearing. The males in those cultures display all of the characteristics we usually define as feminine, including making themselves up to be more attractive to their female mates. It makes one wonder what would constitute a transgender person in such a society.