Question: binary gender opposition

[jemagirl (imported)]

Why do people think there are just two genders? To me it seems so obvious that can't be the case.

[twaddler (imported)]

Binary gender shit makes no sense to me. hmm..

[YourPhriendlyAuthor (imported)]

Why do people think there are just two genders? To me it seems so obvious that can't be the case.

jemagirl,

I'd say it's probably because *biologically*, there are only two genders that are considered 'necessary for reproduction'; the male provides the sperm to fertilize the egg from the female, and thus, we view anything that falls outside those two categories as an 'aberration'.

But that's *strictly* a matter of reproductive biology.

Socialogically, the problem has arisen because as a society, over the thousands of years of human civilization, we've hard-coded the dictates of biology into the fabric of the social order. Even the *knowledge* of transgenderism, hermaphroditism, etc., has, until recent times, been fairly arcane at best.

Nobody really *imagined* that a man could be surgically transformed into a woman until Christine Jorgensen in 1952, and when it became public knowledge, it was *shocking*! Today, even if it's not 100% accepted by the public, it's common enough that it's not all that big of a deal now, which is a good sign.

Changing the mindset is *much* more difficult than changing the gonads...

(This is the same reason that same-sex marriage has encountered so much opposition, needless to say)

That's probably as good of an answer as any, anyway...

-YPA

[punkypink (imported)]

I believe gender is dominated by a duality, but is not exclusively binary. Most would commonly fall into either a male or female gender, but there is a large grey area of "non-definition" where many people would fall under.

[Kangan (imported)]

I'd have to say that most of the opposition to genders other than "Male" and "Female" is based upon religious beliefs. i.e. "God created Man and Woman."

[transward (imported)]

The question reminds me of an old limerick I got from a book of risque limericks by Isaac Asimov.

On Saturn the sexes are three

Which is awkward, I think you'll agree

To engage in Con Brio

You must have a trio

And it even takes two for a pee.

Transward

[jemagirl (imported)]

Socialogically, the problem has arisen because as a society, over the thousands of years of human civilization, we've hard-coded the dictates of biology into the fabric of the social order. Even the *knowledge* of transgenderism, hermaphroditism, etc., has, until recent times, been fairly arcane at best.

GRS is relatively new but the idea of more than two genders is quite old. I don't agree with the notion that anything in our culture is hardcoded.

[transward (imported)]

Interesting to note whether we are talking about a pure binary (only two sexes) or a spectrum allowing third sexes between the two poles, we are talking about only two poles. Thailand, Native American, Polynesian and other societies have third sexes, but they are a blending of male and female roles. It would take a powerful imagination to conceive of a sex, and what its reproductive role would be outside of the male-female dimension.

Transward

[nullorchis (imported)]

There are three genders:

"Innies"

"Outies"

and Republicans.

And its up to you to decide what goes where, and when.

[YourPhriendlyAuthor (imported)]

GRS is relatively new but the idea of more than two genders is quite old. I don't agree with the notion that anything in our culture is hardcoded.

jemagirl,

True, the concept of more than two genders *is* quite old.

At the same time, though, with the prevalence of the Judeo-Christian religions in Western culture - *especially* the rabid fundamentalist sects - something like transgenderism has been lumped in with all the 'unholy' things and taboos until recently, which meant that it was more 'underground' than socially acceptable.

Remember, in the Judeo-Christian mindset (especially the fundies), sex is *only* to be used for procreation. In *that* mindset, where does a person whose body is the wrong gender fit? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The term 'hard-coded' in reference to the social order might not be *entirely* correct, but at the same time, we have to admit that the effect of religion in society is *highly* pervasive! Religious standards have dictated social standards almost since civilization began, which is the *important* point here.

The bottom line here is that *healthy* human sexuality has to encompass *all* genders, not *just* the traditional man/woman duality.

-YPA