GENDER IDENTITY

We have to be visible. We should not be ashamed of who we are. We have to show the world that we are numerous. There are many of us out there."

 - Sylvia Rivera

GENDER IS NOT BIOLOGICAL

Our anatomy can never define our gender.

Our society strictly views gender as two binary pigeonholes – male and female, depending upon their anatomy at birth. But this stiff way of categorizing gender is far from true. Gender cannot be biologically determined. The relation between our gender and our body are beyond our reproductive functions.

 

SEX AND GENDER

Even though the terms sex and gender are used interchangeably, their meanings differ significantly.

A person’s sex is assigned to them at the time of their birth by doctors. Sex is therefore biologically defined and it depends on genes and X and Y chromosomes. The sex of person with XX chromosomes is female and that of a person with XY chromosomes is male.

Whereas gender refers to the socially constructed  norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of people. It varies from society to society and can be changed.

Gender roles though strict in our society, are not set in stone. People’s concept of gender roles are evolving and the stereotypes regarding the same needs to be broken down. The gender of a person is a complicated interrelationship between their body, identity and social gender.

GENDER IDENTITY

Even though our sex is decided by our chromosomes, our gender identity depends on us and it is not as simple as X and Y chromosomes. Our bodies do not define our gender for us and neither can anyone else. Our sex assigned to us at our birth and our gender may or may not necessarily agree. Our gender identity is our personal conception and it depends on our internal experience and ours alone.

 

GENDER IS NOT BINARY

To some extent our society still considers that there are only two categories of gender – male and female and anything beyond that is “not normal”. But gender cannot be bounded by strict categories, and it never was.

TAKE IT FROM HISTORY  

Even though society has two stereotypical categories of gender, gender is not binary and it never was. There are several anecdotes from history that tell us about people who defined stereotypical binary gender roles. One story for example is of one of the few female pharaohs Hatshepsut, who defied traditional gender roles and the statues still stand as a note of defiance. 

Several such anecdotes are there where a person left behind the gender roles their sex were assigned at birth and this is just a small example of the rich history of the then called "Third gender".

Also several references about the third gender can be found in mythological stories, vedic manuscripts and also in art and literature though the ages. 

GENDER SPECTRUM 

Gender is a spectrum, where a person can be male or female or they can be anywhere in between.

Gender identity of a person can fall under the two binaries – male or female. If a person who were assigned the sex male or female at birth and also identifies as male or female, then they are cisgender male or cisgender female. However when a person who was assigned the sex male at birth, identifies as a female, then they are transgender female and vice versa. Transgender is not a different gender, it is as a matter of fact an adjective. 

People can also fall under the non-binary category which involves being genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, pangender, all, none or a combination of these, or some can still be questioning their gender identity.

Genderqueer is an umbrella term that represents people who do not exclusively identify as male or female or are outside the gender binary.

Genderfluid is a gender identity that varies over time and it keeps changing.

Agender people do not identify as having any particular gender.

Pangender is a gender identity that refers to a vast and diverse multiplicity of gender identities, that is a pangender person does not identify with any one particular gender and can encompass many identities at the same time.

 

People who do not fall under any one of society’s stereotyped binary gender categories, have to face discrimination, ill treatment and disrespect on a daily basis. But why is understanding the true concept of gender and accepting it so difficult for some people? Students are taught so many subjects in school from history and geography of the world to the names of hundred elements, then why is it so difficult to teach young minds that there are more than two genders? Some people still refuse to set aside their preconceived notions and refuse to accept and respect others for who they are. But gender spectrum is not just a concept, it is a fact and doctors and scientists alike say that determining gender based on anatomy is medically meaningless. But I don’t think it is all that important what doctors have to say about this, our gender identities are our own, it is for us to decide what we feel comfortable with, it is an expression of who we are. Then why should it be difficult for society to accept its people as they are? And honestly, it is supposed to be quite simple really, isn't it? Just let people be themselves. Though right now we are not quite there yet, but let's try to create a society together where everyone can express themselves as they wish and be who they are.

“I believe in a future where we don’t have anyone telling us how to express ourselves – be that bullies at school, the police, or even our own friends and families.”  

-  Alok Vaid-Menon

 

 

 

 

 For the next blog head over to -

 https://genderisnotbinary.blogspot.com/2020/12/gender-identity.html