Many people feel that the world consists of men, and women..only. People insist that IF there are variations, they must exist between these two polar points.
That isn't necessarily true. I'm posting this question here because it is a question I didn't even realize I could ask a few years back. I thought I either had to be between or that there was something wrong with me. I took a Sociology of Gender Class (Soc 218) and the whole world came into perspective.
I would like to hear your opinions on this matter, as well as to encourage you to visit Gender Schmender, a gender education community born during that Sociology class.
http://groups.myspace.com/genderschmender
or
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/genderschmender/index.html
2006-09-16 17:56:48 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
This question is referencing gender, not sex. Concerning sex, there are over 30 chromosomal sexes (male xy, female xx, and over 28 others). No, I'm not crazy, I'm educated ^_~ and society benefits from preserving the illusion that there are only two sexes with violence and shame to silence the 1/60 born not male or female.
2006-09-16 18:01:44 · update #1
Actually, I am not a homosexual. And I don't need answerer's to try and patrol my gender with accusations towards my sexual orientation. I'm a little more intelligent when it comes to queer theory for that ^_~
2006-09-16 18:02:49 · update #2
This is not a matter of religion, email me for informal civil debate if you would like one. I am not currently taking classes on gender. I am teaching them. Thank you for your input. If you feel I am mistaken, please visit the gender education community links I have posted.
2006-09-16 18:09:35 · update #3
yes, this question is talking of gender, not sex.
2006-09-16 19:30:00 · update #4
Gender, religion, and sexual orientation different social institutions. I am not talking about a religious groups and i am not talking about homosexuals.
2006-09-17 11:29:12 · update #5
For those wondering, I am not a heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. References to my sexual orientation are irrelevant to this question.
2006-09-17 11:30:30 · update #6
I am NOT talking about hmosexuality ^_~
I wanted to say "EXACTLY" to what a person wrote (see quote below)
"because when they knew God they glorified Him not as God,.... Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, "
Yeah buddy, i've got some scriptures of my own. (I grew up conservative christian and studied to become a missionary..you can misquote and mistranslate all ya want to ^_~)
link for you: http://www.mccchurch.org/AM/Template.cfm?Sectionfiltered=Sexuality_Spirituality&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=629
2006-09-20 11:20:41 · update #7
There dosen't have to be a binary gender system or an inbetween. There can be a non-gender, meaning people, like myself who do not identify as a man, woman, transexual, or any other gender orientation. Sometimes, people who are non-gendered call themslves GenderQueer, because these people are queering the word gender and decontructing it at the same time. As stated previously, gender is a social contruction, a way to control people and a social instiution. Also, as stated previously, people are not divided essentially down to a penis or a vagina, because there are many intersexed people and many different chromozones, aside from XX and XY:
Sexual Identities
Sexes
Human (xo) · Human (xx) · Human (xxx) · Human (xy) · Human (xx) · Human (xxy) · Human (xy) · Human (xyy) · Human · (xo/xy) · Human (etc.)
Gender
Androgyne/Androgyny · Gender identity · (non)Gender identity · Genderqueer · Pangender · Transgender · Transman · Transwoman · Transsexualism · Gender Variant · Human
Sexual orientations
Anthrosexuality · Bisexuality (bi) · Heterosexuality (straight) · Homosexuality (gay/lesbian) · Pansexuality · Asexuality · Nonsexual · Auto-erotic/Self sexuality · Queersexuality · Non Mainstream sexual orientations · Human
Other
Boi · Homosexuality and transgender · Polyamory/Polyamorous · Swinger · Queer · Womyn · Human
This question is not talking about genitals. It is however, asking a question whether there is a gender identity that is neither man, woman or in between (ie androgny).
Androgyne, Intergender, Bigender, Third Gender, Neuter/Neutrois/Agender, Gender Fluid may also be used to describe where one lies on a gender spectrum or in gender spheres (outside the normal binary genders). Some genderqueers prefer to go by the conventional binary pronouns "he" or "she," while others prefer gender-neutral pronouns such as "ze", "per", "zir", "sie" and "hir", "zhe", "hir", "zes" or singular "they" instead of her/his.
If anyone is interested I would start with the Sphere listserver:
"Sphere is a listserv for people who bend even the boundaries of transgenderism. It's a bunch of people who identify as both genders, or no gender, or third-gendered"
2006-09-22 00:52:01 · answer #1 · answered by Orditz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I must admit that I'm not entirely certain that I understand what you are talking about...I can see that you are not talking about biological sexes...ie penis or vagina..but I have to ask you if what you are talking about is whether little girls are taught to play with dolls and therefore conditioned into that behaviour (likewise boys with whatever).
As a gay man I have come to accept that there are very feminine and very masculine sides to me....but I was brought up that there was no real distinction between sexes...everybody just did everything...I know this sounds crazy..or does it?? Is this what you mean or am I completely lost here?
I believe that sexuality is non static and everyone moves around a different point on a scale.....as far as gender goes I guess I believe the same.....Now I guess I'm really sounding crazy...not crazy but a little confused about what you're talking about.
2006-09-17 02:27:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm glad you posted this question. Yes, some people STILL don't get it. My question to you is, in posting your question, are you speaking of GENDER or BIOLOGICAL SEX? From reading your question and information, I'd assume you know the difference. I would happen to be one of those people if you are referring to gender only. I'm an inbetween or as I like to refer to myself as a "third" gender. I am a pre-op female to male transsexual. I carry permanent anatomical signs of BOTH biological sexes. One in every 200 births are born with signs of a neutral sex. Many people don't realize this. Sometimes, it's not obvious to the naked eyes, and they form in the cases of the xy, xxy, and so on and so forth chromosomes.
In trying to answer your original question of "what if you're not male or female" I will try to answer. This is what it's like...
1) It puts a SERIOUS damper on your dating/relationship area of your life.
2) In certain situations, people don't realize how much they take gender for granted (i.e. going to JAIL is a horrible experience dealing with police officers who have NO diversity training it seems)
3) How do you mark the little "gender" boxes on applications?
4) Bathroom issues...nuff said
5) When you have a GENDER incongruency, people automatically equate that with HOMOSEXUALITY..and very, very few people have the mental capacity to truly understand that GENDER and SEXUAL ORIENTATION are two totally separate things. Actually a lot of transsexual and intersexed people are STRAIGHT.
6) Also when you're neither male or female, people think you're crazy and/or mentally ill, when it's ACTUALLY been proven that transsexuals and intersexed people are 2 standard deviations above the mean on intellectual ability than heterosexual people, and one standard deviation above the mean over homosexuals.
7) You encounter NUMEROUS gender stereotypes. "men are the strong ones" "men don't cry" "you do THIS like a girl, or THAT like a girl"...who CARES?? and who SAID that only boys can do this, or only GIRLS do that? Get over it.
So, I don't think that it's that you have to be "between" I think society tries to say we have to be ONE or the OTHER. There is no ROOM for "inbetween". I dealt with this a LOT going through the early stages of my transition when people couldn't quite figure me out becuase I was very androgenous. It's like people went out of their way to spy on me to 'figure me out' becuase something in their mind was not happy with NOT knowing what gender I was. It's like people just HAVE to know, and to this day, I have no idea why it's so important anyway.
2006-09-17 02:02:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've always felt that all men and women are a mix of masculine and feminine, and that labels aren't particularly helpful or realistic. And I'm always interested in learning more about gender, etc. I'll have to check out your site.
2006-09-17 02:18:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anne R 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
See, I got all excited to give an answer to this question. I'm just a little disappointed that you took the liberty to provide one yourself. :(
But yeah. You can be both. Or neither. Or in-between. Or refuse to label yourself.
2006-09-18 02:08:59 · answer #5 · answered by Atropis 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
i know there are people born with indeturminate gender, but it does still seem to me that this other gender is still made up of only male and female components.
2006-09-17 02:03:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Scriptures say exactly why the wrath of God abides on the homosexuals: Maybe you should argue with this one,....
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who withhold the truth in unrighteousness.... because when they knew God they glorified Him not as God,.... Professing themselves to wise, they became fools, ..... Wherefore God gave them up to uncleaness...to dishonor their bodies among themselves...Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worship and served the creature more than the Creator... FOR THIS CAUSE God gave them up to vile affections....and likewise the men also, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men with men,... receiving in themselves THE JUST RECOMPENSE FOR THEIR ERROR,... God gave then over to a reprobate mind,.... filled with all unrighteousness, ...full of envy, murder, deceit,....haters of God,...proud,...without understanding,...who, KNOWING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD, that they which commit such things ARE WORTHY OF (ETERNAL) DEATH..." (Romans 1: 18-32)
Not a pretty picture for the sodomites.
If you are stupid enough to argue with God ...I am smart enough not to agree with you...
2006-09-20 17:12:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
As a TS women myself, I'm quite sure of my gender, but there are TGs who don't want to be considered any singular gender. That's their right. As for myself, I act, and dress as a lady and want to be treated as one.
Tammi Dee
2006-09-17 01:56:31 · answer #8 · answered by tammidee10 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Even gays are either male or female. Nice you're taking a class but regardless of what your professor says or how your classmates may ponder, pontiferate or summarize it all goes back to He made them male and female He made them
2006-09-17 01:05:05 · answer #9 · answered by mk 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋
that would be kinda wired... beacuse there are ussally person with a penys or another persong witha vagina... even gay... but not in between!
2006-09-17 00:59:13 · answer #10 · answered by juan 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋