How many distinct genders do you believe there are?

Question

I have heard someone say as many as five. Why do most cultures only recognize two?

Answer 1

That's such a complicated question. It still gives people problems all the time, mostly because gender is a sliding scale, and, moreover, a relative thing. Someone who I deem as feminine might be regarded by someone else as masculine, and while there are people who without a doubt fit "masculine", "feminine", and "androgynous", there are a million others who don't fit neatly into the three categories, but somewhere in between.

Then, to throw things up, there are intersexed people and pre-op or non-op transsexuals whose genital configurations mess everything up again. Although this is a different thing (gender is how you act, talk, dress, style yourself, behave; sex is your body, your voice, your genitals, your chromosomes, etc.), most people don't operate just on sex, or just on gender, but on the combination of the two.

In the end, I don't think there's a specific number of genders out there; suffice to say, it's more than just two. Most cultures only recognize two because of an intolerance of gender transgression; religious foundations may have a part in it (supposedly there's Adam and there's Eve, and that's the template for how everyone is supposed to be). Most nations have a deep-seated sort of fear of homosexuality, even if they outwardly accept it, and that causes a problem for those other genders, because if they exist, they can be objects of desire, which makes people freak out and wonder what their desire makes them.

It's a vicious thing that I hope we can break, and start celebrating gender diversity.

Answer 2

Because there are only two genders, and then two birth defects which can cloud the issue - the androgynous person, without external genitals; and the hermaphrodite, who has two sets.

Those who add more, like gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. are being disingenuous.

There are two genders present in the healthy population. Those two genders find various ways to express their need for sexual gratifications. Some seek out members of the same gender, others seek out animals, some like pleasuring themselves. If we call every variation on the act of reaching orgasm a "gender" there would be endless numbers of genders.

Gender is determined by what set of genitals is present. How a person choses to use those genitals is an issue aside from gender.

Answer 3

Let us not misunderstand the question here. The question is about gender not sex and definitely not about sexual practices. This question asks where the line to gender exists. I personally believe the psyche is where the answers to gender lie. Some may feel that their biological existence of male makes their gender male. However, let us examine someone like Christine Jorgenson for a moment if we may. Even though she served in the war as a man and was a symbol of masculinity in her serving her country she believed that her biological sex did not match her gender within the psyche. So she had the operations to become the woman she truly was inside. This is evidence that the answers to gender are found within and not just based on a physiological description of what sexual organs one possesses. Therefore, to answer such questions one must search inside for his or her own gender. There are two genders which one can be currently. One can be female or one can be male. Within both male or female though one can be a masculine, androgynous, or feminine. To complicate it a little further one can be a lesbian, gay male, or trans within any of these categories. Kind of feels like we are talking about a box of chocolates now because we have quite the mix. :-D But to answer your question I think it depends on what you feel you are. Each person must analyze themselves to determine their own space in life.

Answer 4

Gender is just a suggestion.

Answer 5

science recognizes only two. I say, untill we know for sure, it's better not to speak on what we don't know.

Answer 6

There are only two.

Answer 7

MALE AND FEMALE


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Answer 8

there are two genders. anyone claiming to be other than those two genders is deluding themselves."

Answer 9

the line gets more and more blurry everyday we allow Satan to convince people that homosexual behavior is not an abomination .