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What is Gender?

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by inktopus, Nov 11, 2018.

  1. inktopus

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    I'm a cis lesbian. I'm just going to put that out there. I used to think I was genderfluid because of a weird relationship with gender coupled with a misunderstanding of what gender even is.

    I think that we tend to ascribe more meaning to gender than it warrants. Gender isn't the social roles that we created. Gender isn't the clothes we wear.

    Gender is a biological reality. That's why trans people exist and have sex dysphoria. I don't know about dysphoric nonbinary people, but I don't think you can be trans without dysphoria. I don't think gender is deep enough for that to happen, let alone the science behind it.

    Do you agree? Disagree? What do you think gender is?
     
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  2. Aberrance

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    Tbh I do agree with you. I do think than in today's society the term gender is described as femininity and masculinity far too often. Some people seem to find difficulty in differentiating their likes/dislikes to how they feel. Gender roles are a social construct that no one should feel obliged to subscribe to, whereas gender is biological, hence why trans people transition as it's a medical condition that has come from the body forming differently than the brain thinks it should. Sex =/= gender, although my gender is male, I know that unfortunately my sex will never be male and that's just a hard truth that trans people have to live with.

    If society continues to break down gender roles and expectations upon the sexes to be a certain way, I hope that it will allow people to just be themselves and prevent anyone from transitioning or making the mistake of thinking that they're trans when they're not.
     
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  3. Mihael

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    So you feel like being a woman describes you well after all? Well, I can only envy you that you don't have to deal with the issue of being put in the wrong box.
     
  4. inktopus

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    What do you mean? I don't have sex dysphoria, and I'm fairly gender conforming. I was born with the sex that feels right to me.
     
  5. Mihael

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    I mean that you are comfortable being described as a female and describing yourself as female too.
    If you are gender conforming it makes a lot of sense, actually. Usually, when people doubt their gender, they aren't gender conforming. Being "normal" has to make you feel connected with the description of you as female and its implications.
     
    #5 Mihael, Nov 12, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2018
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  6. Kodo

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    I agree.

    I think it is necessary to have dysphoria in order to be trans, otherwise it wouldn't make sense to transition. For me, gender is tied to biological and social realities. To have gender dysphoria isn't about your gender expression, but your gender identity. That means, what sexual and social characteristics you want or identify with. I am generally conforming when it comes to masculine presentation, but that isn't what makes me trans. I want to be seen and referred to by others as male. I want my body to have male sexual characteristics. It isn't about wearing men's clothes or having played with boy toys as a child. Those are cultural aspects, but not the root of it.
     
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