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Default   #32   Coda Coda is offline
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Neither sex nor gender is that simple, Tiva. Looking at it from the perspective of X and Y chromosomes completely disregards intersex conditions and the activity of hormones in the womb and during development.

Saying that there are only 2 genders in the US and as many as 7 in other cultures is completely missing the point. The language spoken in the US may only verbally acknowledge two, but Ultima lives in the US and they're neither male nor female. And there are people -- in the US -- who consider themselves both at once, or a third gender as opposed to one or the other. Gender is not a binary, it is not a spectrum, it's more like a ball of wibbly-wobbly, gendery-wendery... stuff.

Furthermore, plenty of women in the US these days are pursuing lifestyles that are societally considered masculine, but no one doubts their femininity. (The same cannot be said for men -- it seems in our culture it's much easier to doubt someone's masculinity.) Does their lifestyle, and society's statements about their lifestyle, determine their gender? Does it influence their gender? Clearly the answer is: no, it does not.

The fact remains that transgender individuals exist in all cultures across the world and throughout time, regardless of what that society's standards and opinions are. You can have a butch transwoman, and she's still a woman even if she acts masculinely and has a Y chromosome. Saying that gender is solely a societal construct is NOT empowering -- it is as limiting as saying that gender is a biological construct.
Games by Coda (updated 4/8/2025 - New game: Marianas Miner)
Art by Coda (updated 8/25/2022 - beatBitten and All-Nighter Simulator)

Mega Man: The Light of Will (Mega Man / Green Lantern crossover: In the lead-up to the events of Mega Man 2, Dr. Wily has discovered emotional light technology. How will his creations change how humankind thinks about artificial intelligence? Sadly abandoned. Sufficient Velocity x-post)
Old Posted 12-07-2012, 01:02 AM Reply With Quote