Facebook exploded with news articles, links to Vanity Fair magazine, and personal posts in the form of photos, status updates and wall postings the day Caitlyn Jenner revealed herself to the world. Among my friends on Facebook, some supported the courageous actions of Caitlyn while others scorned her for vandalizing her body. The most subtly offensive aspect of my Facebook stream was the people who refused to call Caitlyn by the preferred pronoun – she. In an attempted rebellion against Caitlyn and the transgender community, dissidents on Facebook repeatedly used pronouns like “he,” “his” and “him.” Though she has not undergone full transitional surgery, Caitlyn is a woman. She is transgender, and gender is not based on biological features but on the cultural expectations of males or females.
The gender binary, male and female, is sometimes too limiting for individuals. “Genderqueer” or “gender fluid” are terms used for individuals who identify as neither. They have become increasingly familiar because of shows like “Orange Is The New Black,” which features androgynous actress Ruby Rose. Rose’s character, Stella Carlin, states that she is a woman “only because my options are limited.” Celebrities like Miley Cyrus have also brought attention to this idea. In an interview with Time magazine, Cyrus declared, “I’m just equal. I’m just even. It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It’s literally just how I feel.”
In a world with billions of people influenced by many different factors like religion, societal roles, fashion trends, music and mannerisms, it is ridiculous to consider only two possibilities for gender. That is why the concept of gender fluidity is both necessary and legitimate. Males and females have exclusive roles in our society that have been constructed by social practice, but some may find their personal beliefs and preferences do not conform. Women may choose to pursue their career instead of starting a family, and men may choose to wear makeup and other cosmetic products that have been deemed effeminate. In these instances, biological sex does not correspond to traditional characteristics of males and females.
The idea of gender being exclusively linked to anatomical features has emerged during discussions of sexual identity and gender identity. This stems from confusion about the words “sex” and “gender,” which are absolutely not interchangeable. Sex refers to biological characteristics, while gender refers to the attitudes and behaviors that surround biological sex. Females are traditionally viewed as nurturing, sensitive and maternal, while males are strong, dominant and protective. Physiology validates these ideas to an extent, but our culture heightens them. Because women are able to have children and breastfeed, they are viewed as nurturing and essential for a child’s life. This idea has confined women to the role of mothers and shamed those who choose to oppose it.
I already know the information and examples provided in this article will be misconstrued, so let me clarify – non-conformity does not necessarily mean genderqueer. Non-conformity regarding gender is ubiquitous; it is expected that an individual will not perfectly follow the template for males and females our society has created. This does not mean that every single person is genderless. Gender identity is personal and developed through experience, starting at the age of three. Experiences that shape our gender vary from human to human, and it is possible for members of the same religion, social class or geographic location to perceive themselves very differently. But that is the entire point of gender identity. It is the way we view ourselves after compiling information about typical expectations for men and women. It is not our right to label others based on their biological sex, assuming their life experiences have coincided with their physiology. However, it is also not right to designate individuals with non-conforming idiosyncrasies as genderqueer. It is our individual right to identify ourselves, and nobody else, based on our analysis of self and humanity.
Gender roles for men and women are constantly changing. Male nurses and pants-wearing women would have been rarities in past decades, but both are highly acceptable in modern American society. For women and men living through the evolution of perceived gender roles, it may be difficult to identify exclusively as one or the other. This ambiguity is not the issue. The primary problem with gender identity is the pressure associated with conformity. For so long, there have only been two bubbles to select from when stating gender on applications and exams. There have only been mothers or fathers, or brothers and sisters. It has never occurred that some may feel like a combination of the two, or even neither. The spectrum of gender identity is wide, with male and female at opposite ends and endless possibilities in between.
