Gender: Is it Black and White?
The Gender Spectrum courtesy of shameproofparenting
There is a growing discussion on gender and sexual identity, and for me, this was always perplexing. I had always seen the world through the gender binary lens that perhaps a lot of us have, and grew up thinking there were standards as to how it is a man and woman are supposed to behave. For me personally, growing up in a Mexican household, we are taught this "machismo" idea which calls for the man to hold their ground no matter the circumstances. It was seen as effeminate for us to cry or show vulnerability, and many of the things we went through had to be endured. But, as I grew older and began thinking for myself, I saw this as a detrimental way of thinking. As a human being, I am supposed to feel emotions and there are going to be things that elicit an emotional response. This newfound way of thinking has pushed me away from this toxic idea of masculinity, of which I believe is a growing concern that society faces now.
There is also a growing consensus that gender no longer includes only male and female, or at least how they are to be perceived. But, society does not seem to know the words that should be involved in the discussion, and much rather make their own assumptions and definitions. Gender, as it is defined here, is divided into three parts: body, identity, and expression. The explanation for "body" describes it as how society identifies what is male and female, so essentially the definition of sex. Sex is biological and includes the genitalia and hormones associated with either male or female. This then brings into question people who are intersex, where a person is born with both reproductive organs or has a shared anatomy between the sexes. In these cases, gender identity, or how people view themselves, plays a big role.
Gender identity seems to be the great divider in many of the discussions that society has. People can choose to view themselves as the typical male and female counterparts, or can choose to be non-binary or agender (not associated with any gender). I find difficult to come to terms with the last two because it does not add to the conversation. It seems as though people choose not to pick any gender for the sake of not picking a gender, considering that a person is going to behave in certain ways that, although stereotypical, are still in line with the male or female roles. This is the gender schema theory which is society's definition of the roles of both genders in society. This notion of not being associated with either gender is a little misleading because although some people can possess attributes from both sides (like a spectrum) there are things that are going to define what is typical of a male and what is typical of a female, and simply not wanting to give it a name adds little to the conversation.
This then leads us to gender expression, which is how people choose to show their gender. Although gender schema theory denotes how male and female are supposed to behave and look based on society, people may choose to express themselves however they would like, which includes wearing things generally associated with the other gender. Gender expression does not necessarily define gender identity, and this is the part that many seem to confuse. A person's gender identity is separate from their gender expression and it is mostly here where I think the spectrum is a lot more clear to see. How a person wants others to see them should not be scrutinized or discriminated against, as it is an expression. Here in the United States, this is protected under the First Amendment, and how a person chooses to present themselves should not be a defining aspect of there gender identity. How they express their gender is how they feel comfortable, and it should not be grounded in how they view themselves internally. A biological male who identifies as a male can express effeminate qualities, but this does not mean that they are female and vice versa.
So, while many argue that gender is a spectrum, I would argue that it is really the expression of gender that is more like a spectrum. Nonetheless, such grounds should not be the basis to judge someone, and instead of judging people on how they express their gender, it should be their character that ultimately defines who they are.
