Gender As A Social Construct

I'm inclined to think gender is mostly a social construct. High heels were originally designed for men. Men used to wear lace and makeup. In other species, it's the males who look beautiful, i.e. peacocks. Different races have different concepts of masculinity and femininity So evolutionary psychology is bullshit.

Transgender people perpetuate the idea that gender is hardwired in the brain, because a man will say he has a "female brain" and so on. They are making it harder to break through the chains of gender.

 

Uhmmm, ok, nothing new or groundbreaking there.

The use of the term "gender" in reference to one's sexual identity/expression is relatively new, since the 1950's-60's

but there are very clear and specific differences between male and female brains, nervous systems and endocrine systems that very strongly influence a persons sexual identity and expression of same.
To a very large part, gender identity is hardwired in the brain.
while much of what falls under the classification of "gender" can be defined as a social construct, it would be foolish to disregard the influence our biological systems impart on the development of that social construct.

 

People who experience big changes in estrogen and/or testosterone levels, intentionally or otherwise, report changes in the way they feel about various sexual and gender issues. This is neither social nor based on brain structure.

It's just another complex issue that people want to make simple so that they can continue to think about it in a lazy, unenlightened, narrow-minded way.

 

I never understood why people stress so much about gender issues anyway. Look, it's not a big deal if a man wants to pursue a career in a female dominated field like nursing or interior design; it doesn't make him any less of a man. Likewise it's not a big deal if a woman wants to pursue a career in a male dominated profession like auto mechanics or welding; it doesn't make her any less of a woman either. And no, it doesn't make them "gender fluid" either. There is no such thing as gender fluid. There are only two genders, deal with it.

Gender studies is a new college degree that teaches young people such garbage, that they might actually wind up even stupider than before they first entered college.

 

How could there possibly be only two genders? That's like saying everyone's either light or dark. There's a spectrum of masculinity and femininity.

 

There are definite, inarguable differences between the genders... physiologically, psychologically and biologically. It's simply the modern-day propaganda designed to confuse people that says gender is merely a social construct. I call bullshit on that one 100%. Gender fluidity is simply an idea that is promoted by people who want to basically destroy society and impose their own new "norms" on everyone else. Basically the idea is you can be whatever gender you feel like being from one day to the next. Maybe ten years from now it will be all about species fluidity. Perhaps one day I can call myself bird, and the next I can call myself a turtle. All this recent talk about gender and its so-called fluidity is completely asinine. Gender is a real, provable thing that actually exists. The idea that one can choose their gender is simply disturbing.

 

Gender fluidity isnt anything new though. The only thing new is the uproar behind it.My entire life I have came across people with an ambiguous gender. . Not people who are androgynous as a fashion statement, but people where you legitimately cant tell what gender they are. I dont know what all the fuss is about now.

 

^
lol

Just because it is clear it isn't merely a social construct, other people thinking otherwise must be doing that because of propaganda reasons and to bring down society.... or of course are not aware of this motive but are being used for it by other people who wanna bring down society.

edit: added quote

 

Obviously I was not talking about people in the general public, but rather those pushing it from the top.

 

I like turtles..

 

Why cant someone call themselves a turtle anyways?

Kind of a silly comparison anyways.

I think people get way too uptight about this subject.

 

Anyone can call themselves whatever they want and live their reality-denying life if they want.

The problem has more to do with accusing those of us as hateful bigots who accept reality by calling these people crazy.

 

If you think gender dysphoria is a legitimate mental illness wouldnt you look at it with more compassion then? I would.

I dont know if it is a mental illness, i think it is probably more complex than that as Karen said above. But I dont really understand the need to call anyone crazy or accuse them of denying reality - if it IS a mental illess, would you accuse someone with a different type of mental illness - schitzophrenia for example, of denying reality?

I dont think you're a bigot but I do feel like your wording there came off a little harsher and judgemental than the situation warrants - which basically, to me at least, reinforces my belief that people are too uptight about the issue. I just dont see why anyone cares at all.

 

Me either. If I met someone who insisted that their gender was "turtle", I'd nod my head, think about it, and keep on living exactly as I did yesterday. It's the perfect of example of an issue that is a non-issue. If it matters a lot to someone you love, support them. Or don't. It doesn't change how they perceive reality. And then keep on living your life.

 

We can call ourselves anything we want, personally I identify as a mushroom, but that doesn't make it so. Because science, and chromosomes. It's really that easy.

 

I'd say GID is a mental illness. It has been considered one for a very long time, but nowadays talking about it like it IS a mental illness is getting into insensitive, politically incorrect territory. I don't have a problem with people identifying however they want, as long as they are mentally healthy and aren't harming themselves or others.

Long story short: I had a discussion about gender dysphoria with my big sister, who is a family psychologist in training. One of her patients was a 15 year old boy who believed he was born the wrong gender, and his parents were worried. So after therapy and discussion with him, she learned that he felt his mom and dad treated his sister better than him in every way, while he felt neglected and unloved. He witnessed his sister receive more praise than he did for the same accomplishments. They determined that that his mental illness came from a lifetime of envying his sister, and his desire for a sex change was all nurture-based. It's a rather sad story for sure.

Like all mental illnesses, I think they need to be examined in greater detail for the betterment of the sufferer, not just accepted and praised because they believe something that isn't true about themselves. I've heard documented stories of confused young people who were convinced they were born the wrong gender, go through with the hormone treatment and sex change, only to find out they were worse than they were post-operation, and in extreme cases they turn to suicide. I believe this happens because society confuses the minds of homosexual adolescents going through that awkward phase when they believe they should have been born the opposite gender when in fact they were gay all along.

 

^ and thats fair. I agree it should be examined thoroughly from a mental and physical health point of view, as long as it is done with compassion.

 

I'm afraid that's impossible. People who identify their gender as 'turtle' make me outrageously angry. I can't sleep at night and lost all my hair because of it. And then other people come along and call it a non-issue... This world is hopeless!

 

Does it piss anyone off when someone claims to be an inanimate object to prove a point, and your only argument against that line of thought is, "Well that's just stupid, comparing--say a Helicopter-- to an actual being of the opposite sex, only proves you have no idea what you're talking about." ?

 

i don't think i've ever heard anyone claim to be an inanimate object. but it probably would piss me off, just because by definition, an inanimate object really can't claim to be anything.