I would ban the word gender if I had the chance. The idea that everyone has the one of two “genders” because there is a word for it, is asinine given our current level of scientific understanding. The word in and of itself is not bad, but it is used to force unique individuals into roles they may not be comfortable with in society. This idea is archaic and it is time for us to adopt a more inclusive scientific view of gender, or do away with the word altogether and replace it with “human being”.
How Does DNA Factor Into Gender?
We know that DNA combines in a multitude of combinations creating massive variations in physical characteristics as well as variations in brain structure, chemistry, size, etc. Would it not make sense that this would apply to gender in humans as well?
We are perfectly willing to accept different genders in microbes, insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, and reptiles….but not for humans! For humans there is and shall always only be two, despite any evidence that is ever found clearly stating the contrary.
Sex chromosomes have independently evolved multiple times and show varied levels of divergence from each other in the heterogametic sex (in XY males or ZW females
National Library of Medicine
Many species can even change gender in one single lifecycle, cue Sandy.
(Sandy the Beardie, equal rights advocate: See below)
The delightful bearded dragons actually perform a sex reversal in the egg. Studies show that when warm temperatures occur during egg incubation, male bearded dragons often reverse course to become female.
But it’s not a complete switch. They actually remain male genetically, but act and reproduce like females
Treehugger
What Do We Observe In Nature?
Other species reproduce asexually, not to mention all the other genetic variations that have been unsuccessful. These are only variations that have managed to survive and reproduce. A recent A sweeping study of 493,001 people conducted attempting to correlating genes to sexual orientation recently released in Science magazine cited that:
…. the researchers found that sexuality is polygenic — meaning hundreds or even thousands of genes make tiny contributions to the trait (in humans).
PBS.org
What About Research On Factors Affecting Human Sexuality?
The study found that only 8%-25% of participants who became same-sex partners could be predicted genetically. Environment and life experience played a large role as the ultimate determinant of sexuality for humans. If that is true, why are we trying to force people into two boxes regarding gender. It will always create problems and marginalize those who do not fit neatly in them!
Why Are We So Prone To This Type Of Thinking?
Why do we do this so consistently? Our attempts to put people in categories because our brains thrive on recognizing patterns has done us great credit, but also been a great detriment in other ways, specifically in the case of: stereotyping, racism, sexism, gender discrimination, and so on and so forth. We have a hard time categorizing things that don’t fit neatly into our pattern recognition in short.
How To Fix The Problem?
So how do we fix this problem? Let human beings be the diverse, odd, awkward, wonderful, intelligent, compassionate, and crazy lifeforms that we are. The fact that we are here at all in this vast universe should be cause for celebration, not condemnation. Who are we to judge the way others feel in their skin, who they like, who they do not? Shouldn’t we be more concerned with issues like…I don’t know…climate catastrophe, nuclear proliferation, poverty, disease, and war? These are the true threats to our continued existence on this incredibly unique place we call Planet Earth, not people with (different) genders or sexual preferences.
Additional Resources on Gender and Sexuality
- World Health Organization (WHO) – Gender and Women’s Health:
- Website: WHO Gender and Women’s Health
- UN Women:
- Website: UN Women
- Gender Data Portal:
- Website: Gender Data Portal
- Pew Research Center – Gender and LGBT Issues:
- Gender and Development Network (GADN):
- Website: Gender and Development Network
- Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean:
- Website: Gender Equality Observatory
- European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE):
- Website: EIGE
- Gender Studies – Oxford Research Encyclopedias:
- Gender and Sexuality Studies – MIT OpenCourseWare:
- International Center for Research on Women (ICRW):
- Website: ICRW
Citation: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (3.5) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this article engaging, even if you disagree! Have a great Sunday and check out some of my other articles if you have a moment!
- (no title)
- Courage Under Fire
- Exploring the Nostalgia of Time Capsules
- Relationships That Matter
- My Modern Sports Team Would Be the Knights of Ni
What are your thoughts on this?