"I don't have a gender. I don't see why I should have a gender"

[drspouse]

Feminist statement or the ultimate in denying that biological sex means anything?

This is the statement of a young adult I have come across, who appears more male than female but I think is probably biologically female. Of course, wearing stereotypically male clothing does not mean you are no longer biologically female As Any Fule No.

Discuss!

The only issue I have with a statement such as "I don't have a gender" is that it potentially ignores the ways in which gender is imposed. I can reject gender as much as I like, but I can't fully overcome the ways in which society treats me (or has treated me) in a different way because of the gender expectations I have been subject to since birth. I can't completely shake off all of the childhood teaching that I mustn't be bossy, must let other people shine, must be modest and nice etc. Nor can I forget the years of listening to sexist jokes or being made uncomfortable by men in public places.

How does the rejection of gender tie in with the necessary recognition that it still shapes all of our lives, personalities and experiences? It's a genuine question and I would be interested in any thoughts.

How does the rejection of gender tie in with the necessary recognition that it still shapes all of our lives, personalities and experiences?

Well, that's where things get complicated.

When I say "I don't have a gender" I use gender in the sense the genderists use it, i.e. to mean the nebulous "gender identity" that genderists allege all people have.

When I say "Gender must be abolished" then I talk of gender meaning, as it has always been used by feminism, socially enforced gender roles. They exist, they influence us all, of course, and they need to be abolished. I acknowledge that I have a gender in that one is forced on me by society.
(And for this meaning of gender, the gender of MtT transgenders is masculine as that is how they have been socialized, with the exception of very few cases of boys who were raised "as girls" because they lost their penis in an accident as baby and doctors were unbelievably idiotic. Whereas the gender of FtT transgenders is feminine, as that's how they were raised, without any exceptions that I know of.
Transgender people won't be happy if you tell them what their actual gender, in the feminist sense of the word is. Because they are fully tied up in the illusion that they can decide themselves how they want society to treat them. Which is not how oppression works, obviously.)

Thanks VestalVirgin - very interesting.

I think that gender in the feminist, society-enforced sense, becomes very complicated when talking about trans issues. I completely agree that, for example, MtT people will always have a masculine gender in the sense that they were socialised as and treated as male growing up. Some may then experience at least aspects of a feminine society-imposed gender (for example, street harassment or being treated in a certain way because they present as women).

But perhaps there is also a separate gendered treatment by society of MtT or FtT people who have obviously transitioned. It would be interesting to hear more about that from the trans community. It is not as simple as just calling it "discrimination" in that a person is not treated as his or her chosen gender identity. There are some aspects of a feminine gender that MtT people will almost never experience - the expectation that she will get pregnant, for example, or perhaps even the general expectation that she will have "feminine" characteristics and interests.

In my experience a lot of the negative aspects of being a woman, and therefore having the female gender imposed, actually delight some MtT people.

Catcalling and street harrassment for one. As it's validating.

And if course, there is always, the option of identifying back into the gender that has the power.

In my experience a lot of the negative aspects of being a woman, and therefore having the female gender imposed, actually delight some MtT people.

I read some MtT write that online, too. Either that, or they are utterly surprised and shocked that men really treat them like crap the moment they "pass" ... even though feminists have told them for years and years how men treat women.

But perhaps there is also a separate gendered treatment by society of MtT or FtT people who have obviously transitioned

There is. Men who claim to believe the whole stuff still give MtT more respect than actual women.
Men who don't believe it ... well, I suppose conservative men treat MtT the same way they treat other feminine men, i.e. with contempt. Male feminist allies would do their best to treat women and men the same, so not much of a difference there.

Men also still rape FtT.
My guess is that men will treat an FtT like any other gender-non-conforming woman. I.e. the men who are willing to accept and welcome women who behave like "one of the guys" (often by being misogynist against other women) will do so with FtT, too, while the men who hate any gender-non-conforming women will discriminate against them.

I've read quite a few stories of women who transition to escape misogyny and then go on to try and be one of the boys. They end up encountering such unvarnished misogyny, (because they are considered to be presenting as immune), they are disgusted even more disillusioned.