On this there should have been accord between feminists who think sex roles are a sack of shit, usually because they themselves have struggled against them, and trans people who want to step outside their sex roles. It would have been great. But look what has happened.
I know, that’s what I find so sad and frustrating about the whole situation, and the reason I’m here.
This bit I am less sure about. How will non gendered clothes work when they need to fit the different bodies of the different sexes? How will the labelling work etc, in practical terms? What about maternity clothes, how will they be labelled?
I suppose to some extent it depends what kind of clothes, and particularly what sort of fit, you prefer, and obviously people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes anyway regardless of sex. There might well still be some clothes designed to fit specifically typical female or male body shapes, but I’m not convinced we need two completely separate sizing systems. And obviously the stark differences in colours, styles, fabrics and designs between clothes aimed at men and women are completely unnecessary.
I also assume it's meant that there would still be loads of interesting clothes to choose from, not that everyone would wear the same?
Absolutely (although having some slight commie tendencies I can also see the attraction of standard-issue overalls for everyone!)
On the last part, I'm not sure how it will work. It's usually pretty obvious who is male and who is female. I'm not sure why or how this would become not known? And while people don't go around wondering about genitals grin the fact is that sexuality exists. An obvious challenge would be porn. I can't see most men losing their preferences for certain types of bodies/ genitals in what they consume. What's your view on that?
I think you’re underestimating how much of the way we instantly ‘clock’ another person’s (assumed) sex is through their hairstyle and clothes (particularly in winter when people are more covered up, and also in the case of very overweight people). I’ve met a fair few butch women where I’ve found myself surreptitiously glancing at their chest to try and check I’d guessed their sex correctly. I’m not saying you wouldn’t be able to work it out in quite a few cases (particularly when you hear people speak), but I think we would stop sorting people so immediately into one of two categories.
On sexuality, I think many more people will be bisexual as heterosexuality gradually ceases to be the assumed norm, and this is born out by the increasing numbers of young people identifying as bi over time (I think in the last census there was a large increase in the 18 to 25 age group?). Also I’ve heard some interesting stats about the surprisingly large number of men who identify as straight yet have had sex with other men - even now there’s a big stigma around it.
I think society has gone backwards hasn't it? In terms of the level of flexibility. It was the mid 90s. Before that you had all sorts of exciting stuff going on. Then BAM oasis, lads mags, and the clothes suddenly went really fucking boring. I assume it was backlash against the previous couple of decades, pushing everyone back into gender boxes. It felt like a male driven change... What the average blokes think of all this is not really considered. I don't think they'll like it much, will they. How can that be changed.
I agree things seem to have gone backwards since the 70s (or so my mother tells me). I put it largely down to capitalism and the drive the find new ways to market things.
In the end if I shave all my hair off and wear 'men's' clothes (which I can't cos I'm a short woman) I'll still be easily recognised as a woman. Because the clothes hair etc is a really small part of it.
Again, while this may be true of a proportion of women, I have a different view of how much difference it would make, particularly in relation to those of us with less traditionally ‘feminine’ body shapes and facial features.