I have found some of the responses to my note commenting upon a recent item here from “christyboy” quite strange. Because they wrote to my own email, I thought I might share their thoughts with you here. One correspondent wrote to me and quoted definitions of sex and gender, and suggested that I was confusing the two of them. The simple truth is, of course, that sex and gender are confused and confusing. A definition of something is not what that thing is; the thing is itself. My correspondent defined gender as “the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex”. The word “typically” makes this wrong to start with – who can define what is “typical” of one sex or another and who makes this “association”. This definition is just plain silly; the “typical” traits that define our gender are “behavioural and cultural and psychological” all of which can be influenced by environment, upbringing, by schooling, peer pressure, oh my God by everything. This definition is not very definite. Gender is not definite. Even sex is not definite; so many people are born intersexed! Then I was told that “Sex is defined biologically and within those parameters a person (or animal) with a penis is male and one with a vagina is female.” It’s that simple folks – problem solved. Then I was assured that “Personally, I don’t think GRS changes that anymore than removing a male cat’s penis would render that cat female.” Was there a point in telling me this in the context? I hadn’t suggested that GRS changed a person’s gender. GRS does not correct gender. I had made it very clear that “GRS corrects a problem with their physical characteristics that is at variance with their real gender.” My correspondent described trannies (their word; not mine) as having “chosen to identify as people of a gender that isn’t the one usually associated with their sex. They are choosing a different *gender role*”. Do we choose our gender? Any more than we choose our sex or sexuality? But I would ask you to note that word “usually”. So there it is, friends, for those of us who were confused – sex and gender can be very clearly defined
as something which is typically associated with the characteristics that are usual for .. Oh my, I am very confused. Are you?
