Gender as a thing is certainly socially constructed. The arbiter of gender attributes is power relations. For instance Mrs Thatcher, a powerful woman, was nicknamed "The Iron Lady" because she was unusual in her steely and unsentimental determination which is a character trait usually attributed to the male gender. Queen Elizabeth the First was another male gender female sex woman and her famous speech at Tilbury capitalises on her insight in this regard.Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 11:51 amThough it may be radically misleading.In most, but it matters to the person. IOW my post is focused on two very different ideas about sexuality and gender, both of which are on the left. And they don't quite fit together. The trans person, for example, doesn't care that at work it doesn't matter to the place of employment if he or she or they are considered a man or a woman. They consider the difference to of critical significance. That there are distinct genders/sexes and they are over HERE not THERE.Gender used to be important when men regarded women as chattels. Now, it doesn't matter whether an employee or business associate calls themself a man or a woman.
And the left supports them in this. If they say they are a woman, regardless of birth sex, looks, genitalia, reproductive organs, voice, body hair, breast size and look, etc., they are a woman. Sex change operation or no.
But there are other facets of the left, often if not usually embodied in the same left person that say that gender is a myth. A social contruct. A woman can be and feel and be like anything. A man can feel/think/relate/move speak in any matter at all. All gender/sex difference is a social construct. These don't fit together well.
And, again, I am not weighing in here against trans people. I am focused on a contradiction that the left shuffles around in, without wanting to really deal the contradictions.
And it must be radically confusing for children. Who are often being told there are no differences, you can think/feel/do anything regardless of your sex. And then at the same time Johanna feels like she is a woman so she is a woman. And, generally speaking, transpeople work quite hard to fit into gender norms. Not always, but enough so that children must end up with a real mish mash around sex/gender ontology.
POMO plays a role in this, I think, and it would tend to lead one towards indetermination and claims of an authentic or more authentic sex or sexuality for a specific individual cannot be grounded. IOW it is subtely anti-trans.
Sex is constructed by current biological norms. Some babies are born biological males: some babies born biological females: some are born hermaphrodites. I understand the process of sex change is gradual over the course of months or years and involves chemical hormonal changes.
Transsexual people are not immune to gender/sex confusion. Moreover some transsexual people look as if their role models are actors from burlesque comedy. I wish such people were better as putting on the make-up, if they must wear make-up.