Phil
Phil
Aug 8, 2017 · 2 min read

Doesn’t gender exist? It is a describable thing- albeit with multiple levels of meaning ranging across biology and anatomy into our psychology and sociology. However, classification of gender and assignment of babies into two crude groups is fast being recognized as deficient and restricting the contributions of many, if not all, human beings.

‘“It’s a new human being with vast potential!” exclaim the delivery room staff. “So many options for expressing their unique value!”

Let’s hope we’ll see this scene soon, perhaps in a film, first-and witness the simplicity of being human, before gender norms, mythologies, and myopia encase us and begin to restrict human development.

I’m on the same road as you are. As I read your story, I began to feel that the term ‘non-binary’ is really not very useful. It isn’t a positive definition- describing what we are rather than what we aren’t. Further, what we are trying to describe is still rooted in the same facts as the binary gender construct. In addition, isn’t any ‘cis’ person also non-binary? They are trying to stay on one side of the presumed duality

‘Androgynous’ is a positive descriptor, although weakened by the implication of 50/50 mix. That perspective would change as the term is used to recognize any relative proportions in the expression of the underlying cultural schema for males and females. It is also immediately inclusive of intersex people.

‘Gender-free’ is impossible in biology, and really means ‘gender restriction free’. That’s too long for general use, although it gets to the point.Why acknowledge ages of suppression with “genderqueer” or ‘genderf*ck”? As a rebel, I’m not averse to the latter, but being ‘genderfluid’ seems to do the work of identifying my freedom without adding a sense of battle.

I am going with ‘genderfluid’ . It is immediately understood as focused on the expressive aspects of gender, rather than the anatomical. It helps by cautioning us against expecting consistent expression in any dimension of gender, and specifically does not imply any deterministic biology. We can’t build a society of restriction against genderfluidity, because it applies to any combination, and as you point out, many people will identify with this state, even if they only feel slight tinglings of their shared interests or experiences with the ‘other’ gender. A person who is changing gender is also genderfluid, and we don’t need to further classify each other.

It is still really useful to eliminate gender descriptors on forms- since we are in busy removing restrictions by assigned gender anyway. Freedom for all is coming, and we can help it arrive by saying to our acquaintances- “I’m genderfluid. Aren’t you?”

Phil

Written by

Phil

We can all help each other a lot by freely expressing our gender