The Future of Genders
Infant gender assignment. The procedure that obstetricians, doctors and midwives commit every day — declaring their opinion of the baby’s gender based on nothing else, but of a cursory glance at the baby’s genitals. In other words, a single moment of a baby’s life which instantly constricts them in a concrete pink or blue box.
As more actions are taken to advance the equal treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, more parents are favouring a gender-neutral approach of parenting their children. Many celebrities, like Adele and Angelina Jolie, have also stood with raising their children without pressure to conform to gender stereotypes.
In 2019, New York City introduced an ‘X’ option on birth certificates, allowing people to mark their gender as undesignated or non-binary. But..why does it matter?
Here’s why; Put yourself into the shoes of a non-binary person. Imagine how stressful and painful it would be to be constricted into a small concrete box — a box that you KNOW you don’t fit into, a box that you don’t identify with, and a box that is NOT you. If you don’t identify with the gender you were assigned to at birth, growing up in that box would have a massive toll on your mental health. For those who don’t identify with the assigned gender on their birth certificate, having to override the official documentation would feel like an uphill battle. The ‘X’ option seeks to diminish such issues.
Children should be allowed to have the opportunity to be openly who they are. Why restrict the child’s infinite potential with expectations and stereotypes? Why must we force newborns to a particular gender?
Thus, more parents-to-be are getting rid of gender reveal parties and moving to support ‘X’ gender markers.
However, the idea of achieving the widespread abolishment of infant gender assignment remains a distant thought. Why? When John Lewis announced that it would be scrapping ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ labels on children’s clothing, the progressive move encountered controversial backlash by accusing that the brand was “bowing down to political correctness”. This, and many other examples, emphasise that society is far from accepting a gender-neutral approach.
In order to achieve a more gender-neutral society, a great deal of action still needs to be taken. Children should not have to be trapped in gendered norms that society places on them. We, as individuals, are the ones who deserve to have freedom to declare for ourselves who we are, not doctors, obstetricians or midwives.
By: Kayden Owee
