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Sex, Gender, And Dancing With Chaz Bono

Started by Shana A, September 29, 2011, 09:12:27 AM

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Shana A

Sex, Gender, And Dancing With Chaz Bono

September 29, 2011
by Barbara J King

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/09/26/140827257/sex-gender-and-dancing-with-chaz-bono

A person's sex is unambiguous. As a result of biology, we're born either male or female. A person's gender, by contrast, is a matter of social construction. If we're born female, we may choose to act in ways considered in our society to be masculine — or vice versa.

This dichotomy between sex and gender is often asserted as fact, and may seem like common sense. But it's flat wrong. A person's sex can be socially constructed.

Intersexuals (once referred to as "hermaphrodites") born in the U.S. during the 1950s provide a striking example. As reported by the scientist Anne Fausto-Sterling in her book Sexing the Body, babies born at that time with some mix of male and female sex organs were routinely altered by surgery within a day or two of their birth. Following the removal of the penis or clitoris, the baby was assigned either female or male status and raised by parents in ways concordant with that status.
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde


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spacial

Another confused individual seeking to present opinion as fact.

Their either or argument isn't valid simply because their assertion,

QuoteA person's sex is unambiguous. As a result of biology, we're born either male or female.

hasn't been demonstrated. I choose to disagree and my opinion is as legitimate as that one.

The claim:

Quotewhere a woman I know, a diehard fan of the show, declared that she wouldn't watch it until "she" (Chaz) was kicked off.

Is equally invalid without clarification. Is this woman upset because Chaz was, prior to reassignment, a Lesbian? Because she resents losing a sister? Because she doesn't like Chaz personally or his politics, or perhaps  she simply dislikes his parents.

The writer is attempting to back her arguments by claiming that she is an academic. But if being an academic was sufficient validity then all academics would equally agree on all issues. That they don't demonstrates that their positions are not sufficient to replace argument.

What makes these people so disturbing is that they seek to assert, however tacitly, that their views, on almost any issue, are somehow more valid than any other. That is nauseating.

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Lukas-H

Well, I'm not an expert but a lot of times when someone is transgendered/transsexual and another person refers to them as their previous sex (especially when they have been out for some time, have a new name, have had surgeries and look fully male/female) it is because the person dislikes/disagrees with/has a hatred for TG/TS people because of what they are.

I don't consider myself to be 100% right, but if this woman who said she refused to watch the show is only upset because she disliked Chaz's parents or his political stance they probably would not have much issue with using proper pronouns.

I did agree with the statement "a person's sex is unambiguous" even though the writer switched course with it later in the article when she spoke about intersexed and TS people.

All in all though, I liked this article because it really got the point across that we (TS/TG and IS) people do exist, that Ablow is an idiot and that it's time society stop thinking black and white.
We are human, after all. -Daft Punk, Human After All

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. -Mulan
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spacial

I muct have been feeling particularly down when I wrote my response.

I was very harsh. Probably wrong.
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