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Binary genders: Difference between revisions
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==Female== | ==Female== | ||
[[File:Venus symbol.svg|thumb|The female [[gender symbols|gender symbol]]. Depicts the hand mirror or distaff of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.]] | [[File:Venus symbol.svg|thumb|The female [[gender symbols|gender symbol]]. Depicts the hand mirror or distaff of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.]] | ||
Anyone with a female gender identity is female: she is a woman or girl. Experiences held in common by women of all walks of life include that they want to be called by [[Pronouns#She|"she" pronouns]]. Any woman's womanhood is valid no matter what kind of body parts she has, or what gender she was [[assigned gender at birth|assigned at birth]]. Having or wanting to have a vagina, or having the ability or desire to give birth, are not what makes someone a woman. Only identifying as a woman makes someone a woman. Cisgender women and transgender women are both equally women. Because gender isn't the same thing as [[sexual orientation]], women are still women whether they feel sexual attraction to men (heterosexual), or to women ([[lesbian]]), certain/any gender ([[bisexual]] or [[pansexual]]), or none ([[asexual]]). Although "female" is one of the binary genders, someone can be both female and [[nonbinary]]. | Anyone with a female gender identity is female: she is a woman or girl. Experiences held in common by women of all walks of life include that they want to be called by [[Pronouns#She|"she" pronouns]], and that they are systematically oppressed by [[patriarchy]]. Any woman's womanhood is valid no matter what kind of body parts she has, or what gender she was [[assigned gender at birth|assigned at birth]]. Having or wanting to have a vagina, or having the ability or desire to give birth, are not what makes someone a woman. Only identifying as a woman makes someone a woman. Cisgender women and transgender women are both equally women. Because gender isn't the same thing as [[sexual orientation]], women are still women whether they feel sexual attraction to men (heterosexual), or to women ([[lesbian]]), certain/any gender ([[bisexual]] or [[pansexual]]), or none ([[asexual]]). Although "female" is one of the binary genders, someone can be both female and [[nonbinary]]. | ||
Sources with limited understanding or familiarity with transgender and intersex issues sometimes use "female" or "women" to mean not only people who identify as female, but also anyone who was [[Sexes#Assigned female at birth|assigned female at birth (AFAB)]], and people who are perceived as women (PPW). However, people who are AFAB or PPW don't necessarily identify themselves as women, which is the crucial criteria for whether someone is a woman. | Sources with limited understanding or familiarity with transgender and intersex issues sometimes use "female" or "women" to mean not only people who identify as female, but also anyone who was [[Sexes#Assigned female at birth|assigned female at birth (AFAB)]], and people who are perceived as women (PPW). However, people who are AFAB or PPW don't necessarily identify themselves as women, which is the crucial criteria for whether someone is a woman. | ||
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* Chromosomes that are XX (textbook example), XY (androgen insensitivity syndrome), XXX (triple X syndrome), XXXX, X (Turner syndrome), or others. People rarely take a test to find out what these are, unless if they think it might explain another physical challenge. | * Chromosomes that are XX (textbook example), XY (androgen insensitivity syndrome), XXX (triple X syndrome), XXXX, X (Turner syndrome), or others. People rarely take a test to find out what these are, unless if they think it might explain another physical challenge. | ||
It is possible for a cisgender woman to have a body with few of the above physical characteristics that are usually used to describe a typical cisgender female body. For example, cisgender women who have had hysterectomies and mastectomies to survive cancer are nonetheless real women, as much as they ever were. Furthermore, having the above characteristics do not make someone a cisgender woman. For example, some people who were assigned female at birth but identify as a different gender have these characteristics. Some people with intersex conditions have these physical characteristics, but don't consider themselves cisgender women. Some do. | It is possible for a cisgender woman to have a body with few of the above physical characteristics that are usually used to describe a typical cisgender female body. For example, cisgender women who have had hysterectomies and mastectomies to survive cancer are nonetheless real women, as much as they ever were. Furthermore, having the above characteristics do not make someone a cisgender woman. For example, some people who were assigned female at birth but identify as a different gender have these characteristics. Some people with intersex conditions have these physical characteristics, but don't consider themselves cisgender women. Some do. | ||
The ability to give birth creates a physical vulnerability that is exploited by [[patriarchy]]. Patriarchy began as a system based around the control of the part of the population who generally can give birth, by the part that generally can't. Women and people who can give birth are not completely synonymous groups. (There are sterile women, fertile trans men, and so on.) Still, these two groups have the most overlap. Patriarchy means that, as a group, men control women. They exert this control in every part of society, through the systems that are built into that society. Some of the many forms of how patriarchy controls, oppresses, and abuses women include: | |||
* Violence. Patriarchy tells women that they need a man close to them at all times, if for no other reason than to protect them from violence from other men. However, domestic violence is a very common cause of women's deaths. | |||
* The idea of rape as normal (rape culture). Rape culture includes the idea that women are the ones who should take responsibility for preventing themselves from being raped (victim blaming), and defending rapists as not responsible for their actions, without educating men to not rape. Rape is specifically a significant part of the oppression of cisgender women due to the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Much of patriarchy is based around this. | |||
* The idea of women as being less human (dehumanization). Dehumanization of women means that society assumes that women's minds are more like animals' minds (sometimes said in ways that seem positive, like "intuitive" or "closer to nature"), and are thought to be less able to do what men's can do, and therefore won't let women have educations, work most kinds of jobs, or drive. Without these things, it's difficult for women to free themselves from oppression. | |||
* Ownership of women. Patriarchy often makes cisgender women have the legal status not of people, but of possessions (chattel) owned by men (their husbands or fathers). As chattel, women have no say in what happens to their bodies, can legally own no possessions, and can't vote. | |||
All of these things oppress women. The system of patriarchy maintains itself by making it difficult for women to get the power to challenge or escape the oppression. | |||
[[Feminism]] is [[activism]] against patriarchy, and it begins with activism to give women the legal status of people. The outward signs of that legal status are the right to choose what happens to their own bodies (legal access to birth control), the right to own property, and the right to vote. These can only be done by those who are legally recognized as persons. Feminism is a movement that can make equal rights for people of all genders by liberating them all from patriarchy, but feminism has its main focus on fulfilling the needs of cisgender women, because patriarchy has its main focus on oppressing them. | |||
===Transgender women=== | ===Transgender women=== | ||
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==Male== | ==Male== | ||
[[File:Mars symbol.svg|thumb|The Mars or male [[gender symbols|gender symbol]]. Depicts the shield and spear of Mars, the Roman god of war]] | [[File:Mars symbol.svg|thumb|The Mars or male [[gender symbols|gender symbol]]. Depicts the shield and spear of Mars, the Roman god of war]] | ||
Anyone with a male gender identity is male: he is a man or boy. Experiences held in common by men of all walks of life include that they want to be called by [[Pronouns#He|"he" pronouns]]. Any man's manhood is valid regardless of what kind of body parts he has, or what gender he was assigned at birth. Having or wanting to have a penis are not what makes someone a man. Only identifying as a man makes someone a man. Cisgender men and transgender men are both equally men. Because gender isn't the same thing as [[sexual orientation]], men are still men whether they feel sexual attraction to men (gay), or to women (heterosexual), either/any gender (bisexual or pansexual), or none (asexual). Although "male" is one of the two [[gender binary|binary genders]], someone can be both male and [[nonbinary]]. | Anyone with a male gender identity is male: he is a man or boy. Experiences held in common by men of all walks of life include that they want to be called by [[Pronouns#He|"he" pronouns]], and that patriarchy grants them male privilege in exchange for conformity. Any man's manhood is valid regardless of what kind of body parts he has, or what gender he was assigned at birth. Having or wanting to have a penis are not what makes someone a man. Only identifying as a man makes someone a man. Cisgender men and transgender men are both equally men. Because gender isn't the same thing as [[sexual orientation]], men are still men whether they feel sexual attraction to men (gay), or to women (heterosexual), either/any gender (bisexual or pansexual), or none (asexual). Although "male" is one of the two [[gender binary|binary genders]], someone can be both male and [[nonbinary]]. | ||
Sources with limited understanding or familiarity with transgender and intersex issues sometimes use "male" or "men" to mean not only people who identify as male, but also anyone who was [[Sexes#Assigned male at birth|assigned male at birth (AMAB)]], and people who are perceived as men (PPM). However, people who are AMAB or PPM don't necessarily identify themselves as men, which is the crucial criteria for whether someone is a man. | Sources with limited understanding or familiarity with transgender and intersex issues sometimes use "male" or "men" to mean not only people who identify as male, but also anyone who was [[Sexes#Assigned male at birth|assigned male at birth (AMAB)]], and people who are perceived as men (PPM). However, people who are AMAB or PPM don't necessarily identify themselves as men, which is the crucial criteria for whether someone is a man. | ||
Male privilege means they have the power to use systematic oppression against others if they choose. That power to choose is a privilege, one that systematically oppressed people don't have. Conformity means that if men don't keep up acting male enough, their privilege is in a state of jeopardy. Men tend not to challenge patriarchy for a variety of reasons. These reasons are based around a lack of awareness of the situation, and fear for their own wellbeing. This is how the system of patriarchy makes sure that even the oppressors are kept under control and working in its service. These obstacles make it unlikely for men to take up feminism. The male feminist movement was short-lived, and was replaced by Men's Rights Activists, who do activism to maintain the oppression of women, and to bring back 1940s-style gender values. | |||
===Cisgender men=== | ===Cisgender men=== | ||