1. The idea that "'Gender' doesn't harm anyone mentally or physically" is clearly erroneous. What about females who get made fun of for being "butch," or males who are bullied for being a "p***y"? That's not sexism for you, that's people reacting against others who step outside the boundaries of the gender people assume they have to identify with. The fact that these confines exist can be damaging not only to individuals, but also to the ways that we interact with each other as humans. Our expression can become limited because of what is expected of us.
2. Another big problem here, Jono, is that you're equating gender with sex, or assuming a direct connection between people with vaginas and "feminine" behaviors, and people with penises and "masculine" behaviors. The entire point that I (and others, I think) am trying to make here is that gender (a.k.a. all these behaviors we're talking about) doesn't necessarily match up with sex (a.k.a. your organs), so how can we say that these behaviors are "innate" to a certain sex?
You said: "I'm never going to be able to think like a female, because I don't have the same organs."
Just because you don't doesn't mean that nobody with a penis can. An example for you and everybody defending the viewpoints in this article: Transpeople. Think about it.
3. It disturbs me that many of the people posting here are using language suggesting that there are only two genders (one quintessentially male and the other quintessentially female). Why does there have to be this dichotomy? Most people don't fall squarely within the boundaries of what is "male" and what is "female," and there are all sorts of other gender identities out there.
4. Just FYI, it's been proven that race doesn't exist on a biological level. It's also a social construction. At least, that's what I was taught in anthropology.
1. The idea that "'Gender'
1. The idea that "'Gender' doesn't harm anyone mentally or physically" is clearly erroneous. What about females who get made fun of for being "butch," or males who are bullied for being a "p***y"? That's not sexism for you, that's people reacting against others who step outside the boundaries of the gender people assume they have to identify with. The fact that these confines exist can be damaging not only to individuals, but also to the ways that we interact with each other as humans. Our expression can become limited because of what is expected of us.
2. Another big problem here, Jono, is that you're equating gender with sex, or assuming a direct connection between people with vaginas and "feminine" behaviors, and people with penises and "masculine" behaviors. The entire point that I (and others, I think) am trying to make here is that gender (a.k.a. all these behaviors we're talking about) doesn't necessarily match up with sex (a.k.a. your organs), so how can we say that these behaviors are "innate" to a certain sex?
You said: "I'm never going to be able to think like a female, because I don't have the same organs."
Just because you don't doesn't mean that nobody with a penis can. An example for you and everybody defending the viewpoints in this article: Transpeople. Think about it.
3. It disturbs me that many of the people posting here are using language suggesting that there are only two genders (one quintessentially male and the other quintessentially female). Why does there have to be this dichotomy? Most people don't fall squarely within the boundaries of what is "male" and what is "female," and there are all sorts of other gender identities out there.
4. Just FYI, it's been proven that race doesn't exist on a biological level. It's also a social construction. At least, that's what I was taught in anthropology.