Gender binarism has never existed, nor will it ever, and we should accept that.
Debunked as being scientifically incorrect, gender binarism refers to the idea that there are only two genders, male and female. Scientists have long recognized that sex and gender diversity exist, and human beings can’t simply be categorized as being either male or female.
However, the recently sworn-in United States President Donald Trump has completely rejected the scientific veracity of sex and gender diversity. Declaring a return to “biological facts,” President Trump passed an executive order entitled, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” This order explicitly states the US only recognizes two sexes, male and female, and that these sexes are “grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” thus making them unchangeable.
Yet, it remains unclear what “fundamental and incontrovertible reality” he’s talking about.
The reality is, we have ample amounts of evidence supporting the fact that sex and gender diversity exist and have, in fact, existed for centuries.
Examining biological facts tells us intersex people exist. Intersex people are born with or develop intersex traits, meaning a combination of male and female traits, during their childhoods and as such, they can’t be neatly categorized as being either male or female.
Gender and sex aren’t terms to be used interchangeably. Sex refers to the biological characteristics of an individual, whereas gender, understood to be a social, psychological, and cultural construct, refers to how an individual chooses to identify and express themselves.
By stating sex can’t be changed, President Trump’s executive order makes the error of conflating sex with gender—a statement both egregiously wrong and misleading that disregards how people express themselves.
An individual’s sex doesn’t determine their gender, and they aren’t bound to identify with their sex.
Gender diversity isn’t a new phenomenon.
Different conceptualizations of gender exist all over the world. As a Pakistani woman, I know firsthand how many different gender identities exist in my community alone. Khawaja saras and hijras are the most common gender identities, loosely corresponding to the English label of transgender, third gender, and gender non-conforming people.
These gender identities have histories tracing back to at least the 16th century but with the mention of a third gender in the Kama Sutra, we know that different gender identities have been around in the Indian region since the third century.
This quick history lesson reiterates the fact that gender binarism is a myth. Sex and gender diversity have existed and will continue to exist in our world.
Instead of wasting time pushing myths, President Trump’s time in office can be better spent focusing on ground realities and making the changes that really matter.
Yamna is a fourth-year Political Studies student and one of The Journal’s Copy Editors.
Tags
donald trump, Gender, gender binarism, Sex
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