Bidoof FTW
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Clickbait title aside, is there any psychological legitimacy to nonbinary gender identities? Why/Why not?
I have heard there are 57 or 58 genders... is this just Tumblr SJW stuff or legit? I need to be able to decipher between bs stuff and people who actually legitimately identity as a different gender than their biological sex.
In accordance to mammals, as we are, there are two main dominating genders: male and female. Getting into other animal species, gender becomes a real question, like crabs or frogs for instance that can translate from male to female in certain instances. But humans? No, not really. I'll be fair and allow a third gender of 'undefined' or 'indistinct'. Humans haven't propagated and spread to all areas of the globe because we had 30 odd or so genders or whatever the count is up to now. There are two, if not the only, dominant genders in the human race and that is male and female.
There isn't a need to create new terms and make things up as we go along just because it sucks to be you.
Hell, I wanted to be a Transformer ever since they first showed up 30 odd years ago. I still do. Every now and then I'll pass by the auto section and spot W-350 Pennzoil and get to thinking that 'One day, I too, will be able to transform and roll out...'
30 odd years ago
Homosexuality also used to be treated as a psychological disorder, but now we know that it is perfectly natural and acceptable. Additionally, as I showed above, non-binary identities have existed throughout history and around the world.Okay so it's likely I'll offend someone with this post but I feel gender almost always exists in a binary. There are some exceptions such as when someone is born with both sex chromosomes, and I can imagine navigating a world where gender exists in a binary would be difficult for such an individual. However, if that doesn't apply to you, then your gender is whatever your assigned biological sex is. Now, true, I probably shouldn't care about other people's identities. They are right when they say it doesn't affect me. But I most certainly won't defer to referring to people using gender-neutral pronouns. Mismatched gender identity used to be treated as a psychological disorder. Though I'm not sure it's necessary anymore with a more tolerant society, there's nothing to suggest we should change gender language to accommodate more than two genders.
A lot of academics actually do say that gender is a social construct. I can point you towards some readings if you'd like. :)Being transgender and all this may seem like an unpopular opinion, but...
No. Until consistent psychological research proves otherwise, deep down someone is either a 0 or a 1. To me, gender as a binary is not a social construct. Non-binary stuff, however, is. Some cultures do have something interpreted as a 'third gender' but it is often exclusive to that culture and the ones surrounding it.
I will say there is room for questioning, however. Particularly when intersex people are brought to the table. Some even have a different chromosome makeup than just XX and XY. Plus, there's also a lot we don't know about the human psyche.
Now before someone says anything, I'm not against non-binary peeps in any way, and if they want me to call them different pronouns, then I do it gladly.
Uh, sex and gender aren't euphemisms, they are widely-used terms by psychologists, physicians, sociologists, academics, and more. Using them interchangeably would be nonsensical, because they are two distinct things as stated by the American Psychological Association.Wait. What? Ah, well gender and sex are often used as euphemisms, as seen on common medical and state documents, so it's easy to get turned around. The problem, I find, with the whole 'societal fit' is that there are numerous holes for the... 1% to fall into regarding the truly narcissistic, psychotic, malevolent, violent, criminal offenders and murderers.
This paragraph makes no sense. Are you seriously comparing trans people and people who identify outside of the gender binary to paedophiles and rapists? You do realize that gay people used to be compared to those things all the time, right? Also, the laws of many countries acknowledge trans people, and are starting to acknowledge those outside of the binary as well. This includes determining what sports team you play on, what bathroom you can use, and yes, what prison you get sent to. Even so, laws can lag behind - remember when it was legal to bar black people from using "white" water fountains or going into "white" restaurants?From what I gather, the gender discussion boils down to how one functions in society, right? I would think that then would let the train off the rails as each case is completely different and those in the extreme would fall into each separate category. Guh... now that I start to think about it, this whole discussion opens up a can of maggots in terms of legality defenses that paedophiles, serial rapists, psychos and numerous others have used to excuse them from crimes committed. So if possible, i'd lump us into two categories if that were truly the case: the conformist and those that do not conform to a societal construct under normal law abiding circumstances. The law sees two, so I see two. There is no exception to the rule, so it wouldn't ever matter how someone feels on the inside. A man that claims he's female will not be sent to a female restricted prison and vice-versa. So in reality, in our reality and in the eyes of the law, you are you and no one else.
I don't think the rest of your post is worth responding to, aside from this. If you care about "the books and what is on paper," you'll be happy to hear that many experts agree that there are more than two genders. I can point you towards a few, if you're interested.So, I don't care outside my house. I care about the books and what is on paper so I'll continue going off of that.
This paragraph makes no sense. Are you seriously comparing trans people and people who identify outside of the gender binary to paedophiles and rapists? You do realize that gay people used to be compared to those things all the time, right? Also, the laws of many countries acknowledge trans people, and are starting to acknowledge those outside of the binary as well. This includes determining what sports team you play on, what bathroom you can use, and yes, what prison you get sent to. Even so, laws can lag behind - remember when it was legal to bar black people from using "white" water fountains or going into "white" restaurants
This argument has nothing to do with reality. A murderer or a rapist is breaking the laws that state that you cannot harm others. Their psychological state is taken into account during rulings, but it does not change the crime or the way the crime is treated. A transgender or gay person is breaking no such laws - they are not harming anyone by trying to live their lives like anybody else and asking to be treated with respect. Trans people are not asking to be "identified as somebody else or a different age," and do not typically believe that their identity means they should receive different treatment if they do break the law. If someone breaks the law and asks for special treatment by pretending to be transgender, they should be treated the same way as someone who breaks the law and pretends to have a mental illness. The needs of people with mental illness should not be ignored just because there are a few people out there who will try to take advantage of the system by faking having mental illness - then you're punishing the wrong people, and not actually solving the problem. You're focusing on the wrong thing.That's not really the point I was attempting to make. While it isn't a defense that works, it is a legitimate last line of defense to say that a murderer or a rapist is 'just that way because' regardless of motive or psychological reasons. The reason why I brought it up is because the court system doesn't work that way. If one of these individuals, let's say, kills someone. And this individual psychologically identifies as somebody else or a different age, what have you. If their defense is successfully approved and accepted, it sets precedence and opens the door. I'm not saying gay people or gender people are rapists. I'm saying that it is possible to usurp this cause for nefarious gain. That's what I was trying to say.
That actually is not true - psychologists and academics do get brought on as experts during court cases when the need arises. Additionally, when a defendant is thought to have a mental health condition, they undergo psychological evaluation by experts. I still do not see what this has to do with the current conversation, but I can assure you that it is not an issue.It doesn't really matter which professionals and which psychologists believe because they won't have the luxury of having to build a defense for a 'transgender' person. I put it in marks to say that whether or not the accused is telling the truth or not it's all speculation, not that transgenderror persons are all criminals.
Sure, and if you type "Indian" into Google, you get results defining Indians both as 1) people from India and 2) a synonym for Indigenous Americans. People use Indian colloquially to mean the latter, even though that term is literally incorrect. Old explorers assumed that North America was India, so called the people here Indians. They were obviously wrong, but people still use that term to this day, which isn't helpful. Colloquial terms are not necessarily correct. If you wanted to have a real conversation or debate about a subject relating to First Nations people, you would not be taken seriously if you kept calling them "Indians."Typing gender into Google comes back with a definition [gender] and a synonym pointing to sex. My dictionary had it under euphemism. So it could be out of date.
I already addressed the idea that non-binary genders would affect court proceedings. Half of my post addressed this. Let me repeat:I think you've taken it a bit further than it should have. Again, I am not saying transgender people break the law. I'm not saying being gay is against the law. What I am saying is that it can open problems Courtside.
I have countered the only situations I could think of where a transgender or non-binary identity could affect a ruling. You have failed to give a single example as of yet. I would like to see you give some examples we can actually discuss instead of constantly suggesting that "it is plausible if you squint at it hard enough."Trans people are not asking to be "identified as somebody else or a different age," and do not typically believe that their identity means they should receive different treatment if they do break the law. If someone breaks the law and asks for special treatment by pretending to be transgender, they should be treated the same way as someone who breaks the law and pretends to have a mental illness. The needs of people with mental illness should not be ignored just because there are a few people out there who will try to take advantage of the system by faking having mental illness - then you're punishing the wrong people, and not actually solving the problem. You're focusing on the wrong thing.
Again, trans people do not ask for special treatment in cases such as breaking the law. What could they possibly ask for? The only realistic example I can think of is if a cisgender man pretends to be a transgender women because women tend to receive lighter sentences for the crime he committed, or are treated better by the system. However, in such an instance, it is the fault of the system for giving women lighter sentences and treating them better to begin with! In that case, the system should change because it is unjust and is being taken advantage of. This literally has nothing to do with being LGBT - you are trying to blame the wrong people
Seriously? I made a point to show how "gender" and "sex" are different, and in response you said:Don't know what Indians or Native Americans have anything to do with it.
This indicated that you believe that gender and sex should be used interchangeably. I compared this to how stupid it would be to use Indian and Native American interchangeably. I assume this means you will be using the terms sex and gender correctly from here on out.Typing gender into Google comes back with a definition [gender] and a synonym pointing to sex. My dictionary had it under euphemism. So it could be out of date.
This indicates that you do not understand what being transgender means. Being trans does not mean you can commit a crime and get away with it. Being trans is about your identity, not about your actions. Pretending to be trans in order to get away with a crime would not serve as a legal argument. Again, if someone believes that they can get away with a crime by pretending to be trans, then that means the system is flawed and needs to be fixed. That is not the fault of trans people. If you truly care about this issue, you are not holding the right people accountable.I said that 'transgender' people, as in people whom falsely state that they are transgender, can claim in court that their crimes were not malicious in nature because of what they believe.
That is wrong: that is the role of an expert witness: "a person who is a specialist in a subject, often technical, who may present his/her expert opinion without having been a witness to any occurrence relating to the lawsuit or criminal case." So if there is reason to believe that someone is faking being transgender, you would call in an expert witness. Same with if you thought someone was faking having a mental illness - they administer a psychological evaluation and have an expert present their opinion on the results. So this is not a problem worth discussing.I've also stated that psychological experts have absolutely nothing to do in terms of building a defense. The lawyers do. Having a witness or expert is a key part of building a defense, not the defense itself. So, no, Psychologists do not build defenses, they merely reinforce them.
You are not reading my posts; I addressed this above. Regardless, this is not related. Being transgender cannot be used as a "defense" in court - being transgender does not mean you get to break the law. Again, I addressed the only examples I could think of, so if you can give examples where this would be a legitimate concern, I'd like to hear them.What I don't understand is that you seem to think that I believe that transgender people are all criminals. All I've stated is that it can become a legitimate defense, regardless of what you want to believe. Sure, transgender people want respect. Okay, great there's nothing wrong with that. But you seem to think the court cares about whether or not they do get treated with respect or not. The court is there to condemn or vindicate. So even if the person is or is not transgender doesn't mean they can't claim as being one. And if one court finds someone not guilty due to being transgender, than it gives a foothold to everyone else regardless if they are transgender or not.
I'm really not sure what you're trying to say here. If a civil case was found in favour of a religious person, would you have the same beliefs about the consequences of it? What examples can you give that relate to cases with transgender or non-binary people?It's an argument, a defense, a claim whether true or not. What I worry is if a civil case can be found in favor of a transgender person, it then can be accepted criminally. Does that make any sense?
So if Mr. A commits fraud or is found not guilty of any civil law, then Mr. B can then be tried under the same effects even though he allegedly committed, say, a robbery. That's my point.
You're right: anything can be used as an excuse. Religion can and DOES get used as an excuse - are you also campaigning against religion? This argument is ridiculous. Again, I have not seen any examples which legitimize your concern. And even if being trans WAS used as an excuse, an expert can be brought on to testify about it, and a judge can still deem it irrelevant.This whole mess that you seem to think that transgender people won't be used as an excuse is a bit naive. Anything can, and will, be used as a defense and if in criminal or civil law a 'transgender' (faker or not) is found not guilty due to the way they feel, than the case can then be cited in every court in the country, potentially seeing differing sentences due to how someone feels.
That is my issue. Not 'transgender people aren't real' or "transgender people want special treatment". It's "This will be used as an excuse".
I brought up terminology for Native Americans and the way certain groups are treated by the judicial system to make a point about how hypocritical it is to pick on the non-binary and transgender communities. Also, a lot of non-binary people do identify as transgender and are a part of the trans or greater LGBTQ community.Can we please actually discuss the topic at hand? The legitimacy of non-binary gender identities has absolutely nothing to do with Native Americans, black children, paedophiles or even the transgender community.
Discuss the topic at hand and if you want to talk about other things make a separate thread.
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Honestly gender is just what someone identifies as, so there could be potentially infinite genders.