Gender neutrality: Not a new concept

Right now in the United States, it is almost impossible to accurately guess what portion of the population identifies as transgender or gender non-binary due to lack of targeted census information. However, what can be seen is the trend of gender-variant acceptance.

Oregon made news this year when it became the first state to agree to honor a third gender on licenses. On July third, countless license holders will be able to go to Department of Motor Vehicle offices across Oregon and update their gender to reflect their personal identity. Traditionally, the only genders available for United States residents on their licenses were “male” or “female”. This revision to gender standards on licenses takes into account that there are people living in the united states who do not identify as either male or female.

However, Oregon is only one out of fifty states — meaning that the US still requires reform. Most other states are far from ready to update the laws regarding gender identity. Much of the controversy surrounding gender variance comes from a limited understanding of the differences between gender and sex. Transgender people and activists refer to this as “gender idendity” versus “sex assigned at birth”. What separates these two distinctions biology versus social construct. Critics of non-binary genders understand gender only in relation to sexual organs, and cite biology as the reasoning behind the existence of gender binaries. Scientifically, however, gender is much more complex than that.

What critics of gender variance fail to recognize is that non-conforming genders have been found in all societies around the world, and that in the majority of those societies they are both accepted and an important part of the societal structure. While most United States residents have at least heard of Two Spirits, an indigenous third gender, they fail to recognize that third genders exist outside of the US.

Examples include the Travesti of South America, who typically dress femininely and were assigned male at birth. Despite their feminine gender expression, Travesti people rarely seek gender affirmation surgery. In Australia, “brotherboys” and “sistergirls” represent pre-colonial gender identities that Australian Aboriginals recognized and accepted. Even in Iran, where being gay is still illegal, transgender rights and gender affirmation surgeries are accepted and legal. Countless gender variances have been recorded in Africa, Asia, The Middle East, and Europe.

If gender variance is widely accepted around the world, then why is it so slow to be accepted in “the land of the free”? Chances are, it is because of the way gender is utilized for gain within the United States. The US is a strongly Capitalist society, which means it thrives off of marketing and sales. Evidence can be seen to argue that women were often targets of this mindset, through specially targeted brand campaigns for shaving, housekeeping products, and other items. Because the use of gender binaries are currently crucial to company sales tactics, it doesn’t make sense as a nation to accept gender binaries.

However, capitalism only marks one aspect of US society that benefits from gender binaries. With an overwhelming 70% of US residents identifying as Christian in a 2014 study by the PEW research center, it can be easily seen why gender variance is often rejected by US residents. Disregarding the traditional “Male” and “Female” family dynamic that helps Christianity prosper in the United States would mean a rejection to certain fundamental Christian beliefs. Regardless of what the belief is, Christians are often wary to change.

What will it take for gender neutrality to become accepted among the entirety of the United States? In addition to time, it will take a fundamental change in values in order to see gender neutrality on every license. However, with the recent national change in attitude toward LGBTQ rights, it looks like the US is headed down the right path.