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Will Ross

Reflective Tag

Traditionally favored, defining an individual based on ‘gender binary’ has become unpopular and in many senses outdated. The emergence of ‘gender neutrality’ as the favored approach, as seen in the case of Sweden, is an effort to better respect the rights of those individuals that identify as ‘third gender’. Yet ‘third gender’ is only a topic foreign to Western nations as ‘third gender’ individuals have existed and in many cases thrived within Eastern countries such as the Hijra in India and Bangladesh, the Kathoey in Thailand, and even the “Two Spirits” within Native American culture.

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Defining gender as ‘binary’ refers to the classification of gender in two separate and distinctly different categories in which biological sex (male or female) determines the characteristics and traits of an individual. Biological males assume masculine traits and biological females assume feminine traits, with heterosexual attraction characteristic of both. When an individual goes outside the gender binary, often used to maintain a sense of order within society, they can face persecution and oppression often in the form of violence for violating what is considered in many cultures sacred.

The emergence of ‘gender neutrality’ in recent years is indicative of a movement away from ‘gender binary’. Sweden has come to be the front runner in the push for ‘gender neutrality’, avoiding the distinguishing pronouns of ‘he’ or ‘she’ not only in education but also their major newspapers, preferring to use ‘hen’ instead, which refers to an individual as simply a human without distinguishing their gender. This reflects the movement past gender towards what is described as humanism, seen to be the best course of action humanity can taken in the fight for equal rights. Yet this push for ‘gender neutrality’ has generated a backlash of sorts in the form of an emerging anti-feminist movement. This group of predominately men within Sweden are worried that equal rights will result in the erasure of male identity and perceive “female sexism” as acceptable when its opposite generates harsh criticism and condemnation. Perhaps too early to tell, it is clear that a push for a more ‘gender neutral’ world will bring hitherto unknown problems to bare.

The term ‘third gender’ is used to describe those who are not defined, by society or themselves, as falling within the ‘gender binary’.Sometimes referred to as “other”, ‘third gender’ individuals are recognized and afforded equal rights in seven countries, Nepal (passports), Pakistan (identification cards), Bangladesh (all national documents including passports), India (‘other’ on voting ballots for gender category), Germany (birth certificates), New Zealand (passports), and Australia (passports).

‘Third gender’ is not a social construction of late, a statement reinforced by the existence of “Two Spirit” (Berdache) individuals within Native American culture. Assigned ‘two spirits’ at birth, these individuals were seen to fill a spiritual role in many Native American tribes. Biologically male and female “Two Spirit” individuals would have sexual relations either sex but had predominately female partners. Biologically male “Two Spirits” could and would hold roles within their villages that were traditionally held by women, such as fortune or story-telling. They would continue to have access to male sweat lodges but also participated in female activities such as cooking. The general acceptance of “Two Spirit” individuals is indicative of the overall Native American approach to gender equality where, while the tasks and responsibilities differed, all individuals were held in the same regard.