KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime said:
Gender is a social construct.
Sort of. Gender roles are a social construct, but they also have a natural role. You can't expect a male lion to suckle the young, they don't produce milk. Similar can be applied to male humans. Human males can use formula to feed babies, but that's a technological ability. We can make formula. Gender roles are both natural and social. As humans we have more social gender roles. But they developed over our evolution. But identity is more than just roles. Gender identity is part of how we express ourselves and not everyone fits in the same categories. Not even all men and all women fit their birth gender roles, but for transgendered individuals we identify as the opposite sex.
That was the most reasonable interpretation of it I have from most people that wish to indicate that Dr money wasn't fully of shit (I like you). I can understand to a certain extent that some parts a socially magnified but I have to wonder how much the social portion is really an amplification of biological truths. And how much is simply mutation (shit like this is hard to pin down). If you know of any psychological or anthropological research on the matter, I would be rather interested in it and very much grateful if you could point me in its direction.
How about terminology?
This is a complicated subject. Some see everyone with different gender identity than their birth sex as transsexual, others don't. For some people transsexual can be a dirty word, or it can apply exclusively to people who want gender reassignment surgery. Transgender is often considered the most acceptable term, trans is generally seen as fine as well. Some terms are absolutely not okay. For example; Tranny, Shemale, New Half, Trap, Dickgirl, and Cuntboy are generally considered unacceptable. One reason is those tend to be pornography terms, but they're also unflattering, and have negative stereotypes applied to them. Some people do own them, or find them acceptable, but generally they should be avoided. Aside from that there are lots of terms to identify how someone is transgender. If you're unsure how someone identifies them self as transgender it's usually smart to ask them. Just remember that each trans person might define them self, or like terms that are generally considered bad. They also might hate terms that are usually considered safe. So when in doubt, ask. Finally as a term transgender can be broad, including drag queens/kings, and part time cross dressers, but not everyone thinks as it as inclusive. So don't walk on eggshells, but try to be polite.
I hate being the guy to point that out but my inner aspie is getting kinda annoyed.
Trap, I know can just refer to cross-dressers which doesn't necessarily mean they are trans, or I would assume so. Wearing clothing of the opposite sex =/= to identifying as a member but I'll concede ignorance of that hobby.
also those other names I get the feeling I should be glad I don't know any of those stereotypes.
We're all humans, but some people identify as non-human animals, or objects, for example. While physical birth sex is often genetic, it doesn't control identity, or sexual preference for that matter.
in the case of those that identify as other animals, they are seriously i need of help from what I posit. That is from what I understand a deviancy too great even for me, and not conducive to a functional modern life. It smacks of some tumblrized understanding of the bush soul, simplified and reinterpreted to the point where it has ceased to possible in them or simply as mental illness gloried. Mind you I like to think I give a lot of slack to those sorts of people, I'm A Jungian, even if their identification is genuine and they were indeed functional, I would still urge them to seek help. At best it is a unconscious complex moving going out of control.
I think(for whatever reason) Cisgender is a bad/offensive term.
Simply put it's not. It's a way us trans people use to define people with a gender identity that matches their birth sex. I am not going to other myself by counting you as "normal" for being born and feeling one way, so don't do that to me. As for people who use the term as an insult? Well they're jerks, just like people who use the term "normal" to insult others. Don't be a jerk either way is all I ask.
I understand the utility(I'm an aspie and the ASD spectrum does have term for the greater masses at large), but I have to question why it has emerged at large in the Internets' vernacular.
NT is not used to the extent CIS is (or at least in resent years) nor with the hostility (on occasion) (it isn't Die Cis Scum as much as tumblr).
As I see it NT (literally Neuro-Typical)and terms like it are useful for a subculture to differentiate themselves but as far as I understand not necessary for society at large to know, perhaps even detrimental because it indicates that the subculture has been placed in the limelight.
As for that normal people thing, I can't sympathize (I'm not known for my sympathy anyway). Perhaps I've been acclimatized to the idea but I know I abnormal, even if everyone normally a minority of autism symptoms by nature (at least 10% on the list). And I see no problem in it, they are normal, in my case anyway and they are the majority. And there should be no shame in accepting that bold faced truth, in my case anyway. I don't know the nuances of your condition as well as you do but from what I gathered it is a complex biological and social thing, which leads me to wonder if it is not indeed the case that one is not /normal/. Mind you the term itself has never really held weight to me, Its part of my condition not give a rats ass about how people think of me, (it doesn't cross my mind). If it does hold some weight to you I am sorry I brought this up, I didn't mean to offend.