Conversation

Aella
@Aella_Girl
If gender is a socially constructed thing, like there's a 'caricature' of a man, then why do we still consider people 'men' who don't correspond at all to the caricature of a man? And then I doubly don't understand how you can change your gender by making a decision about it.
27
93
Aella
@Aella_Girl
To clarify: Trans people make sense to me in this context. They work inside caricatures - trans women will grow out their hair and wear makeup, and trans men cut their hair and wear suits. It seems clear the type of gender they're doing, and I get that.
2
Retweets
46
Likes
𐃌
@cooIidge
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
It does seem strange that one can rail against the socially imposed constructions of gender and claim they are entirely separate from sex, yet then claim transition to the other gender by performing/dressing in a manner consistent with the same “constructions”
he said
@SHLURPGOD
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
I strongly recommend looking into
@ContraPoints
' body of work for clarity on this. Many of her videos address this apparent "paradox" (at least in passing) and shed tons of light on related transgender questions and issues. She's been indispensable to my progress understanding.
1
6
Alexander InvalidValue Cadeyrn
@InvalidDefiant
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
I think - and I may have entirely misunderstood this - that much of it is a matter of group identification: trans women primarily see themselves as part of the "women" group, however vaguely- or even undefined beyond "people who consider themselves part of that group" it may be.
1
1
Linked Out
@UpperCayce
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
One of the more frequent comments from transwomen newly on HRT goes, "I have emotions now," or, in the other direction, "How do men get anything done w/o thinking about sex." For some this internal rebalancing is a big part of transitioning...
1
1
The Axolotl
@calxolotl
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
I think a lot of this makes more sense when you focus on gender-the-verb. As in, every day you encounter a zillion people who look at you and gender you as a woman, and then act accordingly towards you. Most people have a preference for how they are gendered by others. 1/2
1
1
Sinclair 📉
@SinclarityChen
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
If gender is presentation, then last quarter I chose to be a girl during schooldays (except on the days I was too lazy to shave) and I chose to be a boy when I visited my mom on the weekends. If masculinity is just caricature then choice is easy - I just forget my laundry