What is Gender?

            Gender: Simplified.

How do people recognise Gender?

People recognise each others’ Gender on the basis of Visual, and Audial clues, which, we all broadcast, subconsciously, and sometimes consciously, but each person, receiving the signals, has a learned interpretive dictionary, in which they ‘look up’ these clues, and they are then fed by their subconscious, the information on the perceived Gender of the person they are talking to.

How does this affect Trans People?

People who are unhappy with their ‘Society assigned’ Gender, which is initially assigned according to the presence, or absence, of floppily doppily bits, between, or in the general vicinity of the crotch area, are in effect rebelling against their programmed internal Dictionary, which of course, they have been force fed since an early age, by the social structures, and institutions, of society.

The reasons for rebellion against this internal narrative, are as many and varied, as the number of people concerned. However, the quest for happiness, is and should be an inalienable human right, so People redefining their outward expressions of their Gender, to resolve internal conflict, and achieve personal happiness, should be an accepted practice, as not just the personal benefits, but the wider benefits, of a happier and less stressed Society, should be obvious to all.

What happens when the built in Dictionary old version and new version, meet?

This, clash of definitions, most often occurs in, and during, social and interpersonal relationships, such as work, recreation, and family life, and does sometimes lead to family breakdowns, ostracising, prejudice, and violence, to individuals, with non standard sexual or gender expression.

Where the ‘dictionaries’ of behaviour are in great conflict, one or the other party, has to adjust their world view, or their apparent behaviour, in order to relieve the ‘stress.’

In the past, the majority view, has been the default, ‘dictionary setting’, for example, the old law about Breach of the Peace, fortunately, not implemented against Trans people today.

The State, has officially, updated its ‘dictionary,’ so that Trans status is protected. This is clearly a good thing. Amongst the General Public, many years of campaigning, and sympathetic media portrayals, have enabled the definition of Transsexual, to be inserted into the ‘dictionaries’ of many members of the general public, with positive impact.

But, this has not, by any means, been a consistent process. The media influence has primarily been exerted through soaps, such as Coronation Street, which impacts, on a large, but still limited proportion of Society.

It is worth noting, that their accepted definition, has a set ‘image’, and ‘reasoning’ behind it. The born in the wrong body, and need to be a woman, being the dominant explanation.

 So, some parts of, and people, within Britain, are onboard and accepting of peoples right to self define their Gender, (within the expected definition they are used to) other people, however, are unable to ‘overcome’ their internal dictionary of definitions of Gender, and they will see someone, in only one of two Genders. Someone who does not clearly define, through Visual and Audial signals, within one of their two genders, will flag up as unusual in the mind of people in this situation.  

They will perceive someone as either an effeminate male, or a butch female, and if they have prejudices within themselves regarding homosexuality, those will be triggered, quite possibly causing problems for the person they are dealing with.

Britain is, in many ways, a reasonably civilized society, and culture, but even so, Trans people, who are clearly identified as Trans, either through Audio/Visual clues, or through word of mouth, often receive negative treatment by the general public, harassment and assault do happen, and more  frequently than some parts of the ‘Community’ accept.

If they do not personally see it, it does not happen. There is, of course, nothing wrong with having a happy life, and, those who  do not actually see, any of the travails or problems, seen by other people, often doubt, or indeed blame, those involved in incidents, believing they have done ‘something wrong’.

The Internet and Social Media, has been a great asset to help people gain understanding of their own personal situations, except, there is so much misinformation, and bad advice, out there.

Anyone can in fact, say nearly anything on the Internet, for example this article itself, is purely my opinion, based on my personal experience and understanding of the world. It is not endorsed, or backed up by studies or rhetoric, or even popular opinion.

And this is a danger. The new Trans person, keen and enthusiastic to express, his or her Gender, whatever that may be for him or her, is beset with millions of webpages, articles, blog feeds, social media groups, and so on, with widely diverse advice, opinions, trendy outlooks and ethics.

Most Social Media groups advance the, ‘Go For It! Everything’s Great! Line of Positive Advice’, to anyone, just try it, you’ll be told unequivocally, with almost no questions being asked about your background, or personal circumstances, ‘to come on in, the waters fine!’

Well, as lovely as unconditional Social Media Support is, or could be, it’s a complicated world out there, and sometimes people need advice that is tailored to their personal circumstances, just saying to people, run free, forget you have a wife and kids at home, or that your Boss is homophobic, or that you live in the murder capital of the western world, etc, is not helpful advice.

The minefield of personal pitfalls that open before a new Transperson, when they stick their head above the parapet, is the main reason why I find the whole Non Binary, be the third sex, movement so frustrating. The wider population is not ready, in most areas of Britain, to cope with three Genders, let alone over fifty! Most regular people, have a rigid, dictionary of Visual and Audial definitions, that are locked into male/female, either/or, mode, and just screaming ‘it’s my right to be Gender Twenty Three!’ or whatever it is you want to be, will not change the ingrained perceptual dictionary regular folks have.

To have a genuine equal Non Binary society and culture, would require a perceptual shift of mammoth proportion, and if it were even possible, would take decades, or centuries of new education to create.

More dangerous, to individual freedom, would be the legal requirement for Non Binary folks, to declare themselves as such in all Official documents. To do so, highlights, your different status, to anyone who looks, creating the extra possibility of prejudice, amongst Officials and Corporations receiving that information, should they be of a mind to do so.

So, it would seem to me, that a time of reflection, of consolidation, and of entrenching, the gains that the Trans community have already made, is upon us.

Especially, in a time, where far Right sentiment, over the ‘pond,’ in Europe, and in Britain itself, is gaining force.

After all, who wants to be labelled on databases as different, when the Gov’t comes looking for scapegoats?