Why We Should Abolish Gender

After several recent conversations, I began to realize that the term gender refers to 2 very different concepts.

To many people, gender is an innate reality, that is, the psychological differences between men and women. For example, men have shorter lifespans and are more physically aggressive than women. Both of these differences have been attributed by some research to testosterone. Many traditionalists claim that one's gender always corresponds to one's biological sex, and transgender people say that one's gender can be different than one's assigned sex, but both affirm that gender is an innate reality in the mind.

In the second sense of the word, gender is a social construct, that is, the unwritten rules that men and women must follow. Women are expected to dress and act in a feminine way, and men are expected to dress and act in a masculine way. These definitions of "feminine" and "masculine" are largely arbitrary, and thus have varied greatly by time and place.

These 2 different definitions are not necessarily contradictory. We can recognize the psychological differences between men and women, while also recognizing the ways that society invents and reinvents "masculine" and "feminine" roles. In other words, the term gender refers to 2 different concepts – innate gender difference and socially constructed gender difference.

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When I say that we should abolish gender, I'm obviously not referring to biological difference (sex) or psychological difference (gender definition #1). I'm referring to gender, the social construct.

In the modern world, changed radically by feminism and LGBTQ rights, gender has become increasingly irrelevant. Cross-dressing is gradually becoming more accepted. Bisexuals and pansexuals are rejecting the notion that gender is necessary to determine who can be an acceptable sexual and romantic partner. Nonbinary, gender fluid, and intersex people are rejecting society's gender binary altogether.

The remnants of gender are largely negative and restrictive. Women earn less than men for the same work. Men are less likely to gain custody of their child after a divorce. There is still a discriminatory division between stereotypical "men's work" (for example, construction) and "women's work" (for example, caregiving). Patriarchy hurts both men and women.

In short, gender is restrictive and slowly becoming unnecessary in the 21st century. Who cares if a man wears high-heels and a dress? Not me! Who cares if a woman becomes President? I'd much prefer it.

Gender essentially serves as an arbitrary segregation of men and women. Society takes one look at you and sorts you into 1 of 2 categories, which determines the social roles you must play. Like American racial segregation, the claim is made that men and women are "separate but equal." But history has shown that the very concept of "separate but equal" is flawed. It only serves to strengthen the privileged and discriminate against the oppressed.

Nonbinary and androgynous people, by rebelling against society's gender binary, are establishing a level platform where all people, regardless of biological sex, can be treated equal, free of society's gender restrictions.

Perhaps some day we will all be nonbinary.