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Immediately when a person is born, and even before, their gender is socially constructed, and therefore unnatural. This can be seen in traditional celebrations held in the US to recognize an unborn babies "gender" called gender reveal parties. These parties are really revealing the babies sex, not gender, many do not know that there is in fact a difference. Gender is the norms, roles, and expression of ones identity, while sex is the reproductive characteristics one is born with. These parties often have decorations like the cake above, labeling things as girl versus boy, in this case football versus ballet. These decorations and toys gifted at these parties are insinuating that if the baby is born biologically female she has to be interested in girly things such as putting on a tutu and dancing, and vice versa for biologically born males. In reality, these assumptions are constructing the gender of a child who is not even born or experienced anything in order to choose their own gender expression and identity.

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The gender binary is taught as the norm and pressured on most people from the day they are born. These baby bibs pictured above are perfect examples of this. Even before they can talk, boys are pressured to act manly and told that they will do great things and provide for their families. On the other hand, girls are taught that their looks are the most important part of them and they will not do much in life besides be pretty. This is dangerous because it is teaching young kids that they should act a certain way based on their sex and acting any other way is wrong. As a result, these kids may feel like they are not free to explore their interests and identity in any way they want.

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the gender binary and what it is forgetting

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the gender binary and what it is forgetting

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Society has constructed gender into a binary, claiming that the only two genders that can exist are man or woman. This is incorrect and there are many different ways people identify outside of a man or a woman. For example, many people identify as non-binary, transgender, agender, gender nonconforming, gender-fluid, and many more. All these identities are valid and natural because, in reality, gender does not have to correlate with ones born sex. The dangers and incompleteness of the gender binary is becoming more known and some public facilities and businesses have even started creating bathrooms that are labeled as gender neutral, like the one above. I took that picture at a coffee shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. I always thought that Utah was somewhat of a conservative, religious state and did not expect to see this kind of representation and openness. I think this is a great step that all public places can make in order to diminish the norm of a gender binary.

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Not only are there many other gender expressions than man or woman, there is also more sexes than man or woman. Supporters of the gender binary base this construction on the assumption that people are either born female or male and nothing else. Biology proves this wrong and proves that there are more than two sexes, such as being born intersex. One who is born intersex is born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical male or female anatomy. Studies show that 1.7 percent of the population is born intersex. Although this may not seem like a high number, intersex people exist everywhere and they need more representation and support. This purple circle with a yellow background is a symbol for the intersex community.

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The way society constructs gender completely oversimplifies it and its components. The genderbread person is a great model that can explain gender and all the different versions of it. Gender is not simply if one is born a man or a woman, like the gender binary suggests, instead it includes gender identity, gender expression, attraction/orientation, and sex characteristics. All these components of gender may align for some people, but for others they may not align, and both are natural. I think this model is a great way to educate people about gender and the false representation the gender binary creates.