Challenging the Binary Categories of Male and Female

Three advocacy groups, Gender Education and Advocacy (GEA), Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), and Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), have actively challenged the binary categories of male and female, each in their own way. They each have goals of ameliorating problems that are faced by transgender and intersex people.

GEA’s main goal is to help those who suffer from gender-based oppression by educating others and advocating for these people (gender.org). One of the many problems that transgender and intersex people face is stigmatization and misunderstanding: many people don’t understand transgenderism because they have never experienced it themselves. GEA has dealt with this problem by setting of a “Gender Variance Model,” in which it shows those who do not believe they are gender variant that they indeed might be (gender.org). For example, the model shows that those who do not show the so-called “normal” mannerisms for their gender are gender variant. Men who have high-pitched voices or women who are aggressive are gender variant (gender.org). I think this is a great way to advocate for transgender people. Showing people that most of us are gender variant helps those who are not transgender or intersex relate to those who are. This helps create an understanding of transgender and intersex people by others, hopefully alleviating some of the stigmatization that transgender and intersex people face every day.

ISNA’s purpose, from their website (isna.org) is “advocating systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries for people born with an anatomy that someone decided is not standard for male or female” (isna.org). Another huge problem that intersex people face is the idea from society, especially the health care system, that it is somehow wrong for them to be intersex: that they must undergo surgery, which can cause both physical and emotional damage, in order to conform to society’s idea of what is normal. I think this societal belief is quite wrong. How can something that 1 in 1666 people face be considered something that absolutely must be “fixed” immediately? ISNA works to ameliorate these problems by providing information and resources to intersex people and their families, and showing that surgery should not be used on intersex people (isna.org). ISNA has been able to inform health care professionals of this as well. Because of ISNA’s efforts, many health professionals now acknowledge that surgery is not a “solution” for “fixing” intersex people (isna.org); there is no solution, as there is no problem.

GenderPAC’s early challenges included recognition of issues of gender in the workplace, on campus, and in the halls of Congress. This is what I wish to focus on.  GenderPAC advocated for non-discrimination based on gender identity and expression in the workplace (gpac.org). They also advocated adding gender protections to the Matthew Shepherd Act, a federal hate crime bill. With their advocation, gender protections were added to the bill (gpac.org). Finally, GenderPAC has supported students at colleges who wished to add gender identity and expression to their school’s anti-bullying policies (gpac.org). They have been supporting students for the past four years. GenderPAC’s mission has reminded me that not only do intersex and transgender people face misunderstandings and stigmatization, but they also face discrimination in the workplace, as well as on school campuses. In fact, right here in South Bend, there is no law saying that an employer cannot discriminate based on gender identity or expression. I think this is absolutely ridiculous, and I think it’s great that GenderPAC, as well as other organizations, such as South Bend Equality, are working to end this discrimination.