The Gray Area of Gender

The Gray Area of Gender

One is either a man or a woman . There is no middle ground with gender Gender is either black or white . There is no gray area and anyone who exists in the gray area is not accepted in society . To be accepted , he or she has to become male or female . This is the two-sex , two-gender system , or simply gender binarism . This system dictates that there are only two genders that exist , male and female . Any person must either be classified as either male or female in to

belong to society and to be accepted in society

It is this two-gender system that creates havoc on those who cannot simply be biologically categorized or classified as male or female Intersexed individuals or those who have body parts or organs that are male and female encounter the biggest problem in such a streamlined classification system . The culture inherent in a two-gender system makes it impossible for intersexuals to live a normal life and to be considered members of society for such culture dictates that when one is not completely male or completely female , such person is a freak , an outcast of society . The seemingly most appropriate solutions that society has found for such dilemma are medical technologies that will make intersexuals either male or female . There is no gray area in gender

These problems are most evident in the experiences of the transsexuals in the United States and the intersexuals in Iran . These individuals may differ in cultural background but they share the same experiences when it comes to the scrutiny they receive for either their gender preference or their biological gender . It is the societal norm that biological determinism must be followed . What this means is that the gender a person is born with must be his gender all throughout his life . A person cannot choose what gender he wants . He must follow the dictates of his biological make-up

The problem arises with individuals that are born with both male and female genitalia also called the intersexuals . As earlier mentioned these people are made to turn to medical procedures to rid themselves of such problem . Basically , intersexuals are most often forced to undergo surgical procedures that will make them either male or female for failure to do so may only cause greater problems for them . As Sterling (5 ) wrote , Scientific dogma has held fast to the assumption that without medical care hermaphrodites are doomed to a life of misery Hermaphrodites have unruly bodies . They do not fall naturally into a binary classification only a surgical shoehorn can put them there

Transexuals in the US and the intersexuals in Iran both turn to medical technologies in an attempt to fit in the prevailing gender binary system of society . For instance , Thomas , formerly Tracy , underwent surgery to complete his transition to become a man . Although it is not illegal to be a homosexual in the US , he underwent surgery simply because he felt that he was...