Subject:
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Re: Couldn't resist
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 10 Jul 2001 02:37:39 GMT
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Viewed:
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173 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.fun, Dave Low writes:
> Not to push the point, I'd say there _is_ a gradient between "female" and
> "male". As always, the exceptional cases demonstrate the fluid boundaries of
> the majority. Take homosexuals, transexuals and hermaphrodites. Or
> heterosexual nancy-boys or macho women. I don't think the differences are as
> utterly obvious as they first seem.
I was hoping to avoid that quagmire, but you're correct. Your post
crystalizes the difference between "sex" and "gender," which are distinct
characteristics not to be interchanged.
Gender, in the modern usage, describes the *relative* femininity/masculinity
of an individual, based upon societally-formulated notions of
feminine/masculine roles and traits. It is *not,* despite certain trends of
reasoning, solely a question of environment, nor solely of genetics, and most
certainly not simply a linguistic construct. Your examples are correct, but
gender extends well beyond the simple boundaries of sexual preference and
gender identity. Is gender important? Sure, in a societal sense, since it
affects how we inter-relate.
Sex, by comparision, refers simply to the masculinity/femininity of an
individual in terms of simple physiological reproductive compatibility. Barring
personal preference, and except in rare, extreme cases, there is nothing
physiological at play to prevent a homosexual male from procreating with a
woman, nor vice versa. Is sex important? Absolutely, in both a societal sense
and a longitudinal, species-spanning way, since it is, at present, the only way
by which we are able to make more humans! At the same time, sex is not as
easily defined as XX or XY chromosome pairs, since a number of conditions exist
in which a person can have a different chromosome matchup and still be male or
female, though not necessarily fertile.
I didn't want to weigh down this basically light-hearted discussion, but you
raised a valid point. And Shiri, we're still waiting for your answer...
("I'm busy," indeed. Hmf!)
Dave!
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Couldn't resist
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| (...) Talk about up-to-the-minute. See these topics: (URL) I didn't want to weigh down this basically light-hearted discussion, but you (...) I agree (about being a drag etc). Still, I thought .debate was a good place for discussion of Adam's rib (...) (23 years ago, 10-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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