Gender Identity

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses gender identity and the way that the need to classify, label and categorize gender identity has polarized the push toward civil rights for all genderqueers. It discusses the impact of the pressure to conform to gender roles and expectations that come from early childhood. It concludes by discussing society's view of those that it attempts to categorize into specific gender identities and the need for more flexible ways to consider gender and sexuality.

From the Paper:

"One of the most salient points that Wilchins raises in Queer Theory, Gender Theory is that gender seems to have become even more polarized since the LGBT movement has gained momentum. Yet neither Wilchins nor one of the authors who contributed to Genderqueer can aptly explain why gender cuts so deeply to the core of human identity and why the "ick factor" exists to begin with. The authors do explain that eliminating the "ick factor" depends on a wholesale paradigm shift beginning with language and discourse and gradually affecting media manifestations, education, and political policy changes. For example, butch women should no longer be labeled as "freaks," whether they are gay or straight. A woman who chooses to slip back and forth between butch and femme roles need not fear the repercussions of her style of dress, and a man who does the same would also be able to express his gender without having to label himself or describe his sexual preferences."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Nestle, Joan. "Genders on My Mind." In Genderqueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary. Ed. Joan Nestle, Clare Howell & Riki Wilchins.
• Rivera, Sylvia. "Queens in Exile, The Forgotten Ones." In Genderqueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary. Ed. Joan Nestle, Clare Howell & Riki Wilchins.
• Wilchins, Riki. Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer.

More papers on Gender Identity:

• Term Paper # 144587 : "Literature and the Evolution of Gender Identity"
• Analytical Essay # 130680 : "Life Span Development and Gender Identity"
• Research Paper # 113320 : "The Gender Identity Debate"
• Research Paper # 119621 : "Gender Identity and Equal Employment Opportunity"

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