Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Author’s Note
III. Notes on Understanding Terms
IV. One Non-Queer Category, and Thirteen Categories of Queer Dispositions
Content
I. Introduction
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk in America about "transgenderism" and "gender ideology". Many terms, related to gender and sex - which seem new to the average American - have entered the common American English lexicon lately.
You might have
read that “there are 71 new genders all of a sudden, because of Facebook”. Years
ago, Facebook added gender identity labels to its personal descriptions, including terms like “asexual” and “demisexual”.
There’s just one problem: Asexuality
and demisexuality are not “genders”; they’re sexual identities. Asexuality might not even be a sexual identity at all, but a lack
of sexual identity. And "asexuality" might not even be the best term for lack of sexual attraction, because the term "asexual" is typically used to describe a form of reproduction that occurs without the physical act of sex.
The problem here seems to be an
imprecision of language.
Seventy-one genders aside, let’s
just focus on the four big ones: “intersex”, “transsexual”, “transgender”, and “transvestite”.
If we assign each
of these four terms to a circle, it becomes possible to create an extended Venn
Diagram – that is, an Euler Diagram (pronounced “OY-ler”) – that allows us to
map the intersecting dispositions and alignments associated with genetic sex,
gender roles, dress, and sex transition.
II. Author’s Note
I have written this in the hopes of:
1) Simplifying all of this “71
genders” stuff, so that we can know what we’re talking about when we use
certain words;
2) Figuring out which categories of
people could possibly exist, according to the various ways to combine those
four gender- and sex- related alignments or dimensions (that is; dress, gender
roles, sexual transition, and genetic sex); and
3) Communicating what I learned in
my “human sexuality” sociology course at the University of Wisconsin at Madison
in the early 2000s (or, more importantly, communicating those portions of the curriculum
that I think are actually true, and are not just concoctions of insane gender
ideologues who tried to pass themselves off as sex researchers and surgeons).
I was taught that intersex people exist (which I dispute, but not completely); and that transsexuals, transgender people, and transvestites are different but also overlap (which I believe is true).
III. Notes on Understanding Terms
Before proceeding to the Euler
Diagram, some additional clarification is needed, regarding what I mean when I
use these terms:
1a. The fact that the term “transvestite”
is not used today as often as is the term “drag” or the term “transgender”,
does not mean that transvestitism is “not a thing”, nor does it mean that “transvestite”
is no longer a valid term. It is an acceptable word, which should upset nobody,
because “transvestite” literally means “cross-dresser”.
1b. “Transvestite” is not a slur; while
“tranny” is a slur. I avoid using the term “tranny” below, due to its
being considered upsetting. I have also avoided using that word because it is
too general a term to be useful for classifying (what I call) “queer dispositions”.
That’s because “tranny” could refer to transgender people, transsexual people, transvestites,
or all of the above. The term has no academic value aside from its etymological value.
1b. Below, all references to “cross-dressing”,
and “drag” refer to the act of dressing up in clothing which is typical of the sex
not assigned to you at birth; while “transvestitism” refers to interest in
doing so. A “transvestite” is someone who cross-dresses. “Drag” can be engaged
in by not only men (“drag queens”), but also women “drag kings”.
2. Below, “gender” and “sex” are not
used interchangeably.
2a. By “gender”, I refer to the masculine
and feminine gender dispositions. These dispositions reflect the set of customs,
expectations, and social roles which are based on the sex that someone was
assigned at birth. This gender typification is made in accordance with
the external physical appearance of the baby’s genitalia.
2b. By “sex”, I refer to whether
someone’s 23rd pair of chromosomes (i.e., their sex
chromosomes, or gametes) are XX or XY. There are alternative arrangements of
sex chromosomes, but they are rare. Most people born with ambiguous genitalia
can be described as “mostly male” or “mostly female” in external genital
appearance, and this almost always aligns with the appearance that their sex
chromosomes would dictate.
2c. There is a condition called “de
la Chappelle Syndrome”, in which a person assigned male at birth (because that
individual has a penis) might discover, later in life, that they are actually
an XX female who has an internal female reproductive system but has an
abnormally large clitoris that appeared (to the delivering doctors) to be the
penis of a male.
One such individual discovered this fact about herself when she
(back when she still believed she was a man) failed to impregnate her wife. It
is due to this condition (which is caused by a gene called the SRY gene) that it becomes necessary to specify that someone was
“assigned male” or “assigned female” (as opposed to simply “being”
male or female).
That is why use of the term “assigned
at birth”, and believe that is valid, rather than a mere concoction of gender ideologues (which
some people suspect). I could be an XX female with an abnormally large
clitoris, and if you were assigned male at birth, then you could be an XX
female too (especially if you have a micropenis).
This is the only manner, of which I'm aware, in which a person could rightfully be described as neither obviously male nor obviously female upon physical inspection. But that does not mean that these "XX males" who have the SRY gene, are "not females"; they are females who have been living with males. Once that person discovers the condition, the person is presented with the choice as to whether to continue living "as a man" or "as a woman". We can only infer, from the XX sex chromosomes, that the person is female. And either way, any such person who does not identify as completely masculine or completely feminine, need not seek bottom surgery to "fix" anything about themselves. Many, many people - including people who don't identify as transgender at all - feel that traditional gender norms are constricting to them.
This is the only manner, of which I'm aware, in which a person could rightfully be described as neither obviously male nor obviously female upon physical inspection. But that does not mean that these "XX males" who have the SRY gene, are "not females"; they are females who have been living with males. Once that person discovers the condition, the person is presented with the choice as to whether to continue living "as a man" or "as a woman". We can only infer, from the XX sex chromosomes, that the person is female. And either way, any such person who does not identify as completely masculine or completely feminine, need not seek bottom surgery to "fix" anything about themselves. Many, many people - including people who don't identify as transgender at all - feel that traditional gender norms are constricting to them.
If any of my readers are aware of any human being - who doesn't have Down's Syndrome or de la Chappelle Syndrome - who has something other than XX or XY sex chromosomes, who can be said to be, definitively, neither male nor female on the genetic level, please e-mail evidence about this condition to me at jwkopsick@gmail.com.
I believe that people who are questioning their gender need genetic testing
way before they need hormones and surgery; before they decide to transition, they
might as well seize the opportunity to find out whether they are impotent, and
whether they have different sex chromosomes from the ones they thought they
had. Wouldn’t you want to know that?
3. The use of the term “queer”,
below, is not intended as a slur. The “Q” in L.G.B.T.Q. stands for “queer”. Many
gay, trans, and gender-questioning people use it to describe themselves. It is
only an “offensive word” when it is used in an intentionally offensive or
upsetting manner. Homosexuals and non-binary people often use the term “queer”
to refer to any and all sexual interests and orientations outside of “cis-heterosexuality”
(i.e., outside of heterosexuals who are “cisgender”; identifying with
the sex they were assigned at birth).
4a. Categories of sexual orientation
and attraction (that is, heterosexuality and homosexuality) are not depicted in
the diagram below. This was not done for the purposes of excluding homosexuals,
but in the interest of establishing a system of classification of queer dispositions
and interests which go beyond the familiar categories relating to genetic sex (i.e.,
male and female) and sexual attraction (i.e., opposite-sex or
same-sex attraction).
4b. I do not believe that whether
someone is heterosexual or homosexual is necessarily a direct function or
result of that person’s genetic sex. I believe that the fact that consenting
adults choose their sexual partners freely, voluntarily, and on an individual
basis – and that experimentation sometimes occurs - means that genetic sex and
sexual orientation are independent of one another (regardless of the fact that
the majority of humans identify as heterosexual).
5. By “transsexual”, I refer to a
person who undertakes efforts to physically reconstruct their body (and, most
importantly, their genitals) in order to more closely resemble the sex that
they were not assigned at birth. My mere use of the term “transsexual” should
not be construed to imply that I believe it is possible to fully transition
from female to male or vice-versa, in terms of one’s genetics, sex chromosomes,
and gametes. I do not believe that transitioning sexes is actually possible,
and I believe that it is very dangerous to lead children to assume (through lies
of omission) that it is possible to change your sex in the most basic and
important way (i.e., genetic sex / sex chromosomes / gametes). Therefore,
all references to “transsexual”, herein, refer to people who decide or resolve
to attempt to transition their sex.
IV. One Non-Queer Category, and Thirteen Categories of Queer Dispositions
The first of
fourteen categories consists of people whom were born with unambiguous genitalia,
and whom have never cross-dressed, and whom have never questioned or contested
the sex (male or female) or gender (masculine or feminine) that they were
assigned at birth.
Such a person could be termed “cisgender-cisvestite”
because they identify with what they were assigned at birth (cisgender, the
opposite of transgender), and they dress in accordance with the norms associated
with the gender disposition (masculine or feminine) associated with their
assigned sex (male or female).
#1. The Non-Queer Category
#1. Cisgender-Cisvestites:
People born with unambiguous
genitalia, who don’t wear the make-up or dress of the opposite gender, and who
don’t get hormones or surgery. This is the only category of people who do not
engage in either questioning or experimentation regarding dress, gender roles,
genetic sex assigned at birth, or transition of sex.
[Note: This category includes
heterosexual cisgender people, homosexual cisgender people, and bisexual
cisgender people alike.]
#2 - #5. The Four Basic Queer Dispositions / Singly-Occurring Queer Dispositions
[Reminder: None of these categories specifies sex (male or female) or sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.]
#2. Transsexuals:
People who decide to
surgically modify their bodies – especially and most importantly through genital
/ bottom surgery - in an attempt to transition across sexes (from the one they
were assigned at birth, to the other).
#3. Intersex Individuals:
People who were born with ambiguous
genitalia (that is, people whose sex is unclear because it cannot be
easily deduced from the person’s mere external physical genital appearance).
[Note: This includes babies born with de la Chappelle’s syndrome who might not
discover their condition until they are adults.]
#4. Transvestites / Cross-Dressers:
People who wear the make-up, hair
styles, and/or clothing typically associated with the masculine or feminine
gender role which does not match up with the gender they were assigned based on
their apparent genital sex.
[Note: People who cross-dress may or may not
actually identify on the inside as the gender that they are modeling on the
outside; people who do are called transgendered individuals. See Disposition #5
and Disposition #13 for more information.]
#5. Transgendered Individuals:
People who wear the make-up,
hair styles, and/or clothing (usually all of the above) typically associated
with the masculine or feminine gender role which does not match up with the gender
they were assigned based on their apparent genital sex.
[Note: People who dress
up, but don’t identify as the gender they’re modeling, and have no intention of
transitioning, are not included in the category of Transgendered
Individuals.]
#6 - #9. The Four Doubly-Co-Occurring Queer Dispositions
[Reminder: None of these categories specifies sex (male or female) or sexual
orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.]
#6. Intersex Transsexuals:
People who were born with ambiguous genitalia, who attempt sexual transition at any point in their lives.
[Note: Includes people who get genital surgery / bottom surgery because they were born with ambiguous genitalia, and wish to live as either male or female.]
People who were born with ambiguous genitalia, who attempt sexual transition at any point in their lives.
[Note: Includes people who get genital surgery / bottom surgery because they were born with ambiguous genitalia, and wish to live as either male or female.]
#7. Intersex Transvestites /
Intersex Cross-Dressers:
People born with ambiguous genitalia who dress in clothing associated with the gender (masculine or feminine) that they were not assigned at (or shortly after) birth.
[Note: Such a person may or may not identify as transgender (see Disposition #12 for more information).]
People born with ambiguous genitalia who dress in clothing associated with the gender (masculine or feminine) that they were not assigned at (or shortly after) birth.
[Note: Such a person may or may not identify as transgender (see Disposition #12 for more information).]
#8. Transgendered Transvestites /
Transgender Cross-Dressers
People who cross-dress because they identify with the set of gender roles and appearances (masculine or feminine) associated with the sex (male or female) that they were not assigned at birth.
[Note: Intersex people, and people who have already had bottom surgery, are not included in the category of Transgendered Transvestites.]
People who cross-dress because they identify with the set of gender roles and appearances (masculine or feminine) associated with the sex (male or female) that they were not assigned at birth.
[Note: Intersex people, and people who have already had bottom surgery, are not included in the category of Transgendered Transvestites.]
#9. Transgendered Transsexuals
People who identify with the set of gender roles and appearances (masculine or feminine) associated with the sex (male or female) that they were not assigned at birth, and who – on that basis – undertake efforts to change their physical (and, most importantly, genital) appearance, to something more closely matching the physical characteristics associated with the sex that they were not assigned at birth.
People who identify with the set of gender roles and appearances (masculine or feminine) associated with the sex (male or female) that they were not assigned at birth, and who – on that basis – undertake efforts to change their physical (and, most importantly, genital) appearance, to something more closely matching the physical characteristics associated with the sex that they were not assigned at birth.
[Note: This category does not include intersex people, nor people who cross-dress
but have no intention to transition their sex.]
#10 - #13. The Four Triply-Co-Occurring Queer Dispositions
[Reminder: None of these categories specifies sex (male or female) or sexual
orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.]
#10. “Intersex, Transgender, and Transsexual;
But Not Transvestite” Individuals
People born with ambiguous
genitalia, who identify with the sex that they were not assigned at birth, and
so, seek to transition their physical (and especially genital) appearance to reflect
that identification.
#11. “Intersex, Transsexual, and
Transvestite; But Not Transgender” Individuals:
People born with ambiguous genitalia,
who cross-dress, and want to transition their sex; but whom do not feel
that they have been assigned the wrong gender role.
[Note: It’s possible that this category of people does not actually exist. The fact that the Intersex-Transsexual-Transvestite category can be conceived of, does not constitute proof that individual examples of it actually exist. Such a person would have to want to seek surgical sex transition even though they do not feel that they have been assigned the wrong gender role. As a reminder, such a person would also have to have been born with ambiguous genitalia. I would be surprised if even one such person has ever existed. I say this out of pure speculation, however; I do not wish any harm towards such a person, if they do exist.]
[Note: It’s possible that this category of people does not actually exist. The fact that the Intersex-Transsexual-Transvestite category can be conceived of, does not constitute proof that individual examples of it actually exist. Such a person would have to want to seek surgical sex transition even though they do not feel that they have been assigned the wrong gender role. As a reminder, such a person would also have to have been born with ambiguous genitalia. I would be surprised if even one such person has ever existed. I say this out of pure speculation, however; I do not wish any harm towards such a person, if they do exist.]
#12. “Intersex, Transvestite, and
Transgender; But Not Transsexual” Individuals:
People born with ambiguous
genitalia, who wear make-up and hair and dress characteristic of the gender
they were not assigned at birth, but whom do not make any attempt to
radically alter their primary and/or secondary sex characteristics in order to
transition their sex.
#13. “Transvestite, Transgender, and
Transsexual; But Not Intersex” Individuals:
People who don’t identify with
the gender roles or genetic sex that they were assigned at birth; and so, wear
make-up, hair, and dress customarily associated with the gender they weren’t
assigned; and whom also change their physical appearance and undertake efforts
to transition their sex.
#14. The Quadruply-Co-Occurring Queer Disposition
#14. Intersex-Transvestite-Transgender-Transsexuals
People born with ambiguous
genitalia, who wear make-up and hair and dress characteristic of the gender
they were not assigned at birth, and make attempts to radically alter their
primary and/or secondary sex characteristics in order to transition their sex.
[Note: Again, anybody in categories #1 through #14 could be men, women, gay, straight, or bisexual. None of these categories specify sex or sexual orientation.]
[Note: Again, anybody in categories #1 through #14 could be men, women, gay, straight, or bisexual. None of these categories specify sex or sexual orientation.]
See the image below for a visualization of how (and "where") these gender and sexual dispositions intersect.
Click on the image above,
and open in new tab &/or new window
(or download, save, and open)
in order to view in full resolution.
and open in new tab &/or new window
(or download, save, and open)
in order to view in full resolution.
Written and published on June 17th, 2023.
Edited and expanded on June 18th, 2023.
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