Not (very) applicable if you have a strong gender identity: I’d always been fairly confused as to whether I was a woman or a man, neither one really fit quite right. Five years ago I met my first person who identified as genderqueer, but generalizing from that (one) example I thought it a mere label—I didn’t see how their behavior diverged substantially from their sex given gender. Last year or so, The Third Alternative, Keeping Your Identity Small, and applying being a linguistic descriptivist to my broader life came together. I’m a person, more or less human, and that’s it. One can choose null (but of course, the vast majority of acquaintances won’t notice...).
Not (very) applicable if you have a strong gender identity
I think this one is also applicable if you do. Anyone who feels the need to do certain things, or avoid other things, against their actual wishes in the matter, because their “gender identity” tells them, “a Man must—” or “a Woman must—” would help themselves by learning this lesson.
Many people find it helpful to have a clearly defined gender persona, however. It’s just that people who have a strong pre-existing preference in the matter (which is essentially what a “gender identity” is) will probably choose to project an outward persona that’s consistent with their preference.
Not (very) applicable if you have a strong gender identity: I’d always been fairly confused as to whether I was a woman or a man, neither one really fit quite right. Five years ago I met my first person who identified as genderqueer, but generalizing from that (one) example I thought it a mere label—I didn’t see how their behavior diverged substantially from their sex given gender. Last year or so, The Third Alternative, Keeping Your Identity Small, and applying being a linguistic descriptivist to my broader life came together. I’m a person, more or less human, and that’s it. One can choose null (but of course, the vast majority of acquaintances won’t notice...).
I think this one is also applicable if you do. Anyone who feels the need to do certain things, or avoid other things, against their actual wishes in the matter, because their “gender identity” tells them, “a Man must—” or “a Woman must—” would help themselves by learning this lesson.
Many people find it helpful to have a clearly defined gender persona, however. It’s just that people who have a strong pre-existing preference in the matter (which is essentially what a “gender identity” is) will probably choose to project an outward persona that’s consistent with their preference.