I suspect it’s incorrect to claim that there is a single communicable model to explain or understand human gender (or any other dimension of) expression and identity. For myself, I often say “I barely identify as biological”, and I wish most people put less weight on their identity, and MUCH less weight on others’ expressions and identity. In my ideal culture, it just doesn’t matter (in either direction).
I have a fair few friends and acquaintances who do care quite strongly about their identity, presentation, and others’ reaction/treatment of that dimension of their interactions. I don’t exactly understand, but even less can I understand any objections to it.
I think attempts to explain/justify/rationalize this are similar to attempts to understand familial or romantic love, or patriotism or any other emotional/psychological phenomenon. You end up with just-so stories that probably do represent some percentage of it, but never a majority, and never quite covering the interesting parts of it.
I suspect it’s incorrect to claim that there is a single communicable model to explain or understand human gender (or any other dimension of) expression and identity. For myself, I often say “I barely identify as biological”, and I wish most people put less weight on their identity, and MUCH less weight on others’ expressions and identity. In my ideal culture, it just doesn’t matter (in either direction).
I have a fair few friends and acquaintances who do care quite strongly about their identity, presentation, and others’ reaction/treatment of that dimension of their interactions. I don’t exactly understand, but even less can I understand any objections to it.
I think attempts to explain/justify/rationalize this are similar to attempts to understand familial or romantic love, or patriotism or any other emotional/psychological phenomenon. You end up with just-so stories that probably do represent some percentage of it, but never a majority, and never quite covering the interesting parts of it.