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Read this article this morning thanks to the lovely Fahre and I've been happy-flailing and thinky ever since.
It's not often that a mainstream news site does a thing on gender, gender expression, and related stuff that's actually *good*.
I was particularly delighted to see the discussion of the separation between sex (biology) and gender and how that relates to the idea of gender being on a spectrum. The idea that everyone is either 100% female or 100% male just...doesn't really resonate with me. Or at least, I know too many people who don't fit into that binary system for it to be the right way to think of gender.
Gender as a spectrum with some people right at either end but a lot of people somewhere along the scale? That makes far more sense to me.
The article also touches on the idea of orientation being on a spectrum (Kinsey scale anyone?) which is something that I've been struggling through for years.
As a teen, I thought I was bisexual. Except all the stuff I was reading said "bisexuals are just confused, you're gay or you're straight" and I got all confused.
From my early twenties on, I classed myself as definitely 100% lesbian. Except that doesn't quite fit either.
Now that I'm into my thirties and giving fewer fucks about what other people think of me, I think "bisexual but maybe 80% of my crushes/loves/relationships are women" probably fits best. So, on the girl preferring side of bi but not far enough towards exclusive girl love to be 100% lesbian. Mostly lesbian? Partially bi? Not really easily labelled at all?
As for gender, I'd classify myself as mostly female. Mostly. That works.
It's not often that a mainstream news site does a thing on gender, gender expression, and related stuff that's actually *good*.
I was particularly delighted to see the discussion of the separation between sex (biology) and gender and how that relates to the idea of gender being on a spectrum. The idea that everyone is either 100% female or 100% male just...doesn't really resonate with me. Or at least, I know too many people who don't fit into that binary system for it to be the right way to think of gender.
Gender as a spectrum with some people right at either end but a lot of people somewhere along the scale? That makes far more sense to me.
The article also touches on the idea of orientation being on a spectrum (Kinsey scale anyone?) which is something that I've been struggling through for years.
As a teen, I thought I was bisexual. Except all the stuff I was reading said "bisexuals are just confused, you're gay or you're straight" and I got all confused.
From my early twenties on, I classed myself as definitely 100% lesbian. Except that doesn't quite fit either.
Now that I'm into my thirties and giving fewer fucks about what other people think of me, I think "bisexual but maybe 80% of my crushes/loves/relationships are women" probably fits best. So, on the girl preferring side of bi but not far enough towards exclusive girl love to be 100% lesbian. Mostly lesbian? Partially bi? Not really easily labelled at all?
As for gender, I'd classify myself as mostly female. Mostly. That works.
