Challenging the binary: Gender/sex and the bio-logics of normalcy.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
L Zachary DuBois, Heather Shattuck-Heidorn

Abstract

We are witnessing renewed debates regarding definitions and boundaries of human gender/sex, where lines of genetics, gonadal hormones, and secondary sex characteristics are drawn to defend strict binary categorizations, with attendant implications for the acceptability and limits of gender identity and diversity. Many argue for the need to recognize the entanglement of gender/sex in humans and the myriad ways that gender experience becomes biology; translating this theory into practice in human biology research is essential. Biological anthropology is well poised to contribute to these societal conversations and debates. To do this effectively, a reconsideration of our own conceptions of gender/sex, gender identity, and sexuality is necessary. In this article, we discuss biological variation associated with gender/sex and propose ways forward to ensure we are engaging with gender/sex diversity. We base our analysis in the concept of "biological normalcy," which allows consideration of the relationships between statistical distributions and normative views. We address the problematic reliance on binary categories, the utilization of group means to represent typical biologies, and document ways in which binary norms reinforce sti...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 7, 2021·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Jennifer M CullinAndrea S Wiley

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