2 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Do non-binary identities reenforce gender stereotypes?
Identity is something we *partially* choose, but is also something which is *partially* thrust upon us. I would place my bets on the latter taking up a *far* bigger portion than the former for the vast majority of people, if only because people don't really choose their defining experiences before adulthood and that the underlying patterns of understanding are taught to us by others.
A great many concepts hadn't been put into concrete terms while still existing beforehand. If your complaint is that what we have now is not completely accurate and is framed by certain modern societal aspects, then sure, but like you say that's the same for literally everything and so isn't a particularly useful distinction. Neither a lack of perfect accuracy nor a lack of prior explanation are meaningful marks against a concept.
Comment by poli_trial at 12/01/2025 at 20:02 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Right, I totally agree with the tension here of identity being partially we choose and partially thrust upon us. In creating new frameworks like "nonbinary", my argument is that this new way of discussing gender is less than ideal and leading us to fragmentation. We should choose something else. I think we were moving in a better direction when society was loosening gender roles and being more sympathetic towards people's change in preferences without creating new categories.