Definition Essay: The Spectrum Of Gender Identity

713 Words3 Pages

Gender, what is it? Is it one thing, is it a spectrum, it is multidimensional, or does it mean something different for everyone and thus has limitless definitions. Why can’t there be a gender planet, with a myriad of gender regions each incrementally shading into another? With little ships able to transport oneself from one place to another, just as one’s interests changes, or activity level, or career.
We cannot paint gender in such broad strokes as everyone has the same desires, tendencies, interests or strengths. Life, with all its possibilities and opportunities, should be available and encouraged for everyone regardless of gender. Those who impose restrictions or favoritism based on gender are sexist and guilty of nothing less than gender …show more content…

Everyone has the right to reject or create new labels. People define labels, labels don’t define people. Our identities are multifacetal, made up of opinions, preferences, values, beliefs (all of which are fluid). Sexuality, religion, culture, politics, gender, or have a stake in multiple things at once. I have often felt limited to only express traits or tendencies of a traditional man, and traditionally “feminine” traits have been suppressed, such as being compassionate, empathetic, and nurturing side. I’ve always wanted to shave my legs (hair is super gross), be more open to expressing feelings, and dance. By being a man however, my more ambitious traits have been enhanced, leading me to be more dominant and aggressive in shaping my environment and future. I believe that this has helped led me to want to be a provider and work full time in medicine when I graduate. In this way gender has impacted my life choices and preferences, but I disagree with the idea that men are biologically better providers, and women are biologically better nurturers. I think gender is entirely a societal structure and disagree with its harmful …show more content…

If I’ve learned anything from being at college it’s that no one has things figured out, that everything’s up for grabs, nothings set in stone, and that everyone’s making it up as they go and hoping no one notices. Maybe for some their identity is set in stone, and for others it isn’t, and that in of itself is an identity trait. We arrive at different identities with different definitions for different reasons. Sometimes I feel a connection to one identity, other days, another. Sometimes I find power in having identifying with a group of people or ideology (such as a man). Somedays I don’t identify with any identities and just want to be