I’ve been legally female since 2002, although the definition of what makes someone “legally” male or female is part of what makes this issue so unwieldy. How do we define legal gender? By chromosomes? By genitalia? By spirit? By whether one asks directions when lost?
We accept as a basic truth the idea that everyone has the right to marry somebody. Just as fundamental is the belief that no couple should be divorced against their will.
For our part, Deirdre and I remain legally married, even though we’re both legally female. If we had divorced last month, before Governor Baldacci’s signature, I would have been allowed on the following day to marry a man only. There are states, however, that do not recognize sex changes. If I were to attempt to remarry in Ohio, for instance, I would be allowed to wed a woman only.
Gender involves a lot of gray area.
A great op-ed that was in the NYTimes a few weeks ago.
Gender, which is not to be confused with sex, is something that people will always try to define. Gender, however, is always a revolving spectrum that blurs any, and every, line that society can come up with.
Gender is a social construct; meaning that society creates stereotypes in order to classify people into categories. Our society recognizes two genders, male and female. Gender roles are pointless as even non-transgender people push the limits of stereotypes.