Having laid out the empirical data that proves a sexual binary in the last post, it is important to now consider if it is rational to conclude that there is a gender binary. Before answering that, it will prove helpful to distinguish between sex, gender, and gender identity. “Sex is biological, recognized in the observable world; gender is sociological, recognized in the perceptions of masculinity and femininity in human society; and gender identity is psychological, recognized as an individual’s personal interaction with the observable world within human society.”[1]
Is it rational for a person who is a biological man (sex)
to think that he is a woman trapped in a man’s body (gender identity) because
different cultures have different views of what is masculine or feminine
(gender)? Ultimately, the issue is whether it is rational for people to make
their “inner psychological convictions absolutely decisive
for who they are.”[2]
This subjective notion of truth and reality is only
possible in a postmodern worldview. Postmodernism claims that “reality is not
an objective fact or a comprehensive truth, but a set of socially constructed
ideas and social systems.”[3] In such a system, gender is merely a
social construct that can be reconstructed according to whether a person feels
connected to his or her biological sex or not. Is that view rational? The
answer is “No” for at least two reasons.
First, while gender is a sociological and cultural category,
it is not unrelated to the biological reality of sex. The two are integrally
intertwined. Every culture may view expressions of masculinity and femininity
slightly differently (such as the masculinity of wearing a kilt in Scotland
versus the femininity of wearing a skirt in America). However, every culture
has a concept of gender that is fundamentally tied to the notion that
there is a binary—men dress like men and women dress like women. “Gender
properly understood is a social manifestation of human nature, springing
forth from biological realities. . . . Gender is socially shaped, but
it is not a mere social construct. It originates in biology.”[4]
Second, applying the postmodern logic of transgenderism to
other areas of life demonstrates a serious lack of coherence. Reality cannot be
determined based on a person’s psychological experience or desires. An extended
quote from Carl Trueman illustrates the point:
I might truly desire to be Marie Antoinette, queen of France—indeed, I might happily decide to self-identify as such—but my body is male, has a genetic code provided by my English parents, is physically located in Pennsylvania, and exists chronologically in the twenty-first century. Being Marie Antoinette is therefore not a viable option for me. My body, not my psychology, has the last word on whether I am the last queen of France in the eighteenth century.[5]
The incoherence of transgenderism’s
logic is further illuminated by a legal case in which a Dutch man asked a court
to change his birth certificate to make him 49 years old rather than 69 years
old (his biological age). “He claimed he did not feel 69 and said his request
was consistent with other forms of personal transformation gaining acceptance
around the world, such as the right to change name or gender.”[6] The
court rejected his argument for pragmatic reasons. However, it is obvious that
the unreasonable view of reality is the issue.
The foundation that transgenderism is built upon is shaky
ground. Where does one draw the line? What if a 50-year-old man wanted to
identify as a high school student and enroll in elementary school? What if a six-foot-tall
white man wanted to identify as a five-foot-tall black woman?
Summary: The Gender Binary Accords with Truth
In summary, the gender binary is established by empirical data and reason. In other words, it accords with truth. It is the reality set by God who created humanity as male and female (Genesis 1:27). The transgender position can only find support by locating truth decisively in psychological experience. Such a view is not in line with reality or tenable. Now it is time to turn to examine the issue of gender in light of goodness.[1]
Jonathan Parnell, “Being a Man and Acting Like One” in Designed for Joy: How
the Gospel Impacts Men and Women, Identity and Practice, ed. By Jonathan
Parnell and Owen Strachan, 27.
[2] Trueman, 23.
[3] Mohler, We Cannot be
Silent, 71.
[4] Neither Androgyny nor
Stereotypes, 215. Emphasis added.
[5] Trueman 165.
[6] “Dutch court rejects man’s
request to be 20 years younger” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/dutch-court-rejects-emile-ratelband-request-20-years-younger
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