(Untitled)

[ywong]

So I thought of something:

If the technology were invented to flawlessly and truly allow people to change their sex at will, what would it do to the current dialogues about gender? How would the world in general change?

Comments

[ohioana]

I think a lot of stereotypes would be reinforced -- not because they are necessarily valid, but because people would just start living them. For example, (assuming race were also changeable) everyone would become a white man for job interviews (and probably at work in general.) In sappy movies, we'd all be women so we could cry without shame.

Finally, during sex, we would have bloody deadly battles to see who could be the guy. Not because there is any stereotype there, but because that is what happens in real life with creatures that really can be either or. The physical demands of pregnancy make being the male such an advantage that they actually fight to the death to avoid pregnancy some of the time. Also, I think everyone would spend a lot of time as they opposite sex just exploring that new body. It would be a huge time dump.

[overbo]

"Current dialogues about gender"? What kind of social service mumbo jumbo is that?

If you could switch back and forth between genders effortlessly I'm sure most people would spend at least a little time as the other sex. Maybe one gender would be in fashion and most people would be that gender, switching only to the other for the purpose of reproducing.

I assume you'd be changing their brain chemistry as well? It'd be a great opportunity for science to observe what elements of being a man/woman are environmental and what elements are genetic.

[ywong]

"Current dialogues about gender"? What kind of social service mumbo jumbo is that?

Because I didn't want to limit it to "the feminist debate," since there's also the "men's rights debate" and the "transgender people who write into websites complaining about binary gender select boxes issue" and everything. "Current dialogues about gender" was the most compact phrase.

[overbo]

Assuming I could just change sex as the mood strikes me, I think it'd render most discussions on gender righs irrelevant. The reason these issues are important is because you can't choose your gender. Giving people a choice in the matter would almost reduce gender to an aesthetic, like being goth or having a tattoo. In choosing to have tits you willfully accept both the advantages and disadvantages of having them and so it becomes difficult to argue that you're being oppressed.

[ohioana]

I think this is what I said, or at least what I meant to say, only with a more positive spin. (Also, possibly with a more concise and clear explanation.)

[ywong]

I mean flawlessly.

Part of the thinking nowadays is "well you can't REALLY change sex because X still remains the same." When I mean "flawlessly," I mean without flaw such that that objection is moot-ified.

What I'm asking after is exactly if the limitation you describe is in fact lifted.

[tonapah]

I still contend that a lot of people (especially those of the internet-libertarian persuasion) would then argue that sexism is the fault of the women who choose to stay women, since they have another option. Sort of like if we had the ability to change race at will, minorities would be expected either to become white or to shut up about racism. The ability to change sex without any real change in society's sexist attitudes would actually make things worse, I think.

[tonapah]

Though, hmmmm, I wonder how many gay/bisexual people would change sex to avoid homophobia...

[overbo]

See, but in this world we're talking about I can no longer look at you and say "You are inherently inferior because you are a woman." I would instead have to argue "You chose to be a woman because you are otherwise inherently inferior."

In the first argument it's easy to *prove* you're a woman, so then it easily follows that you're inferior. I have saved myself a whole lot of thought, which is really what sexism is all about-- making decisions without using complex judgment.

In the second statement I still have to prove by some other evidence that you're inferior so being sexist hasn't saved me anything. To take it a step further and say "only inferior people would ever present themselves as a woman" would be silly given that females are necessary for baby making.

Also, in this world individuals would perform a tasks, then convert sexes and perform the same task and see if they do better or worse. This would put to bed nearly every incorrect generalization about the sexes.