the Binary

Mythology

A common quest among all cultures for an explanation of the most basic, and the most challenging questions of life and the human condition has always existed. The word Mythology itself is derived from the Greek word “mythos”, meaning story of people, and “logos” which means speech.

The study of these stories of creation, good versus evil, life and death, god and the afterlife is Mythology. All cultures have uniquely expressed their beliefs and values through timeless fables. It is left to the reader to interpret each myth and decipher the underlying lesson within the winding and colorful tale.

Much has been made by Transphobes and TERFs of the gender binary and its immutability. Their belief is that they are 'gender critical', and they conveniently forget that gender has been seen differently by different cultures during millennia. I feel sorry for them, but not too much. Their vitriol literally costs lives. It's more like it's willful ignorance (even coming from the ones that seem to have a varnish of culture/education) and that kind of makes things even worse. I should remind myself that I met MENSA members that were flat earthers...

The thing is that a long established thread and very possibly an essential part of many cultures has been to present challenges to the binary. Mythologies have always been part of human life, of course, and used to explain events and the human condition itself and they have always included characters that do not conform to gender tropes and that embrace the duality of creation as seen by many peoples. Intersex, gender non-conforming, androgynous and basically trans figures have been part of the way peoples have explained their world and were known to advise warriors or kings. Classical myths also offer many examples of gender-bending deities and gender fluidity as a sign of power. Trans folks are not a XXI century invention. TERFS, on the other hand, are. 

I do think that colonialism, nevertheless, has contributed to the discrimination of gender non-conforming and Trans individuals the most. Western colonialism has imposed the gender binary to a reality that did not embrace it. Ancient gender fluidity shows us that queer, gender non-conforming, non-binary and trans people are nothing new. Subverting gender roles definitely emphasizes the need for representation of all genders. And the existence of transphobes and TERFS and the ongoing war the Talibangelists are *again* waging against people who do not conform to the binary are proof that the binary is definitely linked to colonialism, the patriarchy and just plain fuckery. I believe that all this requires reminding people that being gender non-conforming, intersex or Trans is nothing new. It's just the Last Frontier for some people with too much time in their hands and a healthy dose of bigotry.

XOXO

P.S. my personal theory (and I'm a keyboard scholar and psychologist, remember that) is that people's issues with Trans and non-binary folks stem from factors that are not related to the binary per se, but to those people's feelings, biases, fears, traumas and perceptions. It's the 'show me in the doll where Trans people hurt you' syndrome. BTW, @Debra, I have the sneaky suspicion our mutual friend totally comment-blocked me because I dared insinuate some definition was not strictly accurate LOL *twinsies!*