Gender

The Theory Of Gender:

Gender can be regarded as crossing between being: a social construction, a psychological identity, and influenced biologically. All these concepts are intertwined with each other, and can be affected by one another.

Gender as a Social Construct

How you should think about this idea is: sex is a biological construction, while and gender is a societal role that centres around the identification with a particular group of people. Gender roles have been given to the binary of men and women (masculine and feminine signifiers) that have been developed in multiple cultures. These roles can be mixed or removed in presentation creating an androgynous archetype. It is not integral to display strict gender signifiers to align yourself with your gender.

The 'Theory of Performativity' says that gender is crafted by the habitual performance of your gender using signifiers. However not all LGBTQ+ people agree that this is the case.

Gender As Biological and Identity

In foetal development a baby develops genitals at seven to eight weeks in pregnancy due to hormones, however brain development starts a month later and can allow the child’s gender (and sexuality) to be influenced with hormones and genes. In some studies the brain of trans people are shown to have structurally and functionally correlating characteristics to cis individuals who have the same gender identity.

The 'Wrong Brain In The Wrong Body' theory places emphasis on psychological feelings and is possibly influenced from foetal development.

Conclusion

Gender is ultimately psychological and can be affected from all three of these concepts. Gender is crafted into society and we can authentically identify with certain groups of people. Gender can also be influenced by biological factors in foetal development. It is absolutely valid for anyone to change their gender labels from the one assigned to you at birth as well as the one you’re living with right now, guaranteed you are authentic about it. The validity of belonging within a gender should not be defined by other people putting you into those little boxes -- there can be just as many genders as there are people.

Cultural Gender

Many indigenous cultures recognise and accept more than two genders as a normal part of their society. Lots of people who were part of these 'other' genders don't feel the need to physically transition as in their cultures they were already accepted by their society. However when colonisers invaded many of these were erased and the 'two gender' notion became the dominant by force, erasing many years of culture and history and persecuting people who were previously fully accepted. Historical accounts confirm that traditional indigenous Māori communities included people with a diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities.

Takatāpui – Rainbow Māori.

Takatāpui is often used to roughly mean ”rainbow person” or ”rainbow community”, in a similar way to LGBTQI+. Some say it is specific to Māori, others use it for all LGBTQI+ people broadly, as simply te reo Māori for rainbow people. Māori culture has traditionally included and celebrated people of all genders, and their relationships to people of any gender.

Despite Aotearoa becoming a British colony in 1840, and the resulting laws and value systems being hostile to takatāpui both historically and today; tikanga Māori continues to awhi and embrace takatāpui whānau.

At it’s core, takatāpui is a Māori concept that sits within Māori culture, with it’s own history and wairua, one very different to terms such as LGBTQI+. There is no direct English translation, but these are some whakāro or ideas for thought.

Takataapui – Māori Genders.

Takataapui is used more specifically for Māori genders, including those on the next page. Takataapui is often used as a gender of it’s self – Māori transgender not-otherwise-specified. Some also use takatāpui to refer to non-Māori who are transgender and/or intersex.

In Samoa, the Fa'afafine are people who were assigned male at birth, have a feminine gender expression, and don't think of themselves as female or male.

Takatāpui – Attractions, Relationships, or Sexual Orientations.

Takataapui is also used to refer to wahine moe wahine (women who sleep with women), tāne moe tāne (men who sleep with men). A takatāpui person may fit the definitions or behaviours of a lesbian, pansexual, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, or intersex person, (etc.), but may not identify with western concepts or English words for these.

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