GENDERLESS BABY

A couple in Canada is raising their  child free of gender. Thus the sex of the baby is unknown. One of the first things asked about a new child is it girl or boy? Then a complete social construction is slapped on the child. The boy will want to do this or that and the same applies to the girl.

Years ago, there was a struggle between biological reductionist (anatomy is destiny) and environmental determinists (we can shaped the behavior of almost anyone to be almost anything.) Because of Steven Pinker and others, the two schools came together in that ” word  “(environment) and biology (biochemicals) merged. As a vast generation, the surprise is that a human is about 50% of each and that the two are synergistic. However, in specific areas one is dominant over the other.

The two sexes have brains that vary from each other and there are other biological variances. Although they are 99% the same, the 1% has an impact. In a number cultures, there is room for a third sex including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered and others . However, we are talking about USA and Canada, there appear to be only two. That is the rub, can one raise a child to be able to choose what they would like to do, and be able to do it?

Generally speaking “sex” means biological and “gender” means what you are expected to do or sex role. The problem is what happens with bullies on the playground and in the corporate board room? There are sharks in suits and little psychopaths among the youngsters playing. Testosterone is a deadly chemical that inflicts civilization. On balance, males have a lot more of it than females. The study of crime is generally a study about men.

On the other hand, someone from 100 years ago would be surprised at all the changes in and among humans dealing with  dress, values, and behavior of the sexes. It would seem that we are heading toward  more variety of people and a wider variation of sex role behavior. However, most want to know what is a vagina or penis and what do you do with it? For the immediate future, it would appear that the two sexes, may turn into three, and it may not go any further.  However, it is naive to think that humans are not resourceful to  adapt to something new relative to this issue.

What most want is the ideal of another person who will look, act, and value the same things in the same or complimentary way that they  do. Romantic love is something about that because oxytoxin floods the brain causing a “high” when love is first found. Then it  dissipates and we begin to look at serial monogamy( marrying another and then another). Whatever, the discussion in the future, finding a long term relationship(s) should be part of the discussion. This also applies to what you want and can do and how you want to act and remain in society. In other words, behavior of a sex may not be so limiting.

For the moment, it would appear that the child needs to know their sex and then work from there. What appears to be nature impacts social choices. Or does it?  If this issue continues, only time will tell and we can know about each other and still have a highly workable society.