Gender is a spook.

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Gender is not real. Sex is, but gender, as defined by the american psychological association, is nothing but a social construct.hence why i believe in transexualism, but not transgenderism, gender fluidity, or the gender binary.

Gender identity is learnt behaviour as far as i can tell, its made up of behaviour that is discouraged/encouraged as determined by sex. So someones gender identity is somethng that is taught via nurture rather than being nature...so it exists as far as being an artificial construct, i think the problem is when people behave as if these artifical constructs are natural...i do not believe these constructs encourage the natural expression of an individual and is a way society tries to fit us into easily definable boxes.

How many times have we heard be a man? Or he is camp or too feminine? ...according to a restricted model of gender that is way out of date.

Unlearning these gender identities is very hard, people supress some behaviours according to their gender identity or learn to mask it...this starts in childhood.

Is it anywonder given how deep seated these learnt gender identities are that people cannot break from them?

Hence i theorise that this is why you get gender fluidity etc its the minds way of trying to express all of its natural feelings via stifling gender identities that only allow portions of their feelings to be expressed. The mind cannot just disgard such deeply learnt behaviours. Another explanation is the feelings some people feel varies and their mind seeks to express this with changing gender hence gender fluidity.

Gender identity is not natural....it is a social construct that has been internalised as the unconscious rules that govern expression. You know they have been internalised when you see people tell you to act like your gender. Or when as a boy you know your not allowed to do some things like play with barbies. These days you see people fight for gender identities because they think they are natural and fail to see the thousands of ways society perpetuates them.

Someone has been reading some Stirner.

No, i studied gender a bit at uni and formed my own ideas based on my own experience of this complex subject. Having gender fluidity aspects to myself has helped me construct a useful model of gender identity and my inner world based on my own experience of it. So this is my understanding of things based on my own experience and study at uni. Study at uni is not based on parotting back ideas mindlessly but on taking ideas , examining them and forming your own oppinions on them...

Arkena, I was talking about OP

Gender and sex are the same. Trying to redefine them is simply a form of propaganda. If a man wants to live as a woman then they should but it doesn't make them a real woman, just as a brunette who dyes her hair blonde is not a real blonde.

I think an understanding of how for example the male identity is constructed by society (parents,familly,peers) is important to understand this topic otherwise you will assume that gender identity is all in the genes which is only half the picture.

Its like saying speaking english comes from the genes when the ability to learn a language is biological (brain development...its like the hardware) while the language is entirely taught by society (this is like the software).

To differentiate between what is nature and what is nurture is very difficult today. But you can say for example that given higher levels of muscle building hormones, males tend to be more muscular all other factors being equal.

You can also say that men are taught not to cry as adults as to many males showing hurt is a sign of weakness (a generalisation but we all know those males)...such males will say things like stop being a woman, be a man, your not a real man to others.

When you appreciate all the ways society teaches what it is to be male you start to appreciate its not all in the genes. The problem in understanding this comes from a few factors.

When you are a straight male (both sex and gender are male) you are told by society this is normal,natural, etc. so your whole life you are taught that a male acting male is the only acceptable thing for a guy to be and fail to see all the social pressures to make males behave like "men".

Its only when you look into sociology or gender etc you realise society shapes someones gender identity in ways that stay invisible to the average person.

when you are not "normal" in terms of gender identity you see that what society says is "natural" doesnt match with your sense of identity...so can appreciate this on a personal level. While a straight male will only appreciate that there can be different gender identities on a theoretical level if at all.

Its difficult for someone to accept that not all males feel all that male to someone who has never felt that. All you have to do is see all the feminine acting gays to see it in action.

Given the subjective nature of gender identity and of ones feelings its difficult to prove my point empiracly.

Correct...where did i say they were the same?

Oh apologies, i used male identity as a euphemism for male gender. My bad