When you add it all up, who we are and what we are cannot be explained by ignoring biological facts.

Allow me to outline a basic truth.

By definition, equal means “the same in all aspects” whereas equivalent means “similar but not identical”. So, 1+1 can never equal the single number 2, only 2 can equal 2 and thus, 1+1 can only ever be equivalent to 2.

In arithmetic as in life, if two things are the same in every aspect they are equal. If not, even though they share some essential characteristics (that they are all numbers, for example), they can only ever be equivalent.

In the same way, a particular sex can only be equivalent to a particular gender. Man is equivalent to Woman because both are human beings however, Man, or male, does not equal Female. Male is equal only to Man, and Female is equal only to Woman.

But, I suggest that while the sex informs gender-identity it might not in fact be equal to the sex. One’s assumed gender is a hypothetical product of one’s sex and is therefore most likely to be amorphous.

No developing embryo can decide which sex they are born into. It is not transactional. Human beings have no control over what they are and only limited control over who they are. There are very rare exceptions to this absolute fact.

Identity evolves from birth and is concerned purely with such abstracts as personal feelings and beliefs. As such, Identity is an egotistical construct derived from all facets of an individual’s personality and cognitive processes, both rational and irrational. One’s sex, naturally, informs the process. Over time, a particular identity may feel real and vital to the owner, it is who they believe themselves to be and how they present themselves to the world. But to others, their projected identity might be either irrelevant or differently perceived. For example, an individual may believe themselves to be a barnacle, and display all the characteristics of that creature however, others may identify them purely as a male human because that is how they are commonly perceived. Identity is irrevocably connected, and perceived, in specific genetic and biological ways.

One of the other ways assumed Gender is not necessarily equal to Sex is because Sex is immutable, and Gender is fluid. What you are (species, sex, race etc.) and who you are (identity), are tenuously connected largely because who you are (your identity), changes minute by minute, day by day. It is an innate instinct rooted in the human will to survive.

In the 21st Century people must be free to identify as they please, in any way they please, it’s a personal matter, and so too is how others perceive and respond to that identity. However, to assert that a male who identifies as a female is equal to a female and should therefore be accorded the same privileges and impediments of being a woman is essentially wrong. To argue otherwise is indefensible. A man can only ever be equivalent to a woman and vice versa. Whether you choose to believe this or not, is entirely up to you.

Every single one of us is born human. Surely what human beings are looking for in life is for our equivalences to be equally accepted.

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Pictures: From various sources.

© Rod McRiven 2023