“Gender Is a Social Construct!”: The Truth Behind the Meme

Photo courtesy of Feminism in India

Anyone who actively uses social media (specifically those engaged with TikTok) has most likely heard the phrase “gender is a social construct”, a sentence most often used to ridicule members of the far left, otherwise known as ultra-progressives. The stereotype of a bisexual woman with colored hair angered over the misapplication of pronouns has since become a trope mocked within modern culture, and the notion that gender is a social construct has been assigned similar hilarity. Regardless of the intentions behind those who make fun of such individuals or statements, the truth remains that the significance within the phrase is often overlooked, with very few stopping to consider what the nature of gender really is.

Of course, to define what exactly it is we mean when we say gender, we must establish one thing: one’s biological sex (otherwise known as the chromosomes and reproductive organs that an individual is born with) is distinctive from one’s gender (how a person identifies socially as well as how they are referred to by others). In other words, the two have no correlation. So, when someone states that “gender is a social construct”, they are not referencing one’s biological sex, which is unchangeable and most certainly a biological aspect of human beings. Gender refers to both pronouns and the way we present ourselves externally to society, and that presentation often resembles a set of guidelines we have grown up accepting as the norm (for example, the expectation that boys should wear suits while women should wear dresses). Most people, however, often dedicate little thought to why these expectations exist, and why distinctions between genders matter (or, in this case, why they do not matter). Many thousands of years ago, there existed no organized civilizations, however, somewhere along the line, things like clothes, makeup, and the idea that biological females should occupy domestic roles while males should act as hunter/gatherers were created by our ancestors. These ideas and material things have no relevance whatsoever to our genetics or who we are; they were created and passed down from generation to generation, hence why people state that gender in itself must be a social construct. Quite literally, gender, as well as the symbols assigned with it (clothes, makeup, etc.), is a product of human social development, and is completely irrelevant in a conversation of what people should or should not do or portray themselves as.

Therefore, as gender is an imaginary concept that was fabricated by our ancestors, no single member of the human race can definitively classify what is or is not an accurate portrayal of gender. That means that each individual's understanding of this made-up social concept must be an inherently individualistic experience; we each absorb the social cues and ideas presented to us as we age and form our own assumptions about what expressing yourself as one gender or another constitutes. Personally, I grew up with the idea that men (from a social perspective, not biological males) typically present in a masculine fashion, and, since I also prefer to present in a masculine fashion, I have identified and will most likely continue to identify as a man. Obviously, that definition of what it means to be a man is an extremely over-simplified version of my perspective on the matter, but, nevertheless, that generally sums up how I identify with and express what I perceive to be my gender. Of course, I acknowledge that this idea is unique and individual to me, and many men identify as such while simultaneously presenting as feminine. Since I know my individual perception on what it means for me to be a man is strictly my own interpretation of social norms I have been taught, I know I cannot apply those standards to anyone else around me, which is why I acknowledge and accept non-masculine presenting men as men; they have their own take on what it means to be a man, and live their lives in accordance with it. I have no right to impose my interpretation of a made-up concept upon those with a different interpretation on the matter, as it is an entirely fabricated idea.

This, of course, raises additional questions in regards to transgendrism, gender dysphoria, and the idea of being non-binary. After all, if gender is an individual experience, why can’t people just perceive the gender they were assigned at birth as encompassing of what they believe their identity to be. An important thing to keep in mind is that, while we perceive gender individually, the factors which influence our perception are entirely external; our beliefs and views are molded by those around us, meaning we are often taught to view gender as it was traditionally perceived by our ancestors. That is why many men and women tend to dress the same as those who share their gender, as we have all been presented with a similar model of how each gender should present themselves. I am an example of a person who has expanded upon this basic model, adding things like jewelry into my external presentation while maintaining my identity as a man. However, if one is too forcibly indoctrinated into viewing each gender in one, unchanging way, they may be unable to continue living comfortably in society without making an effort to alter how they identify. A transgender woman, for instance, may have grown up understanding that members of the male and female gender each grew up to live lives specific to said gender, and, while she was assigned the male gender at birth, greatly preferred the elements and aspects of the female gender’s way of life. Because she was unable to comfortably explore those elements of feminine living within her definition of what it meant to her to be a man (otherwise known as gender dysphoria), she was unable to live claiming she was a man, and transitioned to a gender that allowed her to explore the life she wanted to live within her personal definitions of gender. The same concept applies to non-binary people, who, once they have established a concrete, personal understanding of what it means to be a man or a woman, realize that the person they truly are does not match the definitions they’ve formulated to describe either gender, leading them to reject those options and identify with a third group (of course, some non-binary people reject the binary system entirely and simply do not acknowledge that they fit with any gender, including those that exist beyond simply being a man or a woman). Regardless of how someone chooses to identify, one should always keep in mind that the parameters those around them use to understand gender is different from their own, and, that whether or not we share a definition on what it means to be a man, a woman, a non-binary person, or whatever else, we are all simply operating within a system with no true basis in reality. In other words, it isn’t really all that big a deal.