Gender Neutrality Is No Holy Grail


"Euless Trinity's Mack Beggs, top, wrestles Lewisville's Elyse Nelson during the 6A Region II wrestling meet at Allen High School in Allen, Texas, Beggs, a senior from Euless Trinity High School near Dallas is transgender and in the process of transitioning from female to male. (Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News via AP)" - The Washington Times

It doesn't take long in one's research about Feminism to discover the gender neutrality movement. Its adherents hold that it is arbitrary and oppressive to gender someone or to make gender an issue in decision-making. These believe that gender is a social construct and carries with it gender-specific roles that oppress the individual, particularly women. In response to this, they push for gender neutrality in government policies, families and businesses for example, and the movement's proponents claim when gender neutrality advances, then women win. Yet, in many ways, the gender neutrality movement is a tremendous blow to women and women’s opportunities.

For example, just think of transgender athletes invading women’s sports to claim the top rung of the competitive latter. They leverage biological advantages over women and leave them with few opportunities to compete. In these scenarios, women lose.

Also consider transgender women enrolling in women-only colleges on scholarships and taking up space in classrooms that specifically meant to be for biological women. This is another way gender neutrality can deal significant setbacks to women.

Lastly, gender-neutral college dorms pose significant risks to women. For given the number of rape or sexual assault cases that occur in student housing, one wonders how decreasing the barriers between men and women in residential space through gender-neutral housing helps women or their risk factors. Through these and other examples the gender neutrality movement has brought significant setbacks for women.

UT-Tyler students should be wary of gender-neutral proponents’ flowery and positive language about their ideals as if anytime gender neutrality is in play that it is a good thing. In reality, gender neutrality, like other values such as discipline, rest, compassion or skepticism, has its limits. Life is a balance of these kinds of decisions and a journey that requires prudent application to find the right mixture for our lives.

Blind adherence to ideology despite its effects on women will not achieve human flourishing, as these example above show. I hope many will see that only wisdom--which comes from humility--can build the society we desire. The gender neutrality movement's impact on women demonstrates the destructive effect blind adherence to ideology can have.

 Twitter: @jhescock

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