Abolishing Gender: The Key to Ending Sexual Exploitation?

Abstract

For many decades, feminists in the US and across the globe have been engaged in a battle to eradicate sexism, violence against women and girls, and gender-based discrimination and oppression. Feminists have waged a campaign to promote the equality of women and men, and have worked very hard to chip away at patriarchal society. But have we gone far enough?

Gender, it would seem, is just a “fact of life.” Certainly, the effects of gender, felt via material oppression, are hyper-real. But are the categories of “man” and “woman” real or constructed illusions?

In this presentation, I will make the bold assertion that we should abolish gender as we know it. This idea is more radical than expanding gender roles to incorporate non-traditional behavior. It furthers the idea, set forth by Judith Lorber, that we should thoroughly “de-gender” society. Gender is an antiquated and oppressive matrix which primarily has one function: to oppress and degrade one-half of the world’s population. In addition, people who stray from gender through birth or expression, such as transgender and intersex people, are routinely abused and oppressed. Those who eschew the mandate of heterosexuality are denied basic civil rights. The treatment of women and LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex) people under patriarchy is dependent on the continuation of enforced gender-normativity, heterosexism and misogyny.

Joelle Ruby Ryan, MA Women’s Studies, MA English Literature, PhD Candidate American Culture Studies
University: Bowling Green University, Women’s Studies Program
Location: Bowling Green, OH
Title of Presentation: Abolishing Gender: The Key to Ending Sexual Exploitation?