Monday, June 27, 2011

Biologists, strut your stuff!

If you havent watched the movie, XXY, you need to.

It's an amazing film about a young intersex person navigating their identity, sexuality and gender expression. What's really amazing too is the way there are 2 different visions of science that the movie presents. Mamos and I have been talking through this for a while and it comes through in the comment he leaves on another post.

There is the biodiversity vision of science, one that embraces the multiple, varied, evolving nature of the body, of nature, and society.

Another is a top-down authoritarian, Francis Bacon-style version of science that focuses on hierarchy, perfection and boxes.

Anyway, all this is bringing me to read about biology and gender.
A biology that isn't top down, gender-binaried, fluid, embracing of biodiversity.

So, my dear biologists, here I come:

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Feminity by Julie Serano

Sexing the Body: Gender politics and the construction of sexuality by Anne Fausto Sterling
Myth of Gender: Biological theories about Women and Men by Anne Fausto Sterling

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