âThe concept of gender identity, in my opinion, is one of the worst intellectual scamsâ
A teacher, Luisa VelĂĄzquez Herrera, dismantles the myth of self-determination of sex:
âFor about 16 years, Iâve taught feminist courses and workshops, and I can assure you that no one manages to answer this exercise about these assumptions, no matter how much they defend men or how queer they are. I always concede the point before starting the example:
âOkay, letâs suppose that gender is a choice, thatâs what youâve said, right? That means we can stop being women.â âThey answer âyesâ with conviction.
âVery well, then letâs launch massive campaigns to encourage all women and all girls not to âperceiveâ or âidentifyâ as women.â If that puts an end to rape, femicide, the exploitation of girls and women in trafficking networks, in homes, and obstetric violence, we have the solution right under our noses⌠ââDoesnât that put an end to violence?
What?! So, gender isnât a voluntary choice? Donât we ask women what their gender is before assaulting them?â
âI swear that not a single queer person, right there in front of me, said never a word.â âI wait a few seconds, the last minute arrives, nothing, the silence persistsâŚ..â
âOkay⌠Iâll end the tension⌠feminism highlights this: patriarchal oppression isnât based on individually perceived identities, but on womenâs sexed bodies, and listen, itâs not because my body contains an âessenceâ of oppression, itâs because men chose violence and decided what women would be in the system they founded.â
Let's suppose, finallyâI say this to conclude the exampleâthat tomorrow everyone wakes up "non-binary," dresses androgynously, and shows creativity in their appearance; rest assured that in the kitchen, in the bathrooms, carrying babies, and suffering obstetric and sexual violence, we women will still be there. That is gender.
Luisa VelĂĄzquez Herrera â Menstruator at Tradfem