The Culture of Gender

Gender’s cultures: where the third gender has been accepted for centuries.

By Asia Leonardi for the Carl Kruse Blog

When a boy is born, a blue ribbon is hung at the hospital door. If it is a girl, the ribbon is pink. The color is also combined with clothes to give away, rompers, bibs, even diapers, and pacifiers. The girl is given skirts and her ears pierced. When the boy grows up, he is taught not to cry when he falls, while the girl is comforted and caressed by the mother. The girl is given the dolls, the boy lego. The girl watches the movies of barbie, the boy those of spiderman. She gets her hair done, maybe braided and decorated with beads; he gets shaved. The girl goes dancing, the boy kicks. The girl can never say bad words, not even repeat them; if the boy does, you reproach him, but the second time you leave him alone.

We tend to believe that gender, like sex, is a natural quality, supported by the laws of biology. We should first understand what is meant by "natural", since, from a biological point of view, all that is possible is, by definition, natural. It would be impossible to detect a truly unnatural behavior so that behavior that goes against the laws of nature could not exist. A good law says "Biology allows, culture forbids". And if we think for a moment, the vast majority of laws, norms, rights, and obligations that reflect male and female qualities are not born of a biological assessment, but of the human imagination. The denominations of men and women are social constructs that are welcomed by the absorbing mind of children who just come into the world and transmitted from generation to generation. 

We find it normal, today, for a boy to become strong and show a hard face when he hurts himself, and holds back tears, while a girl does not pose the problem and bursts into tears. Because the meaning of man and woman varies from society to society, the two terms can have different connotations from culture to culture. A man is not so much a man if he is born with particular biological qualities, such as testicles and XY chromosomes, but rather if he dedicates himself to a man’s work, if he occupies his place in the particular order appointed by his society. The myths of his culture assign him different roles, rights, and male duties, such as politics perhaps, military service, or to vote. 

Similarly, the woman is not a woman if she is born with many estrogens in her body, two X chromosomes, and a uterus, rather if she conforms to the rules of her society, which sees her to raise children, to be protected from violence and to give obedience to her husband. If we see it from this point of view, then it is not surprising to think that in the world there are cultures with different meanings of the male and female gender, to which they attach a different meaning, a different role, and different rights and duties It is not surprising, therefore, that there are cultures where the non-binary genre has been fully accepted for centuries, indeed, perfectly integrated into the specific society. 

The first example comes from the traditional Samoan culture, where boys born in a male body but who identify with gender and female customs are called "Fa'afafines"; the same happens for girls, which instead are called "Fa'afatamas". They are individuals who fully recognize themselves in both female and male characteristics and move fluidly between the gender roles of society. Functioning in the traditional Samoan culture is very simple: if you do not feel you belong to the body in which you were born, society accepts you and integrates you for what you are. “Gender roles, even sexual desire, are shaped to suit society. That means gender identity is often hugely shaped by culture. Being a woman in Samoa is quite different from being a woman in Western society," explained a woman in a National Geographic video on sexual identity in Samoan culture. 

Two-spirits, male and female, that meet in a body, recognized as a channel of communication between the physical and spiritual worlds: so the Navajo natives recognize transgender individuals. They spend their time engaging in both male and female tasks, such as cooking, but also gathering food, and mediating between the various North American tribes. The American Zuni tribe, for example, gave birth to We'wha, a two-born spirit in a male body, who dresses in both male and female clothing. We'what even had an interview with President Cleveland, who was dazzled by their delicacy. 

Muxes are people who are born in a man’s body but do not identify with either the female gender or the male gender. They are part of the culture of the small town of Juchitá n de Zaragoza, in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico. They are particularly recognized and admired in society; traditionally they were people who devoted themselves to the art of embroidery, craftsmanship, and hairstyle. However, we know the story of Naomy Mendez Romero, now an industrial engineer, who shared their photographs and life history with the New York Times. When, a short time ago, controversy arose over which bathroom should be used by non-binary and transsexual people, Romero twisted their nose, declaring that they would never enter the men’s bathroom, having spent their entire life as Muxe. 

The Sekalava community that has been living in Madagascar for centuries recognizes a third gender besides the masculine and the feminine, which is called "Sekrata". They tend to be boys with feminine behaviors, who, instead of being labeled for their sexual preferences, are raised as girls from an early age by their parents. For the Sekalawa the sexual factor has no importance or value, and so the third gender is socially accepted and involved in the fabric of society. 

If we move to Northern Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro, we meet the "sworn virgins", women who have taken the vow of chastity and wear men’s clothes. Assuming the identity of sworn virgins, these women play a male role in society and have the duties, rights, and privileges of men. According to the 2002 Taboo documentary published by National Geographic, the number of sworn virgins in Albania at the time was 102. 

After being condemned by the British in 1871, in 2014 India finally legally recognized the Hijras as a third gender. Generally associated with sacred powers, the Hijras have existed for centuries; they are born men who do not recognize themselves as such. The Hijras continue to preserve their culture and language, they have been at the service of South Asian monarchies for centuries. So they continue to preserve their cultural and linguistic identity, called by them "dunya daar", they do not assume their marginalization, despite living on the fringes of their communities, especially concerning economic opportunities. 

 The Metis were recognized as the third genre in Nepal only in 2007, although they too have a long story to tell, a story that sees them intertwined with the roots of the Himalayan region. These are people born in the male body but who identify themselves with female behaviors. Nepal, reaching a worldwide goal, has also included the category of the third gender in official documents. 

In Thailand, the Toms are born women who adopt male attitudes, and who frequently relate in a loving way to the Dees, that is to say, the traditional female gender in Thailand. 

Brotherboys and sistergirls in Indigenous Australian culture Brotherboys are born women who adopt the attitudes, roles, rights, and privileges of men considered male spirits. Sistergirls are the exact opposite.
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