The Experiential Gender and Societal Perceptions

The book of Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity was really valuable to me in learning more about transgender people. Specifically in chapter 10 titled Experiential Gender, Julia Serano gave an impressive look at what the whole transition is like for someone whose gender identity is more like a puzzle than a concrete example of manhood/womanhood. Speaking from personal experience, the transgender community is something that I haven't really come to understand because I haven't tried to understand them. This short chapter spoke the truth from Julia's personal experience and that is something that I can really appreciate. 

When Julia speaks first of subconscious sex, she states, "Most people whose physical and subconscious sexes coincide generally fall rather seamlessly into womanhood or manhood; as a result, they take for granted the identity of woman or man"(216). While in Julia's conscious she felt that she was puzzled, it is even more valuable for her subconscious to feel the same way. I come to understand the subconscious as playing a vital role for Julia in transitioning into a female.

Similarly, Serano's main emphasis as highlighted by the name of this chapter is the idea of the experiential gender. This is an idea that has been reflected in the past couple of readings in this class. Serano says, "While our experiential gender is often shaped or influenced by our perceived gender (the gender others assume us to be), one does not necessarily follow from the other"(225). In my previous blog post I discussed the conferralist framework and how we are put into different social categories based upon the perceptions of others. However, the gender that one is perceived to be isn't always the true experience of someone as represented by Serano and her story. The experiential gender is shaped through experiences and one's own thoughts and shouldn't be influenced by the perceptions of others. And as Serano concludes, it would ignorant to project our own experiences onto others.