Averting/Deconstructing the Second Law of Gender Bending

So in the story I'm writing, it's not particularly uncommon for someone to change sexes due to magical means. The person knows that they'll be stuck with the body for a few months - a year tops. I was thinking about perhaps subverting/deconstructing the Second Law of Gender-Bending in this narrative and treating it more realistically (such as hints at gender dysmorphia and such) The only thing is, would being gender bent for a few months actually cause problems that severe, and other questions. If someone could give me some feedback/tips with this, that'd be really helpful.

edited 27th Jul '13 10:06:41 AM by TheMuse

well, if they're switching between genders it's unlikely that they'll even care about they're "original" gender, and be rather androgynous. They probably won't prefer one over the other, especially if it's common in society.

I guess it would depend on whether it was someone's choice to do it or not. I'm going to cover what I think if it wasn't by choice (or at least desire^note So going undercover for police-work, or something).

If it's not uncommon and assuredly temporary, I'd expect it to be treated something like being in a cast for a broken arm or something.

Sure it's occasionally a problem, but they'd learn to deal with it. I'd expect some cases of minor body dysmorphia - surprise that their arms are weaker/stronger/longer/shorter, forgetting that they're going to have a period. Not really gender dysmorphia since they know their true gender, so do the people they know, and presumably they're free to act as much like it as they wish (not forced to "cross-dress" to match their current body).

Not to say that there wouldn't be people who have a serious issues. If their original gender is an important part of their identity I could see some identity crisis happening. Or if the transformation was under traumatic circumstances, used for trauma. Like say changing a guy into a girl for the express purpose of rape.

I'm going to say yes, they would probably experience dysphoria, assuming their new body isn't the same as their gender. Being in a body with the wrong sex is simply an awful experience, and it doesn't require any traumatic experience for dysphoria to happen. Naturally, the new body having all of the biological functions of its sex would make things worse — having a period as a guy or not having periods as a girl. Worry that they'll be stuck in that body forever, being mocked and pitied by society. I imagine it'd be more akin to cancer rather than breaking an arm. Not to mention actual trans* people in this universe would be upset — and probably jealous — if it didn't happen to them.

I think it really depends on society in this 'verse and just how common these sex changes are. If a majority of people goes through them, it will probably be a gender fluid society in itself. In such a society, gender ought to take a definitive back seat to other categories by which people define themselves. Changing your gender would be a natural part of your life-cycle and people would be mentally prepared for it. It would have major effects on the way people in this society perceive gender in general. Gender roles would be defined in a vastly different way than what we are accustomed to, so would sexuality. In such a setting, I don't think having your gender flipped once or twice...or thrice...or more times...would constitute a traumatic experience, mostly because it would be considered perfectly and entirely normal, with no social stigma attached to it and no 'wrongness' associated with being in any one particularly gendered body, no matter how you were born. You could claim that you are a woman in a man's body and people would probably just go 'Oh, right? Been there, done that. Cuppa tea?' without even blinking.

Though in the first place, the concept of being a 'woman' or a 'man' would be a transient one at best. In fact, these people might be abhorred by the idea of having to be stuck with one gender all their lives.

Similar might apply if they are a significant part of society, with another part never changing genders. Amongst themselves, this would still be perfectly normal, though tensions might arise between the two parts. But to the people who actually go through the gender changes, provided they were raised within a circle of like people, this would probably not constitute a trauma and not give them any discomfort as such. Periods of adaptation to the new body would, of course, still be necessary, particularly if it's the first time it happens - but their culture would accommodate for these transitions.

If on the other hand, they are a stigmatised minority, this might indeed come with a lot of the same problems that we associate with transgender people.

but at the same time, just because a society is gender fluid doesn't mean the person would, just like how now the world is gender binary but their are people who are gender fluid. if that were true, the person would also have to deal with no one taking their problem seriously on top of everything else.

Well, the problem is, we don't have that ability in real life, so it's hard to know what would happen, in terms of dysphoria. I mean, yes, transgendered people definitely have it, so we know that it is definitely an issue, but we don't know what the effects of —zap— you're a dude for a year!.

Some might have more issues with their sudden change in social class and other issues than anything. It's honestly up to you to decide whether they do or not. Although at the very least, they should be confused by their body initially, ESPECIALLY if the proportions change.

edited 28th Jul '13 11:10:23 AM by MrAHR

It depends on how you approach gender as such. Personally, I subscribe to the theory that gender is an social construct from start to finish and therefore, in a society where gender has been a fluid category for a very long time, constructs of gender would emerge which would allow transition back and forth without dysphoria.

To develop gender dysphoria in the first place, you have to ascribe an absolute identifying significance to your gender. In such a society where gender fluidity is an actual biological thing, people wouldn't.

By which I absolutely do not mean to say that gender dysphoria in our world is 'just in their heads' or anything like that. Gender is an absolute category in all of our heads (precisely because until very recently, it was impossible to change it at all and even now, it is not at 100%) so in our society, you have the conditions for gender dysphoria to develop and become a very real, very nasty problem for those affected.

I disagree. when it comes to gender, I think it basically boils down to body type (pretty much everything else is more of a social construct), and when it comes to that its just preference and personal taste, and general comfort. some people are comfortable switching, some aren't, and no matter what society continuously blares, their are always going to be people who feel pretty much the opposite, or just differently. so even in a society of gender fluidity there will be people who prefer one gender over the other, possibly even exclusively.

Prefer one over the other, yes. I'm one of those individuals who doesn't like sewing. I still mend my clothes myself, because I can't afford not to. A little less inane, I preferred being a child over being an adult, but there's really very little I can do about that. Given the right circumstances, this society might view gender swapping about the same as growing up, only with the benefit of getting to reverse it at some point.

Again, I'm not making light of actual, real life gender dysphoria. I'm questioning whether this society has the conditions to create it in the first place as a standard reaction to gender swaps. Of course there will be a couple of individuals who will have issues with it, just like we have individuals who have issues with heights or are bipolar...or gender dysphoric in a world where gender is a fixture. But I don't think they would be the norm.

Well the society in general is pretty lax on trational gender roles, so most people don't have trouble with that. Most people have some sort of preference and consider themselves 'male' or 'female', and people will refer to you by male/female/etc. pronouns if you request. A couple characters are implied to be gender fluid. One character temporarily loses their memory due to magical means and is transformed into the opposite sex and reacts much more badly than usual.

edited 28th Jul '13 12:20:08 PM by TheMuse

Pretty lax? —headtilt— I guess compared to the 50s, but it's still pretty dominant in a lot of places. Just not in the places you'd expect.

I think Muse was referring to the fictional society.

Yeah, it's constructed. It's more 'equal' than most places, but the fact they have pretty good birth control helps.

edited 28th Jul '13 1:04:56 PM by TheMuse