Next SP, Thursday, Dec 11, 7pm: "Sex, Gender, Biology, Ideology," with Dr. Carrie Bredow

Details: “Sex, Gender, Biology, Ideology,” with Dr. Carrie Bredow, December 11, 7pm, Port 393, Holland

I have so much to share with you about the research on gender, and about the conversation around gender. I’m grateful to have Women’s and Gender Studies professor, Carrie Bredow, to help me think about sex, gender, biology, and ideology next Thursday. These are important conversations.

For now, I want to share three videos. They all feature Judith Butler, a phenomenal philosopher and theorist of gender. They (Butler uses they/them pronouns) give a great introduction to the complexity of gender and gender identity.

Butler explains that “…the assault on gender is also an assault on democracy.”

Butler goes on to give a basic understanding of the distinction between sex and gender, but they continue to stress the moral imperative, saying  “one wants justice not just for the group to which one belongs, but for any group that suffers in a similar way.”

Finally, I have a short excerpt from Butler’s most recent work, Who’s Afraid of Gender?. Butler is referring to J.K. Rowling (Yes, the author of the Harry Potter series) in this excerpt. Rowling is highly skeptical, dismissive even, of transgender identity. Butler is a fierce advocate for gender freedom. Butler’s words to Rowling are powerful.