Power and the Truth of Bodies

A Certain Kind of Freedom: Power and the Truth of Bodies by Riki Wilchins

In this particular chapter of her book, Genderqueer, Riki Whilchins points out the inherent flaws in the conventional binary system of gender and demonstrates to us how our knowledge will be expanded and ‘truths’ discovered with the abolished of the system. This chapter consists of four small essays in which Wilchins discusses different aspects of transgenderism as well as queer individuals.

It’s your gender, stupid! & Queer Bodies

Wilchins begins with the introduction of Judith Butler and her idea that in our society, gender is not decided by who we are but what we are seen to be. In other words, society decides individuals’ gender based on their expression of gender. Wilchins carries on with this idea that she eventually proves wrong and assailable. She argues that if our ‘looks’ or physical expressions are what determine our gender, then they could be disrupted by changing our looks and therefore, this type of reasoning is unstable. However, universally, this isn’t the case.

Then, Wilchins claims that gender is a set of “meanings and symbols – and the rules, privileges, and punishments pertaining to their use”. She further explains that every bahvior, action and things around us are either judged as ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ such as ships, clothing, sexual positions, pens, bowls, hand positions, etc. Because of what Wilchins refers to as ‘microexchanges’, individuals are psychologically and behaviorally coerced to behave in certain ways that are conforming to the expected ways of behavior and expression when interacting with other people. Individuals that fail to conform to the norms are coined as ‘queer’. After analyzing the pervading social conventions and expectations, Wilchins questions whether if one can, in the most fundamental sense, really be feminine or masculine considering the diverse innate characteristics and tendencies of each and every individual.

Wilchins brings out the general societal belief that “biological sex is considered to be the most basic and natural product of bodies”. She further points out that if biological sex and natural shapes of our bodies are considered acceptable, it is contradictory that humans have created the two gender groups and try to categorize people into one of the two groups. What can’t we just accept the differences and move on? The widespread medical practice on intersex individuals demonstrates the flaw in our way of thinking – enforcement of binary system of gender.

Wilchins emphasizes the human creation of distinct groups with fixed number of characteristics and strict enforcement of these groups. This leads to uniformity and threatens diversity – an essential element in finding the ‘Truth’ that we humans are so eager to explore and discover.

Changing the Subject

Wilchins begins by questioning what “identity” truly means in this short essay, ‘Changing the Subject’. She explores and asserts that “identity” is a social construction of an ideal state of any category that we have established such as ‘being a woman’ or ‘being a man’ and that no one is perfectly a woman or a man but an approximation of this ideal identity. She further declares that identity is not a natural fact of bodies but a history of human social construction of the ideals and a complex set of responses to social and cultural needs. Recently, we have witnessed the emergence of another distinct gender group, “transgenders” who have taken charge and actively participated in having their voices heard in the world where the conventional gender binary system forced each and every individual in either ‘man’ or ‘woman’ category.

As Wilchins enters the main discussion of gender and various social movements regarding transgender, she asks two major questions:

1.       1. Is this really a big change in people’s thinking?

2.       2. If so, how are such powerful effects achieved?

Wilchins makes it clear that with the advent of the emergence of transgenderism  and as people identified themselves as transgenders, she also obtained the sense of pride in her gender and body. According to her, she began to understand herself as transgendered and not a ‘man-woman’ anymore. This phenomenon also made her seek explanations outside the confines and boundaries of the language and various attachments and norms that come with it. No matter how much effect the movement of transgender individuals have affected the ways that people think of it, Wilchins accurately points out that “the attachment of meaning is a powerful took for making us experience ourselves in the world in very specific ways.” In answering the second question, Wilchins brings up the idea of “from the bottom up” power system which means that our notions and behaviors, therefore, identities, are shaped by our daily interactions with people around us and not by government regulations or other institutional power.

Wilchins ends the essay with crucial thought-provocative questions that would help us solve the problems that transgender individuals go through as well as issues regarding gender in general - "Do we want to fight as genderqueers?.... Or do we want to attack the notion of normative genders itself?"