# Is gender now legally self-defined in the US? If not, should it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 13, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127 "2016-04-13T21:55:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/41 "2016-04-14T20:25:04Z")
Is then gender just a mental construct? Are we all born identical and shape our genders as we are taught? I can’t believe it’s that straightforward. And as it happens I oppose the frantic bout of lawmaking aimed at transgenders. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/42 "2016-04-14T21:36:29Z")
Gender expression is a social construct ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/43 "2016-04-14T21:42:59Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Gender expression is a social construct But gender identity, it seems, is not. ---
**Author:** ![Melisande](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dec6dc/32.png) [@Melisande](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melisande)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/44 "2016-04-14T21:56:06Z")
Trans people couldn’t have their gender identity if there weren’t a whole lot of cis people to use as a reference to define the genders in the first place. Cis people have to keep identifying according to their biological sex, otherwise gender identity terms would become meaningless. Although that maybe wouldn’t be a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/45 "2016-04-14T22:47:29Z")
Not wanting to sidetrack the thread further, but [the Washington Post has a decent article on Elizabeth Warren’s claims of Native American heritage](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-controversy-over-elizabeth-warrens-claimed-native-american-heritage/2012/09/27/d0b7f568-08a5-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_blog.html). ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/46 "2016-04-14T22:55:08Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Gender expression is a social construct What’s that actually mean though? Does it mean we can, or should, abolish gender altogether? Or create new ones? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127/47 "2016-04-15T00:00:38Z")
It seems to mean that gender is no more linked to a person’s sex than their sexual orientation is. While the majority of people have an agreement between their genes, genitals and gender we can make accommodations for those who don’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gender-now-legally-self-defined-in-the-us-if-not-should-it-be/752127.md?page=2)