GENDER IDENTITY AND BIOLOGICAL ESSENTIALISM: A CRITICISM OF TRANSGENDERISM

Abstract

Biological essentialism and gender identity has a very important role to play in determining the factors and real identity of what should be the human identity. Some have argued and supported the motion that individuals should be allowed to make choices as regarding the type of gender they would have preferred against the background of natural assigned gender as orchestrated by biological factors such as chromosomes, hormones or sex, that affirms individual’s gender identities are predestined and cannot be changed. Biological essentialism holds that certain traits, behaviours and characteristics are inborn in human beings rather than the product of socialization or upbringing. In recent times, such phenomenon has been challenged and disputed globally which some of the strong oppositions are transgender, gender-non-conformist, gay and theorists on the grounds that people should be allowed to determine their gender and not the other way round. But such view poses a lot of problems to human society as its premise supports a revolt and denial of the natural tendency of natural formation of human growth and biological nature assigned to the individuals by their creator before and during conception. One of the problems that this paper tends to address is the ethical issues related to transgenderism. In order to critically articulate this work, hermeneutical approach were deployed as veritable tool to providing answers and criticisms related to transgender. This work recommends that transgender group determination, legalism and their pursuance of equality against the background of the natural tendencies of the individuals real identity and essentialism should be curtailed and rejected, because such uncultured way of living could lead to confusion, anarchy and moral decadence in our societies. The emphasis we’re making in this paper is that biological essentialism is what determines gender identity; any other ways are artificial and non-natural. It is when we arrive at this point that the rights of the cisgender people can be protected; gender segregation maintained in spaces like bathroom etc, legal recognitions and prisons regulations being maintained against transgender people and such policy will hinder them from gaining recognition and acceptance in the society. This paper also suggests that biological essentialism in gender should be accepted and upheld as the appropriate means of gender identification.