Why is Gender Identity so Important? | Rikki Arundel | TEDxWarwickSalon 

10/10 great explanation, great incorporation of humour, and your voice is amazing to listen to. I was a little disappointed that you didn't really talk about non-binary people, but other than that I think you hit all the important points, in a very clear and concise way.

12:43 "Because that's the penalty for failing to comply" Calling it out like that instead of using more socially safe terms completely changed how I view the entire gender spectrum.

Reply to DamnMyfetish (no reply button available) Why is it that people with less than a smattering of understanding of complex issues don’t hesitate to add their shallow pool of thought to a debate? First - gender identity is NOT the same as sexuality and a person’s phenotype (their external appearance including genitalia) does not influence gender identity. During gestation, male human genitalia begins to differentiate from the base model of female at around the 6th week, triggered by the embryo’s Y chromosome. I in 200 births presents an infant whose anatomy differs from the standard male and female. I in 2000 live births is a child with complex, ambiguous genitalia. It requires further tests to ascertain whether the child is chromosomally male or female. Even when we have the answer, none of this determines the child’s later gender identity, it is the BRAIN which decides. Some people can be born with what looks like male secondary sexual characteristics yet their brain has developed anatomically as female - post-mortem examination of the brain has given us an insight into the basis of gender identity and it is NOT the external anatomy as such. ! in 1000 people (most of whom identify as male) are born with an extra X chromosome (47, XXY). As a result they do not secrete enough testosterone to go through a typcal male puberty. In consequence, they develop breasts, their body shape is feminine, their voice does not break and they are unable to grow facial and male-pattern body hair. This does not mean that they will ID as female. Some do, but I repeat, gender identity is NOT dictated by the body. I have worked with many young people who are diagnosed with this condition (Klinefelter Syndrome). I have also worked with young people who externally appear to be anatomically male, However, their brain has developed along female lines & vice versa - i.e. female’ anatomy contradicted by a male identity. Yet another condition reveals an individual who presents with intact external male genitalia and identifies as male, yet tests reveal that internally he possesses rudimentary female reproductive organs (uterus & fallopian tubes). Should the sex police then tell him that HE is actually SHE because of his internal organs or should they insist he is male becasue he has a penis and scrotum? Before those who dismiss the facts leap to write about their concept of ‘normality’ I suggest that they should attend university for 5 years (as I did) qualify with a doctorate (as I did) and spend 4 years in research (as I did) and then work for 16+ years with the very people I have described above (as I have done) and then perhaps you will be able to write about such matters with more authority. Even better, keep an open mind and spend some time with the very people I describe above. You may learn something more useful than uninformed prejudice.

Gender identity isn’t important. Be yourself not a caricature of what you think a woman is or a man is. It’s incredibly sexist to women that you think we all just like pink, shoes, and makeup. Also, participate in your own sports please, pave your own path just like real women did.

"Challenge these rigid and stupid rules!" Brilliant speech passionately delivered, thank you Rikki.

What I don't get is the necessity of a label at all, even in the case of dating websites you're selecting genitals not filtering for a system of behaviors.

So now when a women gives birth to a baby and asks the doctor "is it a boy or a girl?" the doctor needs to respond "we won't know for quite some time".

This is such an interesting topic; thank you for sharing! But one of your comments really struck me. You said to one of the guys here " But what would you do if your daughter started wanting to wear boys clothes, wanted to change her name to a boys name, refused to wear dresses, insisted on playing soccer or football..." I did all of those things as a little girl. My mother couldn't even put a bow in my hair without me screaming. I played soccer/football starting at 6 years old and continued all the way through university. I played many sports, actually. You can't possibly be saying that I was a boy because of that, right? I was always considered a girl with my own special interests. I was a tomboy, yes (and be careful if you use that word in Thailand because it has a very different meaning there that I found out the hard way, haha) but girls and women can do a wide variety of things and have many interests. That doesn't define my gender. I do enjoy wearing dresses and skirts now, but that's because soccer players have nice legs haha. But seriously, I am happy that no one started encouraging me to change my gender when I was younger. I've always been proud of being a strong woman. Just because a child starts acting like a person who has interests that are not exactly what had previously been considered to be traditionally of the opposite gender does not mean that they are of the wrong gender.

Present yourself anyway you want. Man/woman girl /boy I personally don’t care . Dress however you like 👍. If people don’t accept you that’s their problem.

Thanks for this. As a woman who has always been on the tomboy side of things, I've been extremely confused about why someone would feel the need to actually change genders. I've looked at gender as unimportant because I'll do what I want, regardless of whether it's considered appropriate for a woman. But I can see that this is more difficult for men to do without extreme harassment and violence.

I did not want this video to end. She has such an amazing voice. The world needs more people like her.

Why didn't it occur to him to say to children who asked about his genitalia, 'that's not an appropriate topic to discuss with a stranger.' A normal person talking about their genitals to children would be accused of grooming. Why is this bloke given a free-pass? It's because people are embarrassed or scared to challenge his behaviour for fear of being called transphobic or prejudiced. The result is that a serious problem that might be a mental health issue, a personality disorder, or just the behaviour of a sociopath is able to proliferate unchecked.

She said “6 in 1,000 = 6%.” I’m trying to better understand the science behind gender dysphoria. This did not help, unfortunately.

She's such a good public speaker and has an interesting personality

I want to hug you, you are great.

Great talk , l do not agree with everything you said but it was a real pleasure listening to your intelligent speech.

We can break the prison of gender identity by conforming to it?

You can't change your gender. And I don't believe that people are asking you whether you're a man or woman; I think they're telling you "Sir, you cannot go into the women's restroom because you're a man". They're not the ones confused. But if you can't even give a definition for "man" or "woman", you're the confused one. Also, no, you shouldn't be speaking to children about this, whether they ask about it or not.

It's one thing to be born a hermaphrodite, then allowing that child to grow and decide which gender they're most comfortable with. It's an entirely different one when the child is born male or female. In that aspect the parents and child grow along with each other in the traditional concept. As far as the pink or blue that's done at birth as a simple form of discription. As a matter of FACT most hospital wrap baby in blankets that a Represent neither make or female. As the child grows and they're identity starts to form... They EVENTUALLY pick a "color' they are most drawn to

So Amazing!!! And So true. Coming out as nonbinary, masculine expressing has made my life so much better, even if I have to fight the negativity. To be treated as a person as myself is really the only desire I have. Thanks for your advocacy and I hope to be in you shoes someday.

I love you for giving this talk. Thank you.

Great sensible and engaging speaker. Nice to hear someone discuss gender and trans issues without just spouting the standard and often I'll founded terms and official doctrines of the new millennium gender ideology

Hi Rikki A brillant presentation. I'm an advocate of educating on trans issues and you have done the trans people proud with this. Well done. Ria

Wonderful talk

So many amazing points. It really resonated with me what she said about girls/women being able to adopt the dress of a boy/man and not be categorized as gender variant, whereas a man with the same degree of crossover would be. I fit into the spectrum that's identified as the female gender, but it's such a broader spectrum I hardly think that means much of anything. If we did collect stats accounting for the point she made, I'm positive I would be classified as gender variant. But because of the mechanics of our world and the two gender roles, I have never been treated as a deviant for loving to wear baseball caps and men's t-shirts. Even with short hair, I can wear quite a broad array of "men's" fashion without my gender identity being scrutinized, nor my liking of those things criticized.

A very good explanation. question though, when it comes to transgender individuals, would it be less important for someone to physically transition if society was more open to accepting someone identifying as a gender other than their binary or presenting themselves as a non binary gender? Say a male identifies with female more than male, but has no dysphoria with his male body. Is there any reason for this person to transition?

+Rikki Arundel, as a mother of Andy soon to morph into who he was really borned, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. He is loved by both myself and his Dad, and we support him on his journey from FtM. Thank you and a hug!

On another topic, even if someone is transgender because of something that happened to them during development, doesn't mean that you can reverse it. some things become permanent. For example. If you learn a language before puberty, you won't have an accent. So, the language center of the mind becomes 'finalized' during puberty. So why can't the person's gender become finalized at some point in development? Because that's what I feel happened to me. I was a normal boy until age 6. From then on, I was molested, and told that I was really supposed to be a girl, that god made a mistake. So for the next 7 years, I was constantly reminded that I was really supposed to be a girl. 50 years later, I'm still stuck with this underlying feeling that I'm supposed to be a girl.

This is great. She really outlined all the basics and the issues extremely well. Thank you Rikki! This is a great primer for anyone who is curious about gender identity issues.

Stop calling autogynephillic men who pretend to be women she and her. Just stop!

Fantastic - its about humanity and freedom for all. Everyone should be who they want to be and still be loved. Thank you

I’m sure you are a decent person. But please don’t lie about your intentions here. It is not complicated.... people just need to treat people with courtesy and decency even if they disagree with each other.

Great talk!! As an older Transwoman I agree with every word you have said..... What amuses me is when gender specialists ask what toys you played with as a child....I had an electric train set which ran off the mains & was fascinated by the electric current, but I also had a doll as a relative was a doll maker. My favourite xmas present was a Rupert Bear Annual. But most of all as a child & & up to the age of 12ish was my collection of foreign stamps. I noticed that my grandchildren have none of these things, they have computers & I am not sure that I approve !!

I loved this. I'd like to say thank you, in particular, for bringing up gender variance as it relates to transgender issues, and how the two are not the same thing. I fall into the gender variant category (genderfluid, specifically) and it's amazing how many misunderstandings trying to explain that concept can bring up.

Absolutely splendid, well delivered, and very thought provoking. Well done Rikki! This is especially important to me because I'm transgender too, and I've experienced hate crimes in my own life from my own family and even people I didn't know, despite being only 18. Breaking these rigid rules we've got set up and ending gender could open up so many possibilities and change the way people look at the world and at each other, and in my opinion that's something worth working towards.

Does anyone know where I can find the transcript for this?

Excellent thanks for sharing

Anyone mind if I don't "challenge gender"? I have so much else on my plate. btw, this doesn't conflict in my mind with the last sentence of this talk.

This was seriously a great talk. I deserves more views.

Hey, I'm trying to figure this out: If men were allowed to dress and act like a 'tomgirl' the way women can be a 'tomboy', would there be less of these different gender identities? Because it seems like creating a different identity was trying to make up for the lack men as 'tomgirls'. I'm trying to understand this.

Thank you!

COULD.NOT.LOVE.THIS.MORE. WILL SHARE THIS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL'S GSA (which we can the Radical Equity Movement - REM) THIS WEDNESDAY. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!

the people that dont understand Simpy dont want to understand. thats the problem!

You dont need an identity, just be you nobody really cares if your male or female.

I might have missed that part, but what do you think about the Canadian law where using the wrong pronoun to adress to someone is against the law and you can get punished for it?

Wonderful talk, thank you x (Mum of transgender daughter) x

Thankyou for this talk, Rikki. You have a great sense of humour which helps lighten things up a little for people who might feel uncomfortable with this topic, which needs to be discussed!

Your beauty is emanating from your heart deep inside!

You're beautiful and this is wonderful thank you for doing this for all of us who either can't or are too afraid to speak for ourselves.

This is important for everyone. I believe most of people dont fit 100% in their gender boxes. People are so multiple and this have something to do with freedom. Freedom to be who you are. If you put a blue cloth in your kid you saying, treat him like a boy, you're ignoring that that kid might be sensible, that kid might not enjoy competition too much and there's nothing wrong with it. It's just his personality. Even if in the future he wont dress himself with dresses and skirts, still. Children must be free to be who they are regardless of those made up rules.

Nice outfit! (seriously)

Thank you for your talk

Thank u so much, i really got alot from your talk.

My god, I love you Rikki

This is so incredibly powerful, moving, and important. For me, it struck a nerve of integrity - standing up for what I know and feel is right, Rikki, thank you for sharing this and reminding me of this. I am completely in awe and will be sharing this as widely as I can!

Thanks for sharing! Very insightful.

Moving and thought provoking, thank you

A man identifies and is dressed, as what a prudent and reasonable person would consider female, is speaking on rigid rules. Why does she wear some board shorts and a sports bra? I just don't get the logic of taking away gender but then identifying oneself as....

The problem I see with this is the rising popularity of criticism of people who disagree with this movement. As well as the compulsion of certain language. Which doesn't work constitutionally. Not to discredit anybody's feelings.

Thank you for giving this talk Rikki. It is a very important issue. I worked many years of my career in Obstetric & Gynecology departments. Indefinite gender is more widespread than people understand. I hope all who hear this talk will take your advice and treat everyone with dignity and respect because if they do not they will offend someone they know without realizing it.

I believe in respect and equal rights, I don't think is needed to change a whole society to change this mentality. I also believe that labels separate people because it creates a sense of groups. Once people start to understand their self as human beings (same group) with different necessities the world will start to get better.

Interesting to watch. Great presentation. Really enjoyed listening to this speaker. Still not convinced that a person's philosophy of gender is an accurate way to identify gender. Still think biologically people are male or female. The argument presented seems to display that the speaker has stereotyped how men or women think and then concluded that he thinks more like a female; thus he identifies as a female. The reality is that if he was born with male genitalia and he feels he thinks similarly to the way women think; that doesn't make him a women, it just means he is thinking. It seems he boxed his philosophical framework into how men and women think, and than identified himself according to his own perceived framework. In reality, he is just a man who has thoughts and is simply attempting to justify his desire to identify as a women. At the very end where he encourages others to cross-dress is an attempt to validate how he thinks as being correct. I disagree and I think it confuses younger people. The speaker also appeals to gender being determined by how he "feels," which is an irrational basis for determining gender. People can "identify" as a different gender, but they are still biologically a male or female from birth. The "gender identity" isn't the truth of their gender but simply a philosophical framework constructed for themselves; completely subjective and doesn't line up with an objective reality. Subjectively gender is based on feelings and people own versions of what's true to them. Objectively gender is based upon biological evidence of a persons genitalia from birth. Simply put, the speaker is a male but likes to dress as a women and wants those feelings validated by society. I love the speaker, but I disagree that men should dress as women. Men don't dress as women because it confuses children and makes them question if gender is real or a mental state as explained in this video. An explaining to children the mutilation of your genitalia to switch biological genders is incredible disturbing for them. Very cruel to put that imagery in the head of children for the sake of your own personal agenda. It also encourages children to mutilate themselves to switch genders. The presentation was interesting, but I am still convinced that "gender identity" is an attempt to escape what someone was born into. I understand that there is a perceived "freedom" in being able to identify as different genders. Seems like a logical thing when a person has no objective basis for why they ought to be the gender they were born with. All reality is subjective and personal preference as explained by the speaker. Unless you believe in an objective authority that is more than a persons opinion; which is only possible if God exists. "Gender identity" is rational to a person who denies Gods existence, but is clearly irrational to a person who believes that God exists because God would be an objective standard to this issue. Without God there is no objective standard. The topic of gender identity is a clear side effect of a person not having any objective perception of reality, living in a completely subjective state of mind. Don't believe this gender identity non-sense, what it preaches to fix is a lie. You were born biologically as a male or a female. God has a plan and purpose for your life. He wants to use you. God takes the lost, the heavy burdened and gives them rest. Do not trust what society tells you because they are the blind leading the blind. Just as this speaker thought it perfectly fine to explain the mutilation of a persons genitalia to children. Pick up your Bible or download a Bible app on your phone. Ask Jesus Christ into your heart, and learn the objective truth about life. You don't have to be lost, God can find you and shine his light on you. God leaves the 99 who are already saved, just to find you, the one who is lost. He is the good Sheppard and takes care of his flock. This speaker does not care for you, he cares for his own personal agenda.

Lord Jesus, heal our broken world.

Im just a little confused about the gender assignment part of the presentation because the speaker is conforming to the female gender stereotype, wearing clothes and having hair like a female. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that go against the idea that gender shouldn't be categorised into boys and girls things. If gender was an issue, surely a new type of clothing should be created and new types of products for those that don't conform to genders?

You are awesome!! this video changed my life!

thank you so much for this video Rikki. it's wonderful.

Good talk initiating a number of questions and including a frightening definition of harassment which could include all social interaction. I think I was always happy with what some people define as gender identity but the more I learn the less I understand. Everything feels unnecessarily complex and unnecessarily complicated.

Amazing speech I loved it. Thank you!

It is a very simple question, just look in your shorts...

I understand where she's coming from I get the point that it's a lot harder to be MTF or any AMAB that presents or identifies in any nonconforming way but I really think this is ignoring a different struggle faced by the other side. What you have to understand is this there is a negative by product that comes with this freedom of expression that happens when you're AFAB. It makes it so much harder to show you're gender identity . she's ignoring how much it hurts to keep heading in the male direction trying so hard to make them see the real you but it isn't until you're at the far end of that spectrum and then suddenly "butch lesbian" and that's it!!! um like nope, asexual transman here but than they just shout "triggered" at me and tell me to go back tumbler, I don't even have a fucking tumbler account, asshole!!!! Sometimes being invisible hurts just as much as being hated even if it is safer. Just because we have the freedom to express ourselves more openly doesn't change the internal disparity inside and sometimes just being a tomboy or a masculine female isn't enough but that's all where ever seen as. because it's so socially accepted to be a masculine female there's a pressure on you to believe this is all you are and actually considering the fact that there is something more to it just doesn't happen! If a trans woman wants to boldly and proudly state "I'm a woman!" she can just wear a dress or women's clothing and makeup and be a woman and while she'll get some hate she'll also get some support. But I've been instinctively dressing from the men's department almost my entire life and nobody knew I was trans not even me!!! all of those wasted years of not being or even knowing my true self!!! So now what do I do, unless I'm completely ready to fully transition which isn't for everybody knowing this about myself changes nothing!! I'll still always appear to be a tomboy or a masculine woman I'll never feel like a man and that kind of hurts too. but I guess it's better than fearing for my life every time I leave the house so I do have to remember I am talking from a place of privilege in a sense. When simply presenting in a non-gender conforming way we definitely have an advantage but I think after we actually do come out trans men are not taken as seriously. Actually according to mainstream society we don't even exist. Because they can't paint us in the scary transphobic "creepy guy in a dress" light so we actually devalue their position they simply erase us from the conversation altogether. Again it's both a blessing and a curse I guess. Well shit, now I just sound like an asshole! I'm so sorry! I'm not making much sense but I hope somebody gets my point!

Lack of self knowledge brings birth to a host of misconceptions about anything that sorrounds us and we quickly learn to justify and hastily explain our viewpoint as a consolation for that lack. A simple check on the life of such personns can show the causes that led to that direction. Usually boils to lazyness of mind being the primal culprit which pushes such people to busy themselfs with every useless and futile topic they find within the reach of their hungry-for-whatever-the-wind-brings mind, as an attempt to feel important and special. Perhaps it would be very good for the existence of such people to put them and learn how to work with earth. At least this would clear and quice their minds and then suddenly the answers to real questions will come and the faulse questions will disappear as if they never existed.

Need to get a big shovel for this sociology 101 lesson.

The word "Gender" is derived from the Latin root meaning "to beget; to procreate; to generate; to create; to produce."

It’s ironic that the ad that played before this video for me was a product called “Dude Wipes”. Anyway, this type of thinking , and all its variations stem from self-centered people with “issues” playing make believe. No I don’t celebrate this nonsense. Yes, I can hear the name calling from those who disagree. The intolerance in the name of tolerance is something to behold!

The only thing I'm not sure about here is the idea it's harder for men to come out as women. Yes with clothes, as was said, but as ftm I have never been taken seriously by any doctor. Tried since I was 15 (am double that now) but they refuse to take my baby incubator away because I'm a woman and should breed. My partner however was taken seriously on her first visit to her doc to start reassignment from mtf. I don't understand this. :( The public trans women I know get high fived and complimented. Trans guys get, ha, yeah right. So is my experience.)

I was born male and today I still identify as male. Why? Well I heard there's privilege for guys Though I'm still waiting to find that rumored "privilege"...

I find it humorous as well as frustrating how some act as if it's a huge effort to accommodate our very simple requests. If we misgender a cis woman and she corrects us we go "oh sorry, she" and carry on as if nothing had happened no matter how butch and hairy and deep voiced she might be. Why does it magically become rocket science if a trans woman requests the same courtesy? And how is it OK for people to go under the knife for vanity but if we do it to alleviate genuine suffering we're deemed the crazy ones? All this resistance to trans folk being respected like everyone else is nothing but irrational fear.

This is such an awesome TED Talk. Thank you for this.

This touched me so much! Thank you!

Beautiful. PLEASE CAN I DO THAT MASTER'S DEGREE?

7:00 about to cry...

This is beautiful

I identify as transagenderneturalfluidotherkin.

Oh my god I love the accent!

shouts "I identify as a reptilian!" CIA shows up "Wait, I identify as a human now!" CIA: "damn he's good..."

Wonderful, I am so glad I was assigned to watch this video with one of my college courses. Thank you!

It’s not. Nobody cares what gender you are.

First World problem extraordinaire 😛

I feel intimidated and harassed by the group of people who force their sexual preferences on me.

Thank you so much Miss Rikki, I almost heard myself there. I also got my womanity back at fifty so it shows and since I live in a small town I knew I would surely be the first trans a lot of pêople would see so I sincerely thought that my difference would make me an interesting phenomenon, a subject of curiosity... Well, it didn't really happen that way, I lost family, friends and no one dares show interest so once I had my emotions figured out I concluded that my generation instinctively rejects non-conformity so... Let's teach our children that different is interesting and let's start as young as possible, only then trans people, natives, rich or poor, french or japanese, happy or sad will all be brothers and sisters, forever. Cheers, Rose.

❤❤❤

So I call someone a guy, they want to be identified as a girl. I'm harassing them? I am not violating that person's dignity. "Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically." I still value and respect the person. What exactly makes gender a "relevant protected characteristic" if they are biologically a male or female? I'm open to have someone change my mind. I challenge someone to change my mind with facts, data and percentages. Biased opinions or feelings aren't going to change my mind.

Talking about the end of the video here, so basically i should have to go out and make myself uncomfortable so you dont have to feel insecure or bullied? Why should i have to make myself feel "insecure" because you dont have the self esteem to deal with the "bullying." You are the one who accepted the gender change? shouldnt you be prepared for the so called harassment?

To anyone who leaves a hate comment here: I hope you know that the things you say has consequences and the hurt that you are putting out stems from within. No one who has got the meaning of life would take their time to leave horrible comment online.

I enjoyed your presentation very much. I enjoy learning as much as I can so thank you.

💝

Awesome talk. Thanks Rikki.

A must-watch, this video is fantastic! Rikki Arundel takes us through gender identity as a simplicity all of us can easily understand. Humorously adding a lighter side that keeps you watching, and suddenly understanding just how complex the question is it male or female can be.

Well done Rikki - good one !

Humanity is slowly crumbling...I am fine with people doing whatever makes their life experiance happier. But you cannot force your view upon yourself on society. If someone is behaving differantly, he cannot inforce that diferance upon those around him. You cannot force me to pretend that you are something youre not. Thats all I have to say upon this subject. (Again, don't want to offend anyone, you are free to do as you please. As long as you don't force me pretend as if that were the only truth)