Gender Your Guide Ch: 1-3 Discussion Questions
1. Ch1, pages 27-30. Let’s discuss the ways we begin to enforce gender roles on our children starting as early as (or even before) birth. Why do we think we do this, given that babies virtually have no concept of or identifying characteristic in association with gender (and very few outside of genitalia indicating sex)?
2. We're there any moments / personal anecdotes shared in the books that really resonated with you or made you think hard about your own gender journey?
3. Lee describes how the strict bathroom and sports bills will inevitably harm cis women who are tall with broad shoulders and deep voices and men who are smaller with high voices, etc. not just trans people. What are some other ways that enforcing strict gender binary rules hurt cis people, not just trans people??
4. Lee highlights that there are people who can more easily get away with breaking gender norms. They claim that these people are the ones that have the power to lead the pack in terms of gender acceptance. Who are the people in your life who you think have the most power to break these norms and go unquestioned? How can we encourage them to participate in gender bending more?
5. Let’s talk about the word queer. That’s it, that’s the whole question.
6. Let’s talk about the recent rise of cis women who don’t want to be called cis women. Many cisgender people have come out in strong opposition to being referred to as such. They say it makes them feel like they are less of a woman/man, and that if trans people want their pronouns / gender terms respected, they should have to respect cisgender peoples desire to not be referred to as cis. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
For Context: Argument For the Use of Cisgender: https://transtherapist.medium.com/i-dont-give-a-damn-if-you-don-t-want-to-be-called-cisgender-24abe9995992 (https://transtherapist.medium.com/i-dont-give-a-damn-if-you-don-t-want-to-be-called-cisgender-24abe9995992)
Argument Against: https://notthenewsinbriefs.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/objections-to-cis/
7. In chapter three, Lee discusses various stages and
processes of transition for genderqueer people. What are some common misconceptions that the public largely has about transition that you were able to debunk during this chapter.