Judith Butler discusses the fluid nature of gender and challenges to traditional norms, highlighting the relationship between gender, power dynamics, and societal structures. The podcast explores gender binaries, societal constructs, and the importance of embracing complexities outside traditional norms. The discussion also addresses controversies surrounding gender identity, debates on gender-affirming care for teenagers, and the importance of solidarity in combating discrimination.
Gender is crucial to democracy's future, not just identity politics.
Respecting children's autonomy in gender exploration is vital to combat discrimination.
Deep dives
The Meaning of Gender and its Relation to Democratic Values
Gender, as discussed in the podcast, is not just about identity politics or fragmenting the left. It is fundamentally linked with the future of democratic societies. The concept of gender is seen as a way to ensure individual flourishing within social norms that encourage flexibility and justice. The podcast emphasizes the importance of reordering society to actualize principles of equality, freedom, and justice in line with a radical democratic vision that challenges traditional hierarchies.
Challenges in Accepting Gender Diversity and Gender Affirming Care for Youth
The conversation delves into the challenges faced by queer, trans, and gender non-conforming youth in accessing gender affirming care. The podcast highlights the importance of listening to young people and providing them with a safe environment to explore their gender identity without fear of discrimination or pathologization. It criticizes interventions that seek to normalize or correct non-conforming behavior and advocates for respecting children's autonomy in self-discovery.
The Division Within Feminism Over Gender Essentialism
A segment explores the internal division within feminism, specifically regarding gender essentialism and the acceptance of trans individuals. The podcast discusses how some feminists advocate for discrimination against trans people, while others emphasize alliance and solidarity to defend basic rights. It touches on the need for larger alliances within the left that include diverse feminist and queer voices to counter authoritarian attacks on gender diversity.
Navigating Gender Performance and Social Orders
The episode addresses the complex notion of gender performance and its role in shaping social structures. It emphasizes that gender is not a fixed essence but a socially constructed practice that individuals enact over time. By challenging traditional gender binaries and hierarchies, the podcast calls for a reordering of society towards a more just and equitable framework that respects individual freedoms and diversity.
Why have attacks on gender become so pervasive, especially within right-wing movements? Our guest this week points out that “the question of gender is fundamentally linked with the future of our democratic world.” Judith Butler is a philosopher, gender theorist and cultural critic. They are also a distinguished professor in the graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley. Butler is the author of numerous books, including their latest, “Who’s Afraid of Gender?” They join WITHpod to discuss their seminal work, thinking beyond gender binaries, the obsession with gender as a tool to further authoritarian movements and more.