Gendered Violence and International Human Rights: Thinking Non-discrimination Beyond the Sex Binary

McNeilly, Kathryn

doi:10.1007/s10691-014-9268-y

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…One could also hint at the social practice of "gay-bashing" (van der Meer, 2003), which punishes those who defy heterosexual sex/gender and discourages others from transgressing the socalled natural heterosexual order. With regard to discursive gendered violence, one may point out that gender queer identities are often unintelligible to those in the mainstream, who are conditioned to the extent of not being able to (conceptually) comprehend any other gendered existence outside the binarity imposed by the heterosexual cultural system of gender (McNeilly, 2014). Because LGBTQIA+ individuals most affirmatively defy that system of gender, they are most consciously affected by it.…”

Section: A the Social Construction Of Sex/gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most often, our Western heterosexual cultural system of gender, which posits the existence of two oppositional and complementary gender identities anchored in so-called natural and binary sex, goes hand in hand with material and discursive forms of violence and entails various forms of unequal power dynamics (Butler, 2007;McNeilly, 2014). As Ruocco (2016) holds, trans* persons disproportionately experience homelessness, unemployment and poverty; they are therefore more likely to be exposed to (government-controlled) programmes and facilities such as shelters, unemployment programmes, prisons, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Abolition of Sex/Gender Registration in the Age of Gender Self-Determination: An Interdisciplinary, Queer, Feminist and Human Rights Analysis

Cannoot¹,

Decoster²

2020

IJGSL

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It is commonly accepted that gender matters (whether cisgender, transgender/trans*, gender non-binary, genderfluid, gender queer, agender, or other) and many are raising awareness about the fact that gender always seems to matter. That gender matters, and always matters, does not necessarily mean, however, that gender needs to be authenticated or endorsed by the state.In fact, based on a feminist and queer reading of human rights, this interdisciplinary article asserts that state-sponsored sex/gender assignment through the practice of sex/gender registration must halt. It argues that mandatory (binary) sex/gender registration disproportionately infringes the emerging right to gender identity autonomy and the right to the legal recognition thereof. Most often, our Western heterosexual cultural system of gender, which posits the existence of two oppositional and complementary gender identities, anchored in so-called natural and binary sex, goes hand in hand with material and discursive forms of violence and entails various forms of unequal power dynamics. Hegemonic in nature, the heterosexual cultural system of gender pervasively regulates many (if not every) aspects of all bodies’ lives and being, including by legal means. The law upholds and certifies that specific gender regime, inter alia, by assigning a sex to individuals at birth (through the registration of a claimed evident, objective, natural element to be found on or in the body by inspection). Policies of mandatory (binary) sex/gender registration therefore constitute the cornerstone of the legalisation of the heterosexual cultural system of gender, which produces not only the conventional feminine and masculine gender identity (i.e. women and men) but also sex (i.e. females and males).This article suggests that, as long as the law refuses to go beyond the compulsory male/female (or even male/female/other) framework, it will be complicit in upholding the undesired consequences of the heterosexual cultural system of gender, which affect all persons of whatever gender or physical features. Therefore, undoing remaining forms of global gender injustice, as well as respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights relating to gender identity, requires the abolishment of sex/gender registration instead of expanding the available gender markers. Indeed, this article finds that current state practices do not pursue a legitimate aim, and even if they do, mandatory sex/gender registration does not pass the proportionality test that is required in the assessment of restrictions of fundamental rights. A human rights analysis of official sex/gender in the age of gender self-determination finds mandatory sex/gender registration to be a disproportionate measure and recommends that states change their current practices. Doing so would be beneficial to cisgender and trans* individuals alike.

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Section: A the Social Construction Of Sex/gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Abolition of Sex/Gender Registration in the Age of Gender Self-Determination: An Interdisciplinary, Queer, Feminist and Human Rights Analysis

Cannoot¹,

Decoster²

2020

IJGSL

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“…Yet the processes and revelations of queering are perhaps less utilized in social and political science methodologies until relatively recently. Critical inquiries into law have championed this angle, for instance, by advocating queering the human rights in thinking non-discrimination beyond the sex binary (Rosenblum 1994;McNeilly 2014;Otto 2012). May (2015, 228) applauds intersectionality as a justice-oriented approach to be taken up for social analysis and critique, for political strategizing and…”

Section: In the Age Of Unicorns: Strategies For Further Queer Bioethimentioning

confidence: 99%

Considering Unicorns

Sudenkaarne¹

2018

SQS

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This article discusses queer bioethics, a critical stance for dismantling cis-and heteronormativity in bioethics, together with intersectionality, the investigation of and potential for social justice-oriented change. I discuss the difficulties of navigating plurality with solidarity and ethical sobriety that I call the problems of identity, essentialism and relativism in intersectionality theory. I then proceed to ponder how queer bioethics relates to intersectionality, and close by offering some remarks for further research.Certain intersectional approaches share key queer bioethical imperatives in exposing how seemingly neutral antidiscrimination discourses rely on bias and privilege. Both powerfully demonstrate how ostensibly objective methodologies are often inadequate for addressing socially sanctioned bias or for unpacking oppressive habits of the mind. Intersectionality interrupts narrative norms and disrupts easy binaries, such as male/female or homo/hetero. Because it is practice-oriented and has a social justice mission, intersectionality approaches analysis and advocacy as necessarily linked, which corresponds to queer bioethics arising from LGBTQI activism. However, establishing intersectional queer bioethics requires further investigation into cases of race, sexual and gender diversity with queer bioethics as the background moral theory, formulation of which I suggest should be inspired by feminist metaphysical advances. ABSTRAKTITässä artikkelissa pohdin queer-bioetiikkaa ja intersektionaalisuutta. Ensimmäinen on kriittinen bioetiikan ala, joka tähtää cis-ja heteronormatiivisuuden purkamiseen. Jälkimmäisellä tarkoitan sosiaalista oikeudenmukaisuutta edistävää teoriaa ja tutkimusta. Aloitan tarkastelemalla moninaisuuden, solidaarisuuden ja eettisen selkeyden tasapainottelun vaikeutta identiteetin, essentialismin ja relativismin ongelmien kautta. Sitten kartoitan queer-bioetiikan kriittisten näkö-kulmien suhdetta intersektionaalisuuden teoriaan. Lopuksi ideoin queer-bioetiikan ja intersektionaalisuuden jatkotutkimusta. Esitän, että erittelemissäni intersektionaalisuuden keskusteluissa on samoja keskeisiä päämääriä kuin queer-bioetiikassa: pyrkimys paljastaa miten näennäisesti neutraalit, syrjintää vastustavat diskurssit tuottavat usein epäoikeudenmukaisuuksia ja etuoikeuksia.Intersektionaalinen ja queer-bioeettinen tutkimus voivat paljastaa, miten näennäisen objektiivinen tarkastelu on riittämätöntä. Ne häiritsevät normien rakentumista ja kaksinapaisia kategorioita. Molemmissa analyysi ja aktivismi ovat erottamattomasti läsnä. Näh-däkseni queer-bioetiikan intersektionaalinen rakentuminen vaatii kuitenkin lisää tutkimusta erityisesti rodullisuuden kysymyksistä uuden queer-bioeettisen moraaliteorian avulla, jonka tulisi ottaa vaikutteita feministisestä metafysiikasta.

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“…In recent years feminist analysis has voiced frustrations with the discourse resulting from the translational work of the 1990s. Critique has highlighted the liberalism and heteronormative assumptions about 'sex' and 'gender' which underpins much provision secured following the 1990s' campaign (McNeilly 2014;Cossman 2002;Otto 2013). Here the framework of cultural translation may foreground the futural nature of a radical practice of human rights.…”

Section: Tools Of Cultural Translation For a Radical Democratic Practmentioning

confidence: 99%

After the Critique of Rights: For a Radical Democratic Theory and Practice of Human Rights

McNeilly

2016

Law Critique

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The critique of human rights has proliferated in critical legal thinking over recent years, making it clear that we can no longer uncritically approach human rights in their liberal form. In this article I assert that after the critique of rights one way human rights may be productively re-engaged in radical politics is by drawing from the radical democratic tradition. Radical democratic thought provides plausible resources to rework the shortcomings of liberal human rights, and allows human rights to be brought within the purview of a wider political project adopting a critical approach to current relations of power. Building upon previous re-engagements with rights using radical democratic thought, I return to the work of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe to explore how human rights may be thought as an antagonistic hegemonic activity within a critical relation to power, a concept which is fundamentally futural, and may emerge as one site for work towards radical and plural democracy. I also assert, via Judith Butler's model of cultural translation, that a radical democratic practice of human rights may be advanced which resonates with and builds upon already existing activism, thereby holding possibilities to persuade those who remain sceptical as to radical re-engagements with rights.

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Gendered Violence and International Human Rights: Thinking Non-discrimination Beyond the Sex Binary

Cited by 6 publications

References 28 publications

The Abolition of Sex/Gender Registration in the Age of Gender Self-Determination: An Interdisciplinary, Queer, Feminist and Human Rights Analysis

The Abolition of Sex/Gender Registration in the Age of Gender Self-Determination: An Interdisciplinary, Queer, Feminist and Human Rights Analysis

Considering Unicorns

After the Critique of Rights: For a Radical Democratic Theory and Practice of Human Rights

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