Rothblatt makes a case for the adoption of a new sexual model that accommodates every shade of gender identity. She reveals that traditional male and female roles are dictated neither by genetics, genitals, nor reproductive biology, but rather by social attitudes that originated in early patriarchal cultures and that have been institutionalized in modern law, and she calls a new acceptance of human sexuality in all its prismatic variety. 10 charts.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
An earnest but sometimes facile assault on the legal separation of people by gender, Rothblatt's manifesto synthesizes numerous "trans-gender" arguments?from biologists, social scientists and historians?that expose the limitations of a sexist "apartheid" of gender. For example, modern automation eases tasks once performed manually; genetic science has overturned the notion that the XY chromosome without fail distinguishes men from women; and so on. Rothblatt's slender book takes on far too many such arguments to explore any in depth; her own ideas about unisex language and even unisex restrooms seem naive. One wishes that the author?a lawyer and vice-chair of the Bio-Ethics Committee of the International Bar Association?had focused more on her own area of expertise.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Arguing that "the legal division of people into males and females is as wrong as the legal division of people into black and white race," Rothblatt, an attorney and transsexual, is a proponent of "transgenderism," which she characterizes as a grass-roots movement whose guiding principle is "that people should be free to change, either temporarily or permanently, the sex type to which they were assigned since infancy." Using a provocative reinterpretation of historical and legal issues, feminist thinking, and scientific research to defend her belief in continua of sex, gender, and sexual identity, Rothblatt sometimes seems unclear of her intended audience. The volume concludes with the International Bill of Gender Rights adopted in August 1993 by the Second International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy. For larger public and academic collections.
James E. Van Buskirk, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
James E. Van Buskirk, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
We're all transgender,
By
This review is from: The Apartheid of Sex: Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender (Paperback)
Rothblatt makes the compelling argument that our notions of sexual identity are rooted in traditions that have always poorly served us, whether they derive from Greco-Roman civilization, early Christianity or even the "Enlightenment". Through all of them, "women" (or those born with vaginas) were judged inferior to "men" (or those born with penises), whether through character, strength or intellectual capacity. Rothblatt also notes that most major organized religions suffer from the same deficiency, citing Buddhism's belief that only a man can attain Nirvana.While notions of female character inferiority have been debunked (at least legally) and physical strength is irrelevant for our modern world, arguments that men and women are different intellectually persist. Women are still (as of the writing in 1995, and as of the date of this review in 2010) judged to be better at writing and communication, while men are held to be better at "hard" science and math. Men are also said to test better. On the first count, Rothblatt rightly calls out that the overlap in scores is far greater than the discrepancies, and also notes that men tend to "dominate" the extremes of the low or high scores. However, those discrepancies account for 10% of the total population- both male and female. In other words, men and women are far more alike than they are different, and it doesn't make sense to draw inferences about everyone based on statistical outliers. We cannot even depend on a chromosomal definition of sex. While we're taught that a boy= XY and a girl= XX, or that the presence of a Y chromosome makes for a boy, it's not always that simple. Many girls (1 in 500?) are born with XXY, and there are some with just an X. Further, some people with XX present with male genitalia. Sexual biology is hardly a "slam dunk", and it becomes increasingly specious to link emotional or intellectual capacity with genitalia. The author argues that we are not "either/or" but that we are better classified- if we must classify- on a continuum. Most are going to find that hard to embrace- many have not quite made that transition with race- but I must admit, I find the idea of categorizing myself as a combination of eroticism, aggression and my capacity to nurture more useful than just what I'm able to contribute to the reproductive process. All that said, I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. As much as I might have agreed or found her evidence from other sources useful, I cannot justify the lack of both footnotes and a bibliography for this kind of work. As my teenager said, that's Writing 101. Rothblatt would have done a greater service if those had been included.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Science uplifts us again,
By Fred Chamberlain "Fred Chamberlain" (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Apartheid of Sex: Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender (Paperback)
In The Apartheid of Sex, as in so many of her other endeavors, Martine Rothblatt not only expands our minds and our humanity, but she also helps us see why new scientific insights are too often met with resistance rather than greated with open arms and excitement. She summarizes it with: "It takes bravery because the existing scientists will all fight against the revolutionary, who is, after all, claiming that their life's work was wrong, meaningless, or at least irrelevant". Rothblatt further illuminates the concept by quoting Machiavelli (The Prince): "There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain of success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. The innovator has for enemies all those who have well under the old conditions, and but lukewarm defenders in those who may do well in the new". This book is definitely a paradigm shift in the way we see human sexuality. Indeed, in the very way we see humanity. A shift away from the black/white view of male/female sexuality that has for thousands of years supported the patriarchal culture that has given religious, political and legal support to male dominance at the expense of all other sexualities that lie along the sexual continuum.Rothblatt's documentation and explanations for this revolutionary view are compelling. This book is a masterpiece of persuasion in making people think about supporting this monumental cause for improving the human condition, removing the shackles from human creativity, and helping us all reach our greatest potential. Linda Chamberlain
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "must read" for anyone interested in equality and freedom,
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This review is from: Apartheid of Sex: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender (Hardcover)
Martine Rothblatt, in the book, "The Apartheid of Sex" makes a cogent and compelling argument that the tradition of dividing all persons into two groups at birth, male and female, based on our private genitalia, is not only unnecessary, but it is inherently prejudicial and oppressive. Rothblatt, takes a notion that is so deeply ingrained in our culture as to seem obvious "of course, we are either male or female" and lays out an alternative way to view humanity that would allow us all more freedom and creativity. I think it should be required reading for all parents and teachers.
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