By Marla Louise

Within the gender community, there is a subtle social hierarchy.

On top is the transsexual, that individual who wishes to change (or has changed) both her gender role from that assigned her at birth but also her genitalia and thereby in theory change her physical sex.

Below her is the transgender, that individual who probably has changed her body some, but more importantly, has permanently changed her 'gender role' from that assigned by society at her birth.

Below these two is the transvestite. Within the transvestite category, I would see two major subdivisions. The first would be the bigendered transvestite, who's 'person' encompasses both genders, i.e. this individual flows between the two genders being a member of each gender as their needs require. The second category of transvestite I would call the exploratory transvestite. This individual does not give up or leave their birth 'gender role' but they are willing to perceive and break societies rules enough to go exploring in the other gender. They may do this for many reasons. One of the most obvious is sexual but that certainly isn't the only reason.

And finally, below all of these are the gender straights. Those who live in their birth gender role and never leave it even to explore.

Why is the hierarchy in this particular order? The hierarchy seems to stress one's willingness to change their body. Now, I don't support any hierarchy but I would like to present a view for a different hierarchy so as to muddle the issue. An aspect which might reorder the priorities. This stress is to look at these categories with respect to societies "gender rules".

Society has some very strict rules about gender as we all know. Normally they remain unwritten but I'd like to try to spell out three of these...

Rule #1 - One's gender (role) is assigned at birth, and once assigned, cannot be changed.

Rule #2 - One's gender is defined by the shape of one's genitalia.

Rule #3 - There are only two genders and every member of society must be a member of only one and

_only_ one gender.

A note about these rules. Many members of our society believe in these rules. Not a lipservice belief but a belief so solid that they perceive no difference between the belief and 'reality'. For those individuals, these rules are no more breakable than the law of gravity.

What do these three rules have to do with the transgender categories? Let's first look at the biggest category, 'straights'. Straights follow all three gender rules. They do so for probably one of two reasons. Either they believe in the gender rules and cannot even conceive that one can break them, or if they do not, they find that their 'person' works well within the rules, so they find no reason to break them.

What happens if we reject only rule #1 but either believe in or decide to follow rules #2 and #3? We have that group of people know as transsexuals. Their actions rejected rule #1 by rejecting their birth gender, but they still follow rules #2 and #3. They change their genitalia to match their gender and they follow the two gender system, taking on one and only one gender role. Their life path only rejects rule #1, rejecting their original gender role. Like the straights, they may accept rules #2 and #3 because they 'believe' in said rules or because they find that their 'person' works well within rules #2 and #3.

Next is the transgendered. She is breaking rules #1 and #2 but still follows/believes rule #3. For she still assumes and identifies with only one gender role.

Finally, we have the bigendered transvestite. For the bigendered transvestite to exist, she must reject in her soul all three rules. For to believe in any of them would prevent her from 'being'. Even the exploratory transvestite must be willing to separate the rules from 'belief' enough to break these rules in order to explore.

What does this all mean? I would suggest that the assumed progression from straight to transvestite to transgendered to transsexual is not the only hierarchy. There is another hierarchy based on rejecting societies gender rules and the belief in them. Depending on whether rejecting societies rules are 'good' or 'bad' we can now construct a different 'progression' in the transgender world. For there is just as justifiable a progression from straight to transsexual to transgendered to transvestite or vice versa.

Another observation. Bigotry is one of societies tools used to enforce it's 'rules'. A bigot is someone who believes in a 'social rule' to such an extent that he is willing to reject, degrade and/or harm another member of society who does not follow that social rule. As such, the bigots in straight society try to degrade all of us. This does not mean that all straights are bigots but it does mean the bigots must believe in at least some of the three gender rules to such an extent that they are willing to try to enforce those rules on others.

In a similar way, I have run into a number of TS bigots. They believe in rules #2 and #3, and are willing to degrade anyone who does not follow these rules! Again, this doesn't mean that all TS's are bigots (far from it!) but it does mean that a TS can be a bigot to TG's and TV's and it also explains the bigotry we do see.

But before you TV's start feeling superior, I would like to point out that some TV's also engage in gender bigotry. This may be the worse form of bigotry for they may be willing to break the rules for themselves, but then they look down on others who reject them completely. Or maybe they are trying to enforce another society rule "One's reproductive system is sacrosanct."

So what "Society Gender Rules" do you believe in?