Binary Gender

Binary Gender is a view of gender that sees two dichotomous and completely separate genders (i.e. male and female). Within a binary gender rubric an individual is either male, or female. Assignment of gender is based on genital arrangements. An individual with a penis is assigned to the male gender while an individual with a vagina is assigned to the female gender.

Binary Gender is common in nations dominated by exploitative economic arrangements (like Capitalism, for example). Egalitarian societies are more likely to leave space for multiple genders. The pre-colonization Navaho for example have a four-gender model: female, male, male with a feminine essence, and female with a masculine essence.

Further Reading

Merkenich, Mary (2000). Gender roles — only two? Green Left Weekly https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/22977