‘Naturally’, there is no sex: From theories of difference and equality between two sexes towards many sexes

Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2010): ›Natürlich‹ gibt es kein Geschlecht - Von Theorien der Differenz und Gleichheit zweier Geschlechter hin zu vielen Geschlechtern. Das Argument 287 (3/2010): S.386-395.

 

English Summary:
‘Naturally’, there is no sex: From theories of difference and equality between two sexes towards many sexes

While Judith Butler dealt in her work with the critique of binary approaches to biological sex on the level of the interpretation of signs, thus avoiding to discus really existing organic structures and their possible binarity, the following contribution to the ongoing debate is considering biological theories about these structures. Tracing theories of preformation and epigenetics, the article demonstrates that by focusing on processes of evolution and differentiation, one arrives at pluri-sexual approaches to biological sex. Organic structures are developing individually and vary in the comparison of several individuals; the predominance of binary interpretations is resulting from the distinction between two sexes, and the unequal treatment of them, still prevalent in society.