Column | Gender Expression Gives Back Power

In many ways, gender has always been one of society’s most rigid scripts. You’re assigned a role at birth, and from that moment, every haircut, outfit, pitch of voice and emotional reaction either affirms or challenges the role you were given. But what happens when someone rewrites the script?

Research by Julie Bakker from the University of Liège suggests the brain activity of transgender individuals aligns more closely with their experienced gender than their assigned sex. And while biology tends to challenge the gender-binary perspective, it doesn’t fully explain the more personal facets of gender expression. Sociologist Tey Meadow of Columbia University has argued that for many people, gender expression is not only a means of identity, but a tool for survival, especially for those shaped by trauma, systemic marginalization or social dislocation. In this view, gender becomes less about discovery and more about adaptation — a way for someone to survive, and eventually thrive, in a world that didn’t build space for it.

While third genders have existed in earlier societies, their utility was often tied to preconceived roles — in some Native American tribes, “two-spirit” individuals were tasked with shamanic, healing or mediation duties. In pre-modern Balkan tribes, “sworn virgins” were women that assumed virtually all the rights of a man in exchange for a life of chastity. The role of the third gender in modern society, in contrast, is much less clear. In their 2024 Substack article, user “The Sizhen System” points to the power structures which interact with today’s gender diversity movements. The article, “Fa****ization and The Extant Gender Ternary”, uses Antonio Gramsci’s concept of the “subaltern” to explain the modern-day status of third genders. The Sizhen System outlines the “Fa***t-Subaltern” gender class — a class which is held at arm’s length from the “Power” and “No Power” classes. In Sizhen’s mind, the Fa***t-Subaltern is “intrinsic and necessary to the maintenance of the Gender Hegemony.”

But gender is not just a cerebral or sociological concept. It’s about what we wear, how we move, how we shape our bodies and choose our textures. And sometimes, it’s just about self expression. By acknowledging our physical nature, we can regain a confidence that reaches all areas of life. For me, fashion is not just an aesthetic choice — my rings are amulets, my watch, a statement piece. And if I can use these to ground myself, who is to say that other adults can’t use their hormone levels, pronouns and whole bodies?

All of us, to varying degrees, perform ourselves. We pick outfits with intention, learn languages to connect, tweak our vibes to suit the room. In philosopher Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity, all of gender is a well-orchestrated performance. Acknowledging performativity gives individuals the power to help  them to connect with others on their own terms. Just like a hairstyle, gender is often far less immutable than we have been led to believe. What matters most is not whether the performance is “authentic” or “natural” but whether it allows someone to navigate the world freely.

While previous societies may have based identity on relation to close-knit communities or higher powers, we are far worse equipped to do the same. In many ways, our identities are now shaped not by lived experience or societal roles but in relation to imagined audiences — spiritual, social and professional. But maybe there’s power in that too. If we are all performing, what is there to stop you from writing yourself into being?

Stepan Kopeykin is a transfer student from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. His favorite movies and books include Interstellar, The Big Lebowski, Choke and The Secret History. You can find him drinking three to four cups of tea a day, and playing catch with the wall outside of Hillman. He can be reached at stk123@pitt.edu.