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The Media game version of Gender Identity presents itself as a dialogic process. The interview–which is actually a debate–starts with the question, “What is a woman?” or “How many genders are there?” This game has similar dynamics as Climate Change because both are derivatives of the Ain’t It Awful (AIA) game: “Ain’t It Awful the oceans are acidifying?” or “Ain’t It Awful puberty blockers for children?” However, the series of transactions is also a derivative of the Kick Me game. The gameplayer (e.g., interviewer) has an ulterior motive: to humiliate the other player (i.e., interviewee) by Kicking them and feeling morally self-righteous. If the interviewee is hooked into the game they feel Kicked, often negating their own provocational behavior.
Additionally, the Gender Identity game is made possible based on the cultural instantiation of ego or self as “reality.” This allows for other “real” identities such as gender to be embraced as constant or solid across time. Therefore, “gender” as a concept reinforces and maintains social hierarchies, e.g., patriarchy, which is why we should be talking more about sex than gender. The solution to these types of games is Adult ego state functioning (reality testing), which is what Buddhists refer to as “emptiness” or zen mind. Relationally speaking, the result of manifesting emptiness is friendliness. Instead of “me” and “you”, we are not two not one. Pairing relational friendliness with mercy promotes peace and intimacy as opposed to “Kicking” people based on their political beliefs and self-presentations.
Recorded on 6/15/2023
Audio clips from YouTube videos:
- “Christine Hamilton questions eco-protester Kai Bartlett over his group’s methods” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89w8y5aSCqk
- “Your line of questioning is transphobic” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fed5RzXyU20
Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.