> Well, I suppose having the full spectrum might be more
> interesting. However, there is the definite conflict caused
> by people denying either their masculine or feminine halves,
> which is the source of all manner of stupidity and conflict.
Ohhh, I definitely agree with you there. It's pretty ridiculous what happens due to machismo or... whatever the female equivalent would be. Obsessing over people not thinking you're "pretty" (gag) enough, I suppose. Preventable accidents and anorexia/bulimia FTL.
> You can't really relate to someone if you're missing the half of
> you that they would correspond to...so it's a tricky thing.
Well, yes, in a sense... On the other hand, I don't know that either gender (or even a genderless person) could possibly truly understand anywhere near every trait typically attached to the opposite gender, no matter how "in touch" with that side of them they are, if only 'cause... well... each gender can physically do things the others cannot, without question, do. Pregnancy, anyone? <img src=smilies/thumb.gif> And heck, I don't know that anybody can actually understand all the traits attached to their OWN gender, heheh. But I do think that people can RELATE to these things in some way ("Owww, that must be miserable!") if they try hard enough, though.
I suppose that I personally think that a gender is mostly what you make it yourself. For example, people could know they're male, but run around in frilly skirts all day because that's just... what they like to do. Of course, that's kinda a silly example to most people, but it works. =)
> It should be like Yin and Yang, there being
> masculinity in the feminine and femininity in the masculine,
> but it doesn't work that way too often.
I dunno, I think it depends on the groups you associate with these days. At least within the group of people I know, regardless of whether I like them or not, there seems to be a wider acceptance of these traits... or maybe they just see some traits that could be classified within one side or another as more genderless? (Of course, despite this, a lot of them still have troubles with people's sexualities, but that's a whooole other issue, as related as this topic is. One step at a time?) But naturally, there are whole COUNTRIES that have trouble with gender equality-- ignoring the issue of sexuality entirely-- at the moment, so it's still an issue... But hopefully my experience, since I'm probably younger than most people here, indicates a LITTLE bit of a positive trend on that? I dunno, I'm mildly optimistic. =D
<P ID="signature">--
Yes, I'm female, gaming is my hobby, and I'm going into programming. Not taken, either, but seeing as how the law about girls on the internet is "Single, attractive, sane: choose two"... well...</P>