Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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new genders

Abolish the two available genders and create new ones
  (+10, -7)
(+10, -7)
  [vote for,
against]

I'm sick of male and female. So is everyone else, really, or why are gender roles breaking down so dramatically? I say we need new genders.

From now on, society will not organize around the male/female distinction, but around some other arbitrary distinction, such as belly button alignment. Innies and outies will be segregated from birth, differently socialized, sent to opposite bathrooms, etc. Marriage between two innies or two outies will scandalize all of us. John Gray will publish books on why our belly button determines our communication style. Amphomphalotics (persons of ambiguous navel concavity) will be mocked mercilessly.

Comparing genitalia, by contrast, will become an amusing party game.

moonmoose, Mar 22 2001

The Biology of Truffles http://www.discover...00/featbiology.html
"Mushroom sex is infernal; it's very complicated," [angel, Mar 22 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Fungi Sex http://www-class.un...s/fungi/fungi2.html
[angel, Mar 22 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

[link]






       Well, this sure would control the population problem. On average, only half the "couples" would be able to procreate. And if they were to, they'd have to break a monogamous relationship.   

       Propose this idea to divorce lawyers. You'll be their hero.
Wes, Mar 22 2001
  

       The "breakdown of gender roles" is not new. Other cultures have been through this at various times in history, but we've survived somehow, and always with our gender identities intact.
beauxeault, Mar 22 2001
  

       Brilliant idea! But I'm under the impression that naval concavity is more controlled by how the umbilical cord is tied off than anything genetic. Meaning that new parents would force doctors to make their new infants either innies or outies on demand, depending on their preference.   

       What we need is a feature that is genetically determined, but still completely arbitrary. How about earlobes - detached versus attached? Or cleft chin vs. no cleft?   

       (Perhaps my problem with the bellybutton suggestion really stems from the fact that I am a person of ambiguous naval concavity, and don't want to be mocked mercilessly.)
rebekkahshiri, Apr 09 2001
  

       Some people could have stars on their bellies, and other people could have plain bellies...
egnor, Apr 09 2001
  

       Tampering with cultural norms is something I'm generally in favor of. But doing social experiments on children isn't. Also, you're creating as many arbitrary and oppressive rules as you're getting rid of. I want less rules, not more.
LoriZ, Jun 22 2001
  

       A while ago I picked up a book on the sex lives of invertebrates in a used book store. They do some weird stuff, lemme tell you. (Though not as weird as Mephista's fungi.)
wiml, Jun 22 2001
  

       Would "gender indeterminate" classify as a third gender? If so, there's a person down the street from me that's got a few years on your idea.
rapid transit, May 15 2003
  

       //an amusing party game//   

       That brings back memories...
FloridaManatee, May 15 2003
  

       I tried fungi sex but there wasn't mushroom to move.
sufc, May 16 2003
  

       Interestingly, like some frogs, the "sex" of the individual would change at various points of their life..most notibly from early infancy to the toddler stage where the cute little tummy enlarges to meet the increasing needs of nutrient for the unbelievable growth that is happening...there are the people who go from fat to incredibly thin who would be 'changing sex' according to this description! What next? Mole counting?
legamin, Mar 03 2005
  

       Spore and Mitosis?
travbm, Oct 29 2015
  
      
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