Biological Essentialism
Table of Contents
Introduction
Human beings come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. It is not uncommon for human beings to make assumptions regarding other human beings on the basis of various physical characteristics. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for certain aspects of a person (aspects which were unwillingly imposed on said person upon being born) to be associated with things that may or may not accurately describe said person. Sometimes this is a good thing, though all too often, it isn't.
Human behavior is not something that is linked to a particular skin color, gender, sex, sexuality, or any other trait that a person can naturally posess. Human behavior and human abilities are linked to human beings. Something negative found in one person with a particular trait can be easily found in another person with a different version of that trait. Positive behavior can be found in human beings with differing traits as well.
As this website is titled The Transgender Dictionary, this page will primarily be discussing biological essentialism in the context of gender. Please feel free to utilize the alphabet menu buttons at the top and bottom of this page if you come across words/terminology/concepts/etc with which you are unfamiliar to navigate your way to a relevant explanation. Clicking on underlined words/phrases/etc throughout the main body of this page will lead you to other parts of The Transgender Dictionary. Clicking on underlined links unederneath [External Links] will lead you to other parts of the internet that are not associated with The Transgender Dictionary.
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General Information
This page is still a WORK IN PROGRESS that means that it is very much UNFINISHED and NOT DONE YET.
Biological essentialism is a deeply flawed concept wherein attributes of a person are deterimined at birth according to assigned sex.
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External Links
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Brain Sex Resources
- Nature - Potential Reporting Bias in Neuroimaging Studies of Sex Differences (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23976-1) - David, S.P., Naudet, F., Laude, J. et al. Potential Reporting Bias in Neuroimaging Studies of Sex Differences. Sci Rep 8, 6082 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23976-1
- The Conversation: Lise Eliot: 04/22/2021: You don’t have a male or female brain – the more brains scientists study, the weaker the evidence for sex differences (https://theconversation.com/you-dont-have-a-male-or-female-brain-the-more-brains-scientists-study-the-weaker-the-evidence-for-sex-differences-158005)
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Sports Resources
- Deveaus: Men and Women Gymnastics: A Comparative Look at the Olympic Events (https://deveaus.com/men-and-women-gymnastics-a-comparative-look-at-the-olympic-events/)
- Independant: Vishwam Sankaran: 02/04/2026: Trans athletes may not have fitness advantage in women’s sport, landmark study finds (https://www.the-independent.com/news/science/trans-athlete-womens-sports-advantage-b2913479.html)
- Independent: Vishwam Sankaran: 04/30/2025: Women set to outperform men in these athletic sports, study finds (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/women-men-performance-gap-athletics-b2742085.html)
- PubMed: Body composition and physical fitness in transgender versus cisgender individuals: a systematic review with meta-analysis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41633803/) - Mendes Sieczkowska, Sofia et al. “Body composition and physical fitness in transgender versus cisgender individuals: a systematic review with meta-analysis.” British journal of sports medicine vol. 60,3 198-210. 11 Feb. 2026, doi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-110239
- Swimming World Magazine: Daniela Navarrete: 09/23/2025: Why Women Have Beaten Men in Marathon Swimming? (https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/why-women-have-beaten-men-in-marathon-swimming/)
- The Guardian: Beau Dure: 07/28/2024: Women often outperform men in Olympic shooting. Is it time for open events? (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/28/women-often-outperform-men-in-olympic-shooting-is-it-time-for-open-events)
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Additional Resources
- By Common Consent: Hawkgrrrl: 07/25/2017: If Gender is Essential, Why Are We Pushing It? (https://bycommonconsent.com/2017/07/25/if-gender-is-essential-why-are-we-pushing-it/) - I have often said that the gender roles described in the Proclamation are unnecessary because either they are descriptive (meaning people naturally behave this way, so who cares) or prescriptive (meaning, people should behave this way, but if it’s not natural to them, they won’t anyway and you can’t make them). This perspective neutralizes the power…
- Forensic Anthropology: Centering Transgender Individuals in Forensic Anthropology and Expanding Binary Sex Estimation in Casework and Research (https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/fa/article/view/1409)
- Pub Med: The Sexual Victimization of Men in America: New Data Challenge Old Assumptions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062022/) - Stemple, Lara, and Ilan H Meyer. “The sexual victimization of men in America: new data challenge old assumptions.” American journal of public health vol. 104,6 (2014): e19-26. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301946
- Sapiens: Molly Bearman: 06/24/2016: Between Male and Female: Can television shows like Orange Is the New Black and Faking It push forensic anthropologists—and the rest of us—to rethink our categories of biological sex? (https://www.sapiens.org/biology/transgender-intersex-forensic-anthropology/)
- The Scientific American: 11/01/2023: Cara Ocobock & Sarah Lacy: The Theory That Men Evolved to Hunt and Women Evolved to Gather Is Wrong (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-theory-that-men-evolved-to-hunt-and-women-evolved-to-gather-is-wrong1/) - The influential idea that in the past men were hunters and women were not isn’t supported by the available evidence
- Trans Language Primer - Biological Essentialism (https://translanguageprimer.com/biological-essentialism/) - blurb explaining the concept of biological essentialism
- Wikipedia - Gender Essentialism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_essentialism)
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