Dr is a gender neutral title and as such far better than Miss, Ms and Mrs, not least because it comes with a healthy dose respect not generally associated with female titles. I don’t usually stand on ceremony but being able to use the title ‘Dr’ gives me a social advantage, which is partly professional, and partly gender related.
The biological difference between men and women, depends upon a single pair of chromosomes that carry the genes of male and female. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, one pair relating to gender. These are described as XX (female), and XY (male). A tiny percentage of people (less than 1%) break the rules and have odd combinations, such as Xx (Turner’s syndrome) XXY (Klinefelter’s syndrome), XYY (Jacob’s syndrome).
Each gender carries with it a set of instinctual behaviours, shared even with our primate cousins. Boy rhesus monkeys prefer mechanical toys with wheels, while girl monkeys prefer soft plush toys*. Cultures to a varying degree, capitalise on these differences; even to the point of not educating girls and giving them away in marriage as soon as they are capable of catering to a husband and having children.
Education and culture allows humans to surpass their biology. Eugene Marais set out the arguments in his book The Soul of the White Ant, where he compares the flexibility of human behaviour to the preordained instinctual behaviours of ants and other insects. Education enables minds to reach their full potential, as physical training helps athletes to reach their physical potential. Brute force might make men better at lifting weights, in more gender neutral sports, such as horse riding, shooting and fencing the glory is more evenly spread.
Gender is biological diagnosis, and like other medical information, it needs to be confidential. Sexuality on the other hand is part of self expression – let men wear dresses, let men kiss men and let women join the SAS – these are cultural conundrums.
Toileting is a biological function, and segregating genders protects vulnerable individuals from predatory individuals. Ideally all toilets should be gender neutral raised to the standard of disabled and train toilets.
Biologically, gender is fundamental, and bathrooms fulfil a biological function, thus XX or XY is appropriate, but socially we could be more relaxed, its not that important and until we settle on something that suits everyone – lets level the playing field and let everyone use the title Revd or Dr.
- Hassett JM Siebert ER, Wallen K., Horm Behav 2008 Aug; 54(3): 359–364. Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children.