Gender is often seen as a natural, unquestionable binary – male or female, nothing in between. This idea is deeply ingrained in many societies and imposed via legal, medical, and cultural norms. But what if gender is not a fixed biological reality, but a social construct shaped by history, power, and ideology? In this lecture, we’ll explore how binary thinking affects our understanding of human identity and examine the ways people – both cis and trans – seek gender-affirming care in a world that often fails to recognize the full spectrum of gender diversity.
Deen Groothuizen is a cultural anthropologist specializing in gender and sexuality, with a focus on trans and non-binary experiences. Their work critically examines how gender is constructed and reinforced through societal structures, from medical systems designed around a Eurocentric male body to everyday objects that shape our interactions with the world.
Deen explores how binary thinking reduces the complexity of human experience and highlights the ways in which both cis and trans people seek gender-affirming care. Through a combination of academic insight, personal experience, and interactive discussion, they invite audiences to question what it truly means to be "male" or "female"—and who gets to define it.
Ticket reservation recommended
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SG & USE/ITEC registration
Bachelor students can register for SG & USE/ITEC by scanning their student ID at the venue prior to the start of the program.
More information about SG & USE/ITEC can be found here.