Of course, cats don’t recognise the 21 different sexualities and gender identities that appear to be accepted nowadays. It is a different world to the way it was 10 years ago. I fully accept these identities and sexualities.
I’ve always believed that there is a spectrum of feelings about one’s sexuality and gender. Although I am gender-critical which means that I believe that someone’s sex is biological and immutable.
I am therefore in sympathy with JK Rowling but I do not in any way have negative attitudes or feelings towards transgender people (transphobia). I am very sympathetic towards them. I know that might upset some people but all of us are entitled to our own views.
RELATED: Can cats be gay? Can male cats be gay?
But the spectrum of feelings about sexuality and gender identity is obviously and exclusively a human concept. In the world of cats there are two sexes. There are no in-between sexes or sexualities except for the male tortoiseshell 😎💕. There is no spectrum of sexualities. Not as far as we know anyway. Cats behave instinctively as biological males and females with the exception as stated.
Male tortoiseshell
Although male tortoiseshell cats approach humans in the area of transgenderism as they are said to behave “like a masculized female rather than a true male” (Dr Desmond Morris). You probably know that nearly all tortoiseshell cats are female thanks to their chromosomes and genes.
I am not in any way suggesting that transgender people have different chromsomes due to a minor genetic error. Not at all. For humans it is about how they feel and how they want to express those feelings and desires which are sometimes out of step with their biological sex.
For tortie cats sometimes due to a genetic aberration the odd male pops up but their sexuality is called into question by Dr. Desmond Morris. He writes that one particular male tortoiseshell cat was observed in a colony. He had a strange personality. He was nonchalant in his dealings with other cats. He disdainfully ignored the usual status battles. He didn’t engage in social fighting across the genders. Desmond Morris suggests that “Perhaps because the tortoiseshell male cat was neither fully male nor fully female, it did not feel the need to compete in the single-sex packing-order disputes.”
Too many?
Are we overdoing the concept of gender identities and sexualities? It is it just about feelings? And do these feelings change as a girl or boy grows up? Certainly, there are many specialists who feel that they do and that clinics should be prevented from administering puberty blockers to children. It is a current fact that not enough is being done to understand how their feelings about sexuality originate. The experts can sometimes dive in and administer life-changing drugs when a child says that they want to be a boy when they are a girl, or vice versa. That, I strongly disagree with.
21 sexualities and gender identities
Anyway, that’s a long preamble and here is a list of 21 sexualities and gender identities thanks to Poppy Koronka of The Times newspaper.
Rainbow: The Gay Pride flag, launched in 1978.
Progress: Rainbow flag incorporating trends and ethnic minority people.
Bisexual: Attracted to both men and women.
Pansexual: Attracted to all genders.
Nonbinary: Does not identify as male or female.
Transgender: Identifies as different gender to their birth sex.
Asexual: Does not feel sexual attraction.
Intersex: Has male and female biological traits.
Gay men: Attracted to other men.
Lesbian: Attracted to other women.
Polysexual: Attracted to more than one gender.
Agender: Does not identify with a gender.
Androgyne: Appearance is neither masculine or feminine.
Genderfluid: Feels that gender is changeable.
Genderqueer: Does not subscribe to or follow binary gender norms.
Neutrois: Has a gender identity but it is neither masculine or feminine.
Aromantic: Has little or no romantic feeling.
Demisexual: Sexually attracted only after being emotionally close.
Demiromatic: Romantically attached only after becoming emotionally close.
Polyamorous: Multiple relationships at once.
Straight ally: Heterosexual but supports the LGBTQ+ community.
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