Peter Vasterman (media sociologist) — The Struggle Between Sex and Gender
In this essay dated September 14, 2021, media sociologist Peter Vasterman discusses three books that take a critical view of thinking in terms of gender identity: Material Girls by Kathleen Stock, The End of Gender by Debra Soh, and Trans. When Ideology Meets Reality by Helen Joyce. The piece appears on his personal blog. An in-depth discussion can be found on this site under Vasterman: The Struggle Between Sex and Gender.
The main article on this subject is Vasterman.
Vasterman relates the issue to the Dutch bill that was intended to allow changes to sex registration based on a person’s experienced gender identity, without a medical assessment. More about this legislation can be found under legal matters.
Key points
According to the authors discussed, tensions arise when being a woman is defined by inner experience rather than biological sex. The essay addresses the sharp increase in teenage girls presenting at gender clinics, people who come to regret their transition, access to sex-segregated spaces, shifts in language use, and scientists who come under pressure because of their research.
The three books individually
Vasterman characterizes each book in a different way. He describes the book by Kathleen Stock as a conceptual analysis that dismantles gender identity theory step by step. Debra Soh writes from the perspective of sexology and argues that gender is not merely a social construct but also has biological roots. He describes the book by Helen Joyce as a journalistic work containing many examples. As an example of the consequences for sex-segregated spaces, he cites the case of a convicted sex offender who assaulted women again in a British women’s prison.
Vasterman’s reservations
The essay is not unreservedly supportive. Vasterman considers all three books well written and accessible, but also writes that more scientific substantiation is needed. In his view, much research is lacking because the subjects have been declared taboo. He distinguishes three groups of people with gender dysphoria: children whose behavior differs from what is expected of their sex, most of whom he believes grow out of it; a group of adult men; and teenage girls with no previous signs of dysphoria. He considers it highly questionable whether there will be an open debate in the Netherlands.
What happened at NRC
According to Vasterman, NRC withdrew the piece at the last moment, even though the newspaper’s books editor had approved it. The paper’s ombudsman, Sjoerd de Jong, called this at the very least a missed opportunity. Where journalistic engagement crosses over into editorial direction is discussed by gendermedia.nl in the article about activism in the newsroom. The Reformatorisch Dagblad covered the issue that same day in an article about the Dutch media debate.
Why it is included in this archive
Vasterman states that the piece was originally intended for NRC Handelsblad, but did not appear there despite having received prior approval. The essay is a frequently cited Dutch-language introduction to the critical perspectives in this debate.