Joan,

The first thing I would say is, how can you have a "gender reveal" party when, technically, the fetus cannot "have" a gender except in the extremely abstract sense that people project their conception of gender upon it? It is true that the fetus has a sex (male, female, intersex, or perhaps some other biological possibilities we haven't yet scientifically categorized).  A baby born into the world has a gender (feminine, masculine, trans, etc.) because the baby inhabits a social context in which s/he is assigned a gender, which s/he then performs.

Generally, I find that regular (non-academic) people tend to use the words "gender" and "sex" interchangeably, but use "gender" when they wish to sound politically correct.  The irony with the "gender reveal" party is that using the word "gender" is actually more offensive and discouraging to those of us who theorize the importance of ethical rhetoric regarding gender roles.

Technically, this event should be called a "sex reveal" party but probably that would encourage the wrong ideas about what gifts to bring.

All best, Eileen Hunt Botting

Eileen Hunt Botting
Associate Professor
Dept. of Political Science
216 O'Shaughnessy Hall
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame IN 46556
574-631-5051

Get your copy of Hannah Mather Crocker's history of Boston here:
http://www.americanancestors.org/Product.aspx?id=23322

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http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300176476

On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 2:43 PM, Joan Callahan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I've been pondering a what I take to be a relatively new cultural practice.  It is the practice of having a "gender reveal" party, which a pregnant woman has prior to a baby shower.  I probably don't need to tell folks on this list what I find disturbing about this.  

Anyone have any reflections on this practice and/or to help me out of my being fairly deeply disturbed by family members I really care about doing this?  

Thanks,

Joan

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