Episode 11: Beyond Binary with Nat Stratton-Clarke
Nat Stratton-Clarke in his beloved Seattle vegetarian restaurant, Cafe Flora (yum)
Big thanks to The Intentionalist, who helps people “Spend like it matters” (it does) by supporting local small businesses and diverse local communities one purchase at at time, for sharing their epic pic of Nat. Visit at www.intentionalist.com
The left hemisphere loves a good binary. And wishes life were so simple.
I’ll come right out and say it. When the Greek philosophers committed to “the life of the mind” and the conquest of the natural world, they didn’t know it – but they were programming their brains for too much left hemispheric activity. And that activity has shaped the modern world. AND the modern brain.
This has been a slow but steady 4,000 year process that continues to gain momentum as we increasingly outsource balanced, connected ways of showing up in the world with the linear pursuits driven by tech and the ways consumerism and economic growth are valued in the society we share.
A cornerstone of left hemispheric thinking is the ability to separate and categorize. After all, when we do that we know where we fit in to complex systems – how we rank, even who we are. The concept of “identity” seems to also happen in the left hemisphere. As do aspects of judgement. Easy to understand through that “survival manifesto” at the very heart of our brain’s ability. When we judge quickly, separate experiences (and things, and pretty much everything) into “move forward” or “move away from” (basic survival, right?), when we react rather than respond: hello left hemisphere.
And hello binary, which it turns out is a construct that doesn’t really apply as often as that left hemisphere thinks it does.
Like with gender. I’ve long seen it as a spectrum, and kind of want to add “duh” to punctuate that sentence. For years I’ve enjoyed geeking out on how environmental factors affect gender/sex determination in the animal kingdom. I’ve also gone DEEP into the work of Dr. Riane Eisler, who explored the rise of inequality in early human society, tracing it back to the rise of that “life of the mind” (about 4,000 years ago, in ancient Greece). Turns out that the first major slice of that binary sword was the one that separated women and men and made women the “others” in what seems to unprecedented ways.
The ensuing cancel campaign, aimed at making women “lower than slaves” (well documented stuff), lasted 300 years. Yet the ripple effect continues.
It also set the wheels in motion for racial categorization and “valuing” by a society where the leading minds – those original patriarchs – valued everybody else at least a little less than they valued themselves.
This REALLY shows up when we look at the treatment of people who don’t fit neatly into that gender binary that seems to have emerged back then.
I could go on and on and at some point I probably will. But for now, if you want to explore (a) the nearly chaotic ambiguity about what gender is and how it’s biologically determined, (b) how “dominator” cultures like the one we live in need separations like “gender binary” to survive, and (c) some of the ways long-surviving human cultures have celebrated a fuller spectrum of gender expressions, you’re at the right place.
Yet the REAL message here is about Nat Stratton-Clarke, the wonderful restauranteur, family man, LGBTQ activist, and exemplary human celebrated in this episode. Knowing Nat fills me with PRIDE and fuels my commitment to upholding radical equality in my thoughts, actions, vote, and advocacy. Thank you, amazing Nat, for sharing your voice. Let freedom ring!
Did I remember to say how MUCH I LOVE LUCY COOKE????
Her groundbreaking book “BITCH: On the Female of the Species” looks at gender with scientific scrutiny and the type of “are you kidding me” irony that the world needs now. HIGHLY recommended. Check it out here.
Thanks to my dear friend Roz Savage for the introduction to Riane a few years back. You can view Roz’ interview with Riane here.
Meet Nat! Enjoy.
