Main Text:

“Socks and sandals. Those really are the two genders.” Variation for follow up: “Damn call me non-binary then”

Context:

Two related things are brought up and presented as being “the two genders”. First saw this as a tumblr meme – cannot remember the original. Originally the “two genders” notion was from some right-wing conservative person trying to invalidate queer people, but the argument has been reappropriated to be humorous.

Thought:

This joke is usually told within queer circles where the notion that there are only two genders is already funny. Usually the two things being distinguished are part of a similar subculture or part of adjacent subcultures. Alternatively, the two genders are almost identical things which can start some heated arguments or spiral the conversation into unexpected directions. The current [2022] college generation age, within a liberal arts setting, also uses the word “vibe” quite a bit, and the two genders joke is often used in conjunction with establishing and identifying vibes. When this joke lands in a crowd, it is quickly designated as a safer space for anyone queer, which more often than not brings about good vibes (safe vibes are good vibes). It’s also a way to tell if you need to leave the room because the people in it might be intolerant to the point where you [a queer individual] might prefer to be elsewhere.