I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the television series Bones.  In many respects, it is just another crime-drama show.

What brings Bones to my blog is an episode I just happened to land on the other day, which involved a visiting Japanese forensic investigator. (This episode, though new to me, is a couple of years old, BTW.)

As a subplot to the usual grisly murder investigation, the regular characters on the show were mystified as to the gender of this visitor, and determined to figure it out.  Each professed their opinion based on whatever gender markers they found relevant.  There were actual debates about this.

The staff psychologist marveled at the fact that these scientists, who could find a murderer from the slightest clue on a dead body, could not figure out whether Dr. Tanaka was a man or woman.  He was amused both at their frustration and their preoccupation.  (BTW, note that this gender ambiguity is not open to any of us who are not doctors, but have to go with Mr. or Ms or whatever.)

Over a drink, he asked them why they cared, what difference it made? Then, he explained to them that Tanaka identified as Kei – a Japanese ideal that glorifies androgyny on the basis that gender is unimportant.

Our heroes’ biggest problems seemed to be not knowing which pronoun to use, and their inability to rein in their curiosity.  In the end, one of the group went over to Tanaka to say goodbye and gave the visitor a long hug.

As she returned to her buddies, we could see Tanaka smiling furtively.

“It moved; he’s a guy,” came the conclusive report.

My conclusion? This kind of exposure is another small step for normalizing and accepting those outside the gender binary.