Intellectual Authority and Gender Assignment

Sor Juana's life demonstrates how cisgender women were systematically denied intellectual authority despite their capabilities. She fought for the right to study theology, philosophy, and science in a society that assigned her gender at birth and expected intellectual compliance. This concept examines how cisgender identity can be weaponized to restrict access to knowledge and power. For those examining their cisgender identity today, this framework reveals how gender assignment creates invisible intellectual hierarchies. It invites reflection on how we internalize limits placed on our thinking, and how claiming intellectual authority becomes an act of identity reclamation. Understanding this helps individuals recognize when cisgender assumptions limit their self-expression and ambitions.