below the belt

Mainly used in combat sports such as boxing and kickboxing, the term below the belt is referred to all the area of the body that lies, as the term indicates, below the line of the belt, including the genital area, legs, and crotch. In these sports, as in many others, punches must not be struck below the belt, as it is deemed unfair and contrary to sportsmanship. The term is also used in modern parlance to describe a comment or action which is considered abusive, overly hurtful or plain unfair.

Some gender/queer activists have taken the term below the belt into their own hands to illustrate the deconstruction of gender.[1] In this sense, hitting someone below the belt (an otherwise unpleasant blow to genitalia) would be an active step to break down the restrictive societal norms that prevent individuals from understanding their gender, sex, and sexuality on a deeper level. This version of the term emerges from popular belief among gender/queer activists that an individual's genitalia does not necessarily define the gender that is performed.[2]

References

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