In this paper I would like to scrutinize how the human norms concerning gender are projected onto non-human animals and how these are then used to reflect back on the human gender. I will be using the tools used by queer theory and transgender studies, namely heteronormativity, cisnormativity and intersectionality, placing them into the context of a cis-ecology, and departing from these concepts, I will then coin and utilize the term anthroponormativity.

I am expecting anthroponormativity to fit into the cis-ecology framework and doing the work of identifying the power imbalance and inequalities among various species and genders, demonstrating that the axes of gender and species do intersect.

I will provide examples of non-human animal species who’s gender binary is necessary for the human to exploit them. This study will predominantly focus on cows and humans. In conclusion, I will argue that not only is the human making of non-human binary part of the violent anthroponormative mechanisms, it also circulates back to oppression of human trans individuals by those who view binaries found in nature as a certain “purity” and “naturality” in an essentialistic way without acknowledging fluidity of gender in space and time (Ah-King & Hayward, 2014).