What is Gender?

New to the series? The articles start at the bottom!

Hi! My name is Liam, and I'm a senior here at PHS. I'm writing this series for a few reasons: I want to give people of all genders a place to get information about gender, talk about people's experiences with gender, and hopefully create a more inclusive school and world! I do want to throw a quick content warning in here: some of these articles are going to deal with very deep, painful topics. Articles that do deal with these issues will have a content warning at the top. For LGBTQ+ Students who are dealing with these issues, there are numerous great resources out there, such as the Trevor Project and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Gender, Sex, and Sexuality: What’s the Difference?

By Liam Chalfonte

11/19/21

In order for us to understand what gender is, we first need to dive into terminology. The next two pieces will dive into the language surrounding gender, what it all means, and how understanding this can help us to have more critical discussions about gender.

Some terms frequently used in relation to this subject are gender, sex, and sexuality. Each of these terms are related but they do not each mean the same thing.

The first distinction is that of sex and gender. Sex is traditionally defined as male or female, as defined by a person’s anatomy. Gender, however, is an expression of identity, of the way one views themself and would like others to view them. A person’s sex does not necessarily determine their gender. While most people’s gender identities align with the sex they have been assigned, (such as biological females identifying as women; these people would be called ‘cis-gendered,’ pronounced like “sis,”) there are millions of people who’s gender identity does not align with their sex, who have many varied gender identities. The umbrella term for these people is ‘Transgender,’ but there are numerous identities that fall within that category. 

When people think of the transgender community, they typically think of people who identify as transgender men or women. These people were assigned male or female at birth (based on their anatomy) but have an opposite gender identity, such as someone assigned male at birth who identifies as female. However, there are numerous other identities that fall under the transgender ‘umbrella’. The term ‘non-binary,’ refers to people that do not identify as male or female. Under this non-binary umbrella are a number of identities. People who identify as Agender do not identify by any gender. People who are genderqueer may identify as somewhere between male and female or by another gender entirely. People who are genderfluid have a gender identity that changes over time. Some people are born with anatomy of both sexes, which would classify them as intersex. These people may still have a variety of different gender identities: just as with biological males and females, their anatomy does not define their gender. 

These people may use a variety of different pronouns, which will be explained in the next article.

Another important distinction is how these terms relate to sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is something completely separate from their gender identity. A person’s sexual orientation is determined by their physical, emotional, or romantic attraction to others. Women who are attracted to men, or vice versa, would generally be called heterosexual, or straight. Men who are attracted to men and women who are attracted to women would generally be called homosexual, or gay. People attracted to multiple genders would fall under the bisexual umbrella, such as pan- or omnisexuals, who are attracted to people regardless of gender. Some people also identify as asexual, meaning they do not feel sexual attraction to others. 

We must also note the difference between romantic attraction and physical attraction. While in many cases, people’s physical and romantic attractions are the same, this is not always the case. Some people may feel physically attracted to one gender but romantically attracted to many, not physically attracted to any genders (asexual) but attracted to some genders, or not interested in romance at all (aromantic).

While I have given an overview of many common gender identities and sexualities, there are numerous identities that are not described in this article. Everyone has different ways of expressing themselves. When you have questions about identities, whether you’re trying to understand someone else’s or trying to determine your own, there are a number of ways to go about getting answers. One is to directly ask someone about it. Privately asking respectful questions about someone’s gender or sexuality can be an easy way to get better understanding and can help a person feel seen and accepted. That said, as a general rule, don’t ask questions you wouldn’t feel comfortable answering yourself—many people in the LGBTQ+ community are frequently barraged with invasive questions, which is very uncomfortable and can make people feel less willing to talk about their identities. A major example of this: Don’t ask transgender people (or people in general) about their genitals. It’s really not your business, no matter how someone identifies. Another way to find answers is to consult online resources. When doing this, try to make sure these sites are reputable. There are a number of good organizations, such as GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Trevor Project, which can both help give a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community as well as act as necessary resources for LGBTQ+ people. 

It is also important to remember that many people are unsure of their identity. People change and their identities change with them. Some people don’t have access to the resources that would help them understand their own identity better. Some people just haven’t figured it out yet. Being unsure about your identity is not a bad thing—it shows that you are putting active thought into how you think of yourself and want others to think of you. In these cases, make sure that you never pressure yourself or others into picking an identity. Being forced into choosing an identity can make people feel anxious and uncomfortable, and can lead to bad decisions that can have negative consequences for people’s mental health. As well, some people may choose an identity and later realise that it isn’t the right one for them. It’s okay for someone to be wrong about their identity or just to have that identity change! 

In general, the best practice is to just be respectful of what a person says about their identity. If a person tells you how they identify, acknowledge that and do your best to address them correctly when it comes up. And if you still feel unsure about whether you’re using the correct terms for them, it’s a good idea to just privately ask them.

The next article will be an overview of pronouns and naming conventions in the transgender and nonbinary communities. Once we understand all of the terminology surrounding these groups, we’ll be able to dive deeper into the issues we have at hand.

For those of you seeking a quick resource for more information on terminology, there’s a very good glossary of terms here: https://transstudent.org/about/definitions/

What Is Gender?

By Liam Chalfonte

10/19/21

What is Gender? What to many feels like a clear-cut concept has, as of late, been shown to be full of complex ideas and emotions. The concept of gender—which was, in the traditional sense, defined as male or female, depending upon the anatomy of the person being described—is now something we are forced to grapple with in order to better understand ourselves. It’s an important question to ask, because it is important to understand the meanings and implications of the answer; and it is important to learn from the journey we take in order to find out.

Gender is, in the words of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex.” But as we will come to understand through this series, our world stretches much further than those who just identify by male or female (the gender binary). Gender is not dependent on one’s anatomy, or the identity they were assigned at birth. People’s gender can change. Gender, as we will learn, is a complex concept that defines an important part of one’s identity.

This series is going to dive deep into a number of different concepts. These concepts will generally fall under three umbrellas: understanding gender identity, examining how gender affects our PHS community and our world experience, and the context of issues faced by the LGBTQ community as a whole. In order to get a full grasp on these concepts, this series will address these issues in myriad different ways: interviews with PHS students of different gender identities, definitions of terms and concepts related to gender, research into how these issues play out on a global scale, and more. 

For people of any gender identity, fully understanding their gender, or the larger concept of gender as a whole, can be at best daunting and at worst impossible. But through this article, we will hopefully be able to help everyone gain a deep knowledge of gender and perhaps even help teach them how to feel comfortable and express their gender more clearly.