Girling

Buckle up, there’s a lot of vocab.

Disclaimer: Things change often and this article reflects my knowledge as of the posting date. Additionally, I identify as a cisgender female, which presents limitations to my own understanding of sex and gender. 

I’m pretty open about my background- I’m highly educated and interested in gender theory. I have studied sexual and reproductive health extensively and I created this blog to make my knowledge base more palatable for folks who might not share my same enthusiasm for reading academic publications. But, with my background, I sometimes don’t realize when something that is obvious to me is not obvious for my readers. That is where this post comes in. 

This topic is also sometimes politicized. Here, I hope to present the facts and advocate for respect, not start a political debate. 

So, what’s the difference between Gender and Sex? Is there one?

The terms ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ have historically been used interchangeably to indicate if someone is male/female/boy/girl. However, academics began discussing a distinction between the two terms in the twentieth century and today, this distinction is widely accepted. 

Gender refers to the outward display of socially-constructed characteristics…Sex refers to a person’s anatomy.

Gender refers to the outward display of socially-constructed characteristics associated with words such as ‘man’ or ‘woman.’ For example, wearing makeup is a socially-constructed characteristic that is associated with woman-ness. Having a beard is a socially-constructed characteristic that is associated with man-ness. These characteristics may be thought of as representative of someone’s gender.

Sex refers to a person’s anatomy- their chromosomes, genitalia, and hormones. The words to describe binary sex are ‘male’ or ‘female.’ Having a penis or XY chromosomes would be indicative of the male sex. Having a vagina or XX chromosomes would be indicative of the female sex. These characteristics would be representative of someone’s sex. 

When you see someone on the street in a dress and heels, you might think of them as a woman, but you wouldn’t necessarily be able to identify their sex. Conversely, if you were to see the results of someone’s DNA test (just go with it), and they had an X and a Y chromosome, you would identify their sex as male, but you couldn’t say they were a man with any certainty.

This all gets more complicated when we consider that these two terms do not actually exist on a binary.

This all gets more complicated when we consider that these two terms do not actually exist on a binary. It’s useful to think of them that way theoretically, but in practice, things are more nuanced.

For example, someone may have XX chromosomes and consider their gender to be woman (phrasing sentences this way is a little awkward, but using a word like ‘female’ would not reflect gender), but still not wear a dress or makeup. They could wear a tuxedo and shave their head and rock facial hair, but still label themselves as a woman. In this way, gender is simultaneously assigned to a person and chosen by a person. It is polite to address someone in a way that is in alignment with the gender they have chosen for themselves.

Additionally, genes and anatomy and physiology are complicated. It would be too easy for this aspect of life to exist on a binary. In reality, a person can have an array of different chromosomal combinations (i.e., XXY, XYY, YY, X) as well as different anatomical and physiological features that may make labeling someone strictly ‘male’ or ‘female’ complicated. A person whose biology makes a ‘male’ or ‘female’ distinction complicated may be described as intersex. Sometimes, if a person does not fall purely on either the XX/female or XY/male side of the spectrum, they are given a sex at birth by a physician or their parents. There is a lot of debate around if this is the “right” thing to do. If a person grows up as one sex, they may later share that they do not believe this to be the correct sex assignment for them and make a change.

Today, it is increasingly accepted practice for a person to decide the terminology with which they best align. This is called their gender identity.

Today, it is increasingly accepted practice for a person to decide the terminology with which they best align. This is called their gender identity. Any combination of terms is acceptable. Someone could be male/woman or female/man or throw the whole thing out the window and be nonbinary (sometimes referred to as NB), which simply means that they don’t see themselves as existing on one side of the spectrum or the other. 

Additionally, a person may experience gender dysphoria, which is when they feel anxiety around their sex assigned at birth. A person in this situation may identify as transgender, which is when a person’s gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth. A transgender person may change their sex or gender to match how they see themselves. This may include surgery or hormone therapy, but it doesn’t have to. A transgender (or trans for short) person may choose not to have a medical intervention, but change their gender (remember that gender is the presentation of socially-constructed characteristics). Depending on the person and your relationship to them, they may not appreciate being asked about their transition. Please be gentle and polite, as this process is often linked to a lot of strong emotions. A person whose sex/gender align at birth and they do not change either is referred to as cisgender (or cis for short).  

Finally, pronouns are words that a person selects to reflect their gender identity. They could be she/her or he/him or they/them, but a person’s pronouns could also be any combination of these words (i.e., she/they). Gender-neutral pronouns such as ‘zhe’ are also becoming increasingly popular. This is a personal choice and it is polite to ask someone what pronouns they would prefer you to use. It is also polite to use those pronouns correctly and without question. 

It’s a lot. It can also be hard to keep track of everything when a lot of these words are casually used in a technically incorrect way. For example, I often use the words sex and gender interchangeably even though I know they are not interchangeable. And, for a lot of people, these terms are new and intimidating. Most of the time, however, if you approach an unfamiliar situation with respect and honesty, the other person will be receptive and appreciate the effort. If you get something wrong, don’t freak out- take it as a learning moment and you’ll be more comfortable for the next time. 

IN SHORT:

• Gender = presentation of socially-constructed characteristics (man, woman, nonbinary)
• Sex = biological characteristics associated (male, female, intersex)
• Transgender (trans) = gender identity does not align with sex assigned at birth
• Cisgender (cis) = gender identity aligns with sex assigned at birth
• Be polite when interacting with others, even if you may not understand their perspective. 
• You don’t need to be afraid to have conversations around sex/gender. You just need an open mind and a genuine respect for other people. 

There are a lot of good resources available online if you would like to learn more. Please see these links to reputable organizations for additional information, resources, or even just to see some of these concepts phrased another way!

• TSER Gender Unicorn (A useful graphic used in classrooms)
• Planned Parenthood – Sex and Gender Identity
• NPR – Guide to Gender Identity
• GLAAD – Transgender Terms Guide
• GLAAD – LGBTQ Terms Guide
• Human Rights Campaign – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

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