Your Very Own Gender Studies Degree: Sex, Gender, & Trandgender
But first, how can I get my Very Own Gender Studies Degree?
Sex. “It is difficult to talk about people who are transsexual or transgender without first defining the words “sex” and “gender.” “Sex” commonly refers to whether or person is physically male and/or female. Because the physical traits that we most often take into account when describing “sex” are biological in origin there is a tendency to see sex as being a “natural” aspect of gender. However, this is not quite the case. Cultural expectations and assumptions play a large role in shaping how we determine and consider sex… I will use the word “sex” primarily to refer to a person’s physical femaleness and/or maleness, but I will also it to refer to the social and legal classes that are associated with one’s physical sex.”
Gender. “The word “gender” is regularly used in a number of ways. Most commonly, it’s used in a manner that’s indistinguishable from “sex.” Other people use the word “gender” to describe a person’s gender identity (whether they identify as female, male, both, or neither), their gender expression and gender roles (whether they act feminine, masculine, both, or neither), or the privileges, assumptions, expectations, and restrictions they face due to the sex others perceive them to be. I will use the word “gender” in a broad way to refer to various aspects of a person’s physical or social sex, their sex-related behaviors, the sex-based class system they are situated within, or some combination thereof.”
Transgender. “Now that we understand “sex” and “gender,” we can begin to consider the word transgender, which is perhaps one of the most confusing and misunderstood words in the English language. While the word originally had a more narrow definition, since the 1990s it has been used primarily to describe those who defy societal expectations and assumptions regarding femaleness and maleness; this includes people who are transsexual (those who live as members of the sex other than the one they were assigned at birth), intersex (those who are born with a reproductive anatomy that does not fit the typical definitions of female or male), and gender queer (those who identify outside of the male/female binary), as well as those whose gender expression differs from their anatomical or perceived sex (including cross dressers, drag performers, masculine women, feminine men, and so on).”
Excerpts from Whipping Girl by Julia Serano*
*Note that I have taken out some of Serano’s examples to make the definitions shorter and more digestible for blog readers. The above definitions are meant to briefly address the transgender world, but not meant to wholly define or explain it. “Transgender” is an umbrella term for an ever-changing community. I highly recommend Serano’s book to anyone searching to understand gender and/or sex issues.
Challenge: Pay attention to everything you do today that is attached to gender (what you wear, how you speak to people, what restroom you use, etc). How might these same activities or expectations affect a transgender person?
