Difference between sex and gender

Sex – Biological differences between males and females

Ex:
 Chromosomes:
Females – XY
Males – XX
 Reproductive Organs
Females – Ovaries, Vagina
Males – Testes, Penis
 Hormones
Females – Estrogen
Males – Testosterone
Gender – Subjective
- Based on the person’s preferences
Ex:
Who is the individual attracted to?
How does the individual identify oneself?
How does the individual identify oneself to the general public?
Kinds of Gender/Sex
The Genderbread Person is a cute, approachable model for understanding the social construction
of gender, based on the input of thousands of voices over several decades.
Genderbread Person – constructed by Sam Killerman
https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/genderbread-person/#gp4
 It is an effective way of assessing an individual’s sexual orientation.

Determinants of the Genderbread person:

Gender Identity
- It is how you, in your head, think about yourself. It is the chemistry that composes you
(mostly influenced by hormonal levels) and how you interpret what that means.
Gender Expression
- How you demonstrate your gender (based on traditional gender roles) through the ways
you act, dress, behave and interact.
Anatomical Sex
- Also called biological sex
- Refers to the objectively measured organs, hormones and chromosomes
- In short, “What’s between your legs”
Sex assigned at birth
- Based on anatomical sex
Sexual Attraction/Romantic Attraction
- Basis of sexual orientation
- Tells who you are physically, sexually, romantically and emotionally attracted to

Gender/Sexes
1. Heterosexual
- Also called Cisgender (Latin “Cis” – “On this side of”)
- People who are attracted to the opposite sex
- They are the people whose gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

2. Homosexual
 - People that expresses romantic attraction or sexual attraction between members of the
same sex or gender.
- Greek – “Homos” – same

LGBTQIA+
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual

Lesbian

- Homosexual women
- Is a woman sexually, romantically and emotionally attracted to women only
Types:
1. Lipstick Lesbians
- Lesbians that express themselves as feminine
- feminine expressing – most likely dresses and still acts like a biological female but is
only attracted to women

2. Butch Lesbians
- Lesbians that express themselves as masculine
- Masculine expressing – Dresses and acts like a male; still considers self as a biological
female; only attracted to women
Gay
 - Homosexual man
- Is a man romantically, emotionally, and sexually attracted to man only
- Can also be classified as masculine or feminine expressing
Bisexual

- romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females
Transgender

- relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person had or
was identified as having at birth
- Latin “Trans” – On the other side

- Transman - identifies as male despite having been born with female genitalia; people
alike who feel their sex organs do not reflect their gender and have chosen to change
some aspect of their body
 - Transwoman - meaning someone whose self-concept is female; and wishes to or has
transitioned to living as a woman after being born with male genitalia.
Transitioning:
- Social transition: using a preferred name and pronouns, wearing clothing seen as gender
appropriate, disclosure to family, friends and usually at the workplace/school.

- HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy

FTM – Female to Male – a female that wants to possess secondary male characteristics may
undergo a procedure of HRT through injecting a hormone prominent in males, the Testosterone
MtF – Male to Female – male that wants to possess secondary female characteristics may
undergo a procedure of HRT through injecting a hormone prominent in females, the Estrogen
Sexual Re-assignment Surgery/ Sexual Re-affirming surgery – In the trans community, this
refers to top and bottom surgery
Top surgery FtM: Removal of breasts and re-assigning it to achieve a more masculine looking
chest
Bottom surgery FtM: Metoidioplasty and Phalloplasty (Re-assignment of the genitals)
Top Surgery MtF: Goal is to achieve a natural looking female breast
Bottom Surgery MtF; Vaginoplasty
Legal affirmation: name and (sometimes) sex marker correction in legal identification
documents.
Queer

Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or are not
cisgender. Originally meaning "strange" or "peculiar", queer came to be used pejoratively against
those with same-sex desires or relationships
Intersex
Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a
reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male.
Sometimes an intersex person is assigned a female or male sex at birth through surgery, if
external genitals are not obviously male or female.
Asexual
An asexual is an individual who is is not sexually attracted to either men or women. Important
classifications to note:

Repulsed Asexuals: Asexuals that are opposed to the idea of having sex with any other
individual. Some may masturbate to release any sexual tension, though some even find
masturbation repulsive.

Flexible Asexuals: Asexuals that are more open to the idea of having sex and may be willing to
have sex for the benefit of a sexual partner. Some flexible asexuals may even enjoy having sex.

Aromantic Asexuals: Asexuals who have little or no romantic drive. They usually prefer to be
single. Some even never experience crushes. Aromantic asexuals are usually repulsed asexuals.

+ = Stands for sexes not mentioned in the acronym

Ex: Pansexual – Also called omnisexual
- Gender-Blind
- People that has a sexual, romantic and emotional attraction towards people regardless of
their sex or gender identity
- Gender identity and sex are not considered in their romantic and sexual attraction towards
people