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Have you heard the terms sex and gender used interchangeably? Many people are surprised to learn that these are distinct concepts. Sex, more clearly referred to as sex assigned at birth (SAAB), encompasses the physical and biological traits that distinguish female, male, and intersex individuals. Sex may be assigned based on sex chromosomes, hormone levels, genes, gonads, internal reproductive organs, or external genitalia; most commonly sex is assigned based on external genitalia present at birth. Infants assigned female at birth typically have two copies of the X chromosome (producing an XX pair), while infants assigned male at birth typically have one copy of the X chromosome and one copy of the Y chromosome (producing an XY pair). These genetic differences lead to internal and external differences, most easily noticeable as external genitalia or reproductive organs (e.g., the vulva and vagina for individuals assigned female at birth and the penis and testes for individuals assigned male). Another categorization for sex is intersex, in which an individual has varying levels of female or male sexual characteristics. This may include variations in chromosomes, hormones, and/or reproductive anatomy. In some cases this is visible at birth, however it is also possible that, with development, ambiguous genitalia develop. The frequency of intersex individuals is estimated at nearly 2% of the population (Blackless et al., 2000). Some intersex individuals may choose to induce hormonal or physical changes so their sex more clearly aligns to female or male, yet for others this is not possible or they may choose not to undergo any interventions. Due to historic views of sex as binary, many intersex individuals received surgeries as infants without consent to fit into binary sex categories of female or male (Ainsworth, 2015). Biological evidence supports the view of sex as a spectrum in which individuals may have varying levels of female, male, or intersex characteristics.
Distinct from sex, gender is based on the psychological, behavioral, social and cultural aspects that distinguish men, women, and nonbinary or gender-fluid individuals. Gender is considered a social construct because it includes the behaviors, norms, and roles created and accepted by society; it exists because humans agree it exists. As a social construct, the concept of gender can change over time and differ among cultural groups. For example, a certain behavior or trait that's largely viewed as "desirable" for a man in one culture or historical period might be viewed as "undesirable" in some other culture or historical period.
Gender identity is a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or nonbinary. A nonbinary, or genderqueer, gender identity is used when an individual does not identify as entirely male or female. For example, some nonbinary individuals may experience more than one gender, while others may experience neither gender, which is referred to as agender. Gender identity may also be discussed based on the correspondence between an individual’s gender and their sex assigned at birth, typically referenced as cisgender and transgender. An individual may identify as cisgender, when there is a similarity between gender identity and sex assigned at birth, such as an individual whose sex assigned at birth is male and identifies as a man. An individual may identify as transgender, when there is a difference between gender identity and/or gender expression and sex assigned at birth. A transgender woman, for example, is someone whose assigned sex was male but whose gender identity is female. Transgender individuals may or may not choose gender affirming treatments, such as hormones or surgeries, which are based on individual healthcare needs (Meier & Labuski, 2013).While it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of transgender adults, population estimates from 17 countries for individuals over 18 range from 0.1% to 2% (Goodman et al., 2019), with variation due to inclusion criteria and geographic location. Among transgender individuals, over one-third identify as nonbinary or genderqueer (James et al., 2016).
An important point to keep in mind across the range of gender identities is that gender identity is distinct from sexual identity; an individual’s gender identity does not indicate their sexual identity, emotions, or attractions. Gender identity for an individual can also change over time due to a unique interplay of biological, social, and cultural factors (Steensma et al., 2013), reinforcing the need to reference gender as a spectrum, which varies in degree, instead of a binary (e.g., either/or) distinction.
The common abbreviation for underrepresented sexual and gender identities has expanded from GLBT used in 1980s to forms such as LGBTQIA+, which recognizes lesbian (L), gay (G), bisexual (B), transgender (T), queer or questioning (Q), intersex (I), and asexual or aromantic (A), and identities not yet included or identified (+) (Dellar, 2022). Notice that some of the terms reference gender identity (e.g., transgender, queer) or sex (e.g., intersex), while others reference sexual identity (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual).
In The Genderbread Person image, a gingerbread image is used to depict a person. The brain represents gender identity and the area where genitalia would commonly appear represents sex characteristics. For gender identity, “woman-ness” and “man-ness” are each represented on a continuum from 0%, or none, to 100%. An individual could select any level of “woman-ness” and “man-ness” because gender identity is not binary. Common gender identities are also included, in which an individual could select one or more than one of the possible options. For sex characteristics, “female-ness” and “male-ness” are again each represented on a continuum from 0%, or none, to 100%, which allows an individual to select any level along each arrow. Finally, for sex assigned at birth a person could be female, intersex, or, male.
In this Sex and Gender activity, you will consider the possible variations in gender identity, sex characteristics, and sex assigned at birth. In the activity, gender identity and sex characteristics are viewed as a continuum, in which an individual may view themselves at any point between 0% and 100% on each dimension.
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