Understanding Sex and Gender Concepts

Sex vs. Gender

• Sex Characteristics (SC) are biological traits that indicate biological sex, both primary and secondary sex characteristics.
• Primary Sex Characteristics are present at birth such as vaginas and penises.
• Secondary Sex Characteristics develop during puberty, such as larger breasts and Adam's apples.
• People who do not fit into the typical binary of "male" or "female" based on SC are intersex, as their primary and/or secondary sex characteristics do not fit into the typical binary patterns.
• The term hermaphrodite is no longer used to describe intersex people as it has negative connotations.
• Sex assigned at birth is based on external genitalia and is assigned by doctors.
• Gender refers to the social and cultural expectations of how people should act based on their sex assignment at birth.

Gender Identity

• Gender identity how people feel about their own internal sense of gender including, "female," "male," and other non-binary gender identities.
• Cisgender people have a gender identity that aligns with their sex assigned at birth.
• Transgender people have a gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth.
• Non-binary Gender identities are those which fall outside of the man-woman binary.
• Transitioning is an extensive, personal process that many transgender people embark on to live as their true self:
  • Internal Transitioning: Coming out to oneself as transgender.
  • Social Transitioning: Coming out to others and adopting gender-affirming practices.
  • Legal Transitioning: Changing name and/or gender marker on legal documents.
  • Medical Transitioning: Undergoing hormone therapy (HRT) and/or gender-affirming surgery.
• Transsexual people have undergone or are undergoing some form of medical transitioning.

Gender Expression

• Gender expression is how a person presents their gender externally through things like clothing, mannerisms, and hairstyle.
• Gender-conforming people have gender expressions that align with their gender identity (examples: feminine-presenting women and masculine-presenting men).
• Gender non-conforming people have gender expressions that do not conform to their gender identity (examples: masculine-presenting women and feminine-presenting men).

Sexual Orientation

• Sexual Orientation is a person's innate, persistent attraction to others.
• Heterosexual: Attraction towards people of a different gender than oneself.
• Gay: Attraction towards people of the same gender as oneself.
• Lesbian: A woman who is attracted to other women.
• Bisexual: Attraction towards people of more than one gender.
• Asexual: Lack of sexual attraction towards anyone.
• Queer: A term used to describe people whose gender identity, expression, or sexual orientation does not fit into the categories of “female” and “male” or “heterosexual”.
• Questioning: Used for those still exploring their self-identification.
• SOGIESC: An acronym for "Sexual orientation, Gender identity, Gender expression, Sex characteristics".

Terminology & Usage

• Sexual Orientation should be used instead of "sexual preference" because sexual attraction is not a choice for most people.
• "Gay" or "Lesbian" should be used instead of "homosexuality" or "homosexual" because classifying same-gender attraction as a mental illness has been discredited.
• Heterosexual should be used instead of "straight" because "straight" implies that individuals who are not heterosexual are "crooked".
• Use adjectives and pronouns as opposed to nouns such as "She is bisexual" instead of "She is a bisexual".
• Use LGBTQIA+ to describe a group not an individual. For instance, "He is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community" instead of "He is an LGBTQIA+ person".
• Avoid using “homosexual,” “gay,” or “lesbian” to describe relationships as this can erase bisexual identity.

This quiz explores the differences between sex and gender, covering biological characteristics and social expectations. Learn about primary and secondary sex characteristics, intersex individuals, and the nuances of gender identity. Test your knowledge on these important concepts.