Defining Gender

Defining Gender  m               

There is always more than meets the eye.  We are taught to think inside these boxes.  Inside these boxes we place the labels of an individual or culture or even our ideas about the world.  These boxes make us feel safe in a world full of the unknown.  The truth is, however, that we cannot fit our ideal world inside a box.  People will always evolve into a non-box type and then society gets all crazy about it.  Let’s use gender roles as an example.  People here gender and they hear male and female, that is likely it.  When in fact gender is more fluid than the rigid boxes we have stuffed them in.

So what we are going to do is define ALL the gender terms and roles so we can get a clearer picture of just how LARGE these boxes actually are.

Biological Sex

This is the sex that is assigned to you at birth.  We see it as male and female.  It is actually a combination of male female and inter-gender.

Gender Normative

This is when we adhere to societies roles that they have assigned to us.  Males are masculine and females are feminine. 

Gender Identity

How a person defines their own gender.  To find this out, just ask. 

Gender Expression

This is how a person expresses their gender.  This is usually through hairstyles, clothes and the expression of masculine, feminine or a combination of the two. 

Gender Role

The role that a person plays in society in regards to gender.  This can be expressing more feminine characteristics or masculine.  Gender roles are often assigned at birth as well. 

Gender Queer

Usually used when someone identifies other than traditional gender roles. 

Gender Binary

The belief that gender has two distinct roles which do not cross over each other.  Remember those boxes we discussed earlier, yea, this is totally them.

Gender Cues

The different characteristics used to tell the gender of another person. Examples include clothing, voice, hair, body hair, etc. These vary by culture.

Gender Variant

A non-conforming gender type

Transgender

Persons whose gender identity or expression does not conform to that typically associated with the sex assigned at birth.

Gender Diverse

This is a term used to be more inclusive of genders.  It takes the place of Transgender

Cisgender

This is used for people that identify with their gender they were assigned at birth.

Pangender

Someone that identifies with a third gender other than male or female, or they do not identify as a gender at all.

Gender Fluidity

A term used to describe how people do not really fit into one gender role.  They often span gender roles showing that gender is fluid. 

This list is not exhaustive and I will add to it as I discover new terms.  But for now ask yourself….Is Gender REALLY going to fit in that box that you have been keeping it in?