[TheSeamster]

All righty, time for some SCIENCE!

Okie! So you know how, often times, cisgendered people will use sex and gender interchangeably? Or will argue that your sex is determined by your genitalia? Well worry no more! For now we can show how these statements are false and poorly researched!

To start,

"Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs.

Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine."-http://www.med.monash.edu.au/gendermed/sexandgender.html

Medically, sex and gender are separate ideas, and for a reason. If they were the same thing, there would be no point to having two separate words!

Now, sex is determined by a few general criteria. Including hormonal balance, appearance of primary and secondary sex characteristics, and chromosomes. Most of the time, a human assigned female at birth will have an identified clitoris and vagina. A human assigned male at birth will have a penis and testicles.

Now, as you know, the human chromosome is a fickle thing that doesn't act predictably. Many babies, about 1 in 100, are born intersex, meaning without clear binary sex characteristics. Having genitalia that defies the sex binary and secondary sex characteristics that may not correspond. Their chromosomes may be different as well, perhaps having XXY or XXX or any combination!

Intersex people are NOT hermaphrodites. A hermaphrodite has a full set of fully functioning male and female genitalia and can usually reproduce with both sperm and ova, like flowers and earthworms.(Hermaphrodite - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Secondly, chromosomes are used to assign sex as well. But as we just saw with intersex individuals, chromosomes aren't a constant. There are XY people who may have been born with a vagina, or ovaries. An XX could develop gonads. (Intersex: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia)

Then there is the hormonal balance. Mostly, assigned females have higher estrogen levels, while assigned males have higher testosterone levels. But many things can cause different levels or imbalances.

So in short, most human beings will not completely fit into the full definition of either male or female.

Now, gender is the feeling of being masculine, feminine, or neutral. Gender is the personal feeling and experience of these traits as defined by society.

Gender is also used in language as he/she/they/it to refer to people, objects, or animals.

Gender is a very fluid and ever changing thing. Everyone feels it differently. It is a very personal thing that a person feels and thinks. It's in the mind, not the body. So your assigned sex, which I will remind you is based on vague ideas at best, does NOT determine your gender.

If I have said anything incorrect, please tell me, and add your thoughts or findings!


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[Grey Matter]

As a scientist, yes, this is all right!

Gender never equates sex or reproductive organs, especially when reproductive organs can be fickle. Also amounts of testosterone and estrogen are varied in person to person, so even relying on hormones isn't a sound research factor. This is why we map chromosomes. This is why chromosomes are so varied and different according to each person.

[TheSeamster]

Originally Posted by Grey Matter

As a scientist, yes, this is all right!

Gender never equates sex or reproductive organs, especially when reproductive organs can be fickle. Also amounts of testosterone and estrogen are varied in person to person, so even relying on hormones isn't a sound research factor. This is why we map chromosomes. This is why chromosomes are so varied and different according to each person.

^_^ I tried to do a good amount of research and source what I could! I wanted to put this up for everyone so they could see that we're all different, and that creating a restrictive binary that values the idea of assigning a definite sex to a child at birth via surgery is kinda messed up.

Especially since it erases the identity of that person and takes the choice away from them about their body.