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The distinction between sex and gender differentiates a person's biological sex (the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics) from that person's gender, which can refer to either social roles based on the sex of the person (gender role) or personal identification of one's own gender based on an internal awareness (gender identity).<ref name="Virginia">Prince, Virginia. 2005. "Sex vs. Gender." ''International Journal of Transgenderism''. 8(4).</ref><ref name="Carlson">Neil R., Carlson. Psychology: The science of behavior. Fourth Canadian edition. isbn 978-1-57344-199-5. Pearson, 2010. P. 140–141</ref> In this model, the idea of a "biological gender" is an oxymoron: the biological aspects are not gender-related, and the gender-related aspects are not biological. In some circumstances, an individual's assigned sex and gender do not align, and the person may be [[transgender]].<ref name="Virginia"/> In other cases, an individual may have biological sex characteristics that complicate sex assignment, and the person may be intersex. | The distinction between sex and gender differentiates a person's biological sex (the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics) from that person's gender, which can refer to either social roles based on the sex of the person (gender role) or personal identification of one's own gender based on an internal awareness (gender identity).<ref name="Virginia">Prince, Virginia. 2005. "Sex vs. Gender." ''International Journal of Transgenderism''. 8(4).</ref><ref name="Carlson">Neil R., Carlson. Psychology: The science of behavior. Fourth Canadian edition. isbn 978-1-57344-199-5. Pearson, 2010. P. 140–141</ref> In this model, the idea of a "biological gender" is an oxymoron: the biological aspects are not gender-related, and the gender-related aspects are not biological. In some circumstances, an individual's assigned sex and gender do not align, and the person may be [[transgender]].<ref name="Virginia"/> In other cases, an individual may have biological sex characteristics that complicate sex assignment, and the person may be intersex. | ||
The sex and gender distinction is not universal. In ordinary English, ''sex'' and ''gender'' are often used interchangeably.<ref name=udry>{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/2061790 |first1=J. Richard |last1=Udry |date=November 1994 |title=The Nature of Gender |journal=Demography |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=561–573 |pmid=7890091 |url=https://www.unc.edu/courses/2006fall/econ/586/001/Readings/Udry_Nature_Gender.pdf |jstor=2061790 | The sex and gender distinction is not universal. In ordinary English, ''sex'' and ''gender'' are often used interchangeably.<ref name=udry>{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/2061790 |first1=J. Richard |last1=Udry |date=November 1994 |title=The Nature of Gender |journal=Demography |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=561–573 |pmid=7890091 |url=https://www.unc.edu/courses/2006fall/econ/586/001/Readings/Udry_Nature_Gender.pdf |jstor=2061790 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007105102/https://www.unc.edu/courses/2006fall/econ/586/001/Readings/Udry_Nature_Gender.pdf |archive-date=7 October 2015 }}</ref><ref name="haig">{{cite journal|first1=David |last1=Haig |authorlink1=David Haig (biologist) |date=April 2004 |title=The Inexorable Rise of Gender and the Decline of Sex: Social Change in Academic Titles, 1945–2001 |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=87–96 |pmid=15146141 |doi=10.1023/B:ASEB.0000014323.56281.0d |url=http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/haig/publications_files/04inexorablerise.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525090802/http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/haig/Publications_files/04InexorableRise.pdf |archive-date=25 May 2011|citeseerx=10.1.1.359.9143 }}</ref> Some dictionaries and academic disciplines give them different definitions while others do not. Some languages, such as German or Finnish, have no separate words for sex and gender, and the distinction has to be made through context. On occasion, using the English word ''gender'' is appropriate.<ref name="Bograd-2015">{{cite journal|last1=Bograd |first1=Michele |last2=Weingarten |first2=Kaethe |title=Reflections on Feminist Family Therapy Training |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHlsBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 |accessdate=11 February 2018 |series=EBL-Schweitzer |date=28 January 2015 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=978-1-317-72776-7 |page=69 |oclc=906056635 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508090147/https://books.google.com/books?id=JHlsBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 |archivedate=8 May 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://global.finland.fi/gender/ngo/peruskasitteet.htm|title=Peruskäsitteet|access-date=2018-02-11|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508090148/http://global.finland.fi/gender/ngo/peruskasitteet.htm|archivedate=2018-05-08|lang=fi}}</ref> | ||
Among scientists, the term ''sex differences'' (as compared to ''gender differences'') is often used for sexually dimorphic traits that are thought to be evolved results of sexual selection.<ref name="Mealey, L. 2000">Mealey, L. (2000). Sex differences. NY: Academic Press.</ref><ref name="Geary, D. C. 2009">Geary, D. C. (2009) Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association</ref> | Among scientists, the term ''sex differences'' (as compared to ''gender differences'') is often used for sexually dimorphic traits that are thought to be evolved results of sexual selection.<ref name="Mealey, L. 2000">Mealey, L. (2000). Sex differences. NY: Academic Press.</ref><ref name="Geary, D. C. 2009">Geary, D. C. (2009) Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association</ref> | ||
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==Biological essentialism== | ==Biological essentialism== | ||
The form of sexism called biological essentialism is the belief that your body is the main thing that makes you who you are. It is supposed to define you forever, no matter what you change about yourself, think about yourself, or anything. It says the gender you were assigned at birth must be your only real gender. Biological essentialism is used to justify most forms of sexism. It is harmful to virtually everyone, of any sex or gender.<ref name="Weiss">{{Cite web |title=How Gender Essentialism Hurts Us All |last=Weiss |first=Suzannah |work=Bustle |date=13 March 2017 |access-date=16 February 2021 |url= https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-gender-essentialism-hurts-everyone-43897|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090711/https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-gender-essentialism-hurts-everyone-43897 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Some [[transgender exclusionists]] use biological essentialism to discriminate against | The form of sexism called biological essentialism is the belief that your body is the main thing that makes you who you are. It is supposed to define you forever, no matter what you change about yourself, think about yourself, or anything. It says the gender you were assigned at birth must be your only real gender. Biological essentialism is used to justify most forms of sexism. It is harmful to virtually everyone, of any sex or gender.<ref name="Weiss">{{Cite web |title=How Gender Essentialism Hurts Us All |last=Weiss |first=Suzannah |work=Bustle |date=13 March 2017 |access-date=16 February 2021 |url= https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-gender-essentialism-hurts-everyone-43897|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090711/https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-gender-essentialism-hurts-everyone-43897 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Some [[transgender exclusionists]] use biological essentialism to discriminate against gender-diverse people. | ||
==Assigned gender at birth== | ==Assigned gender at birth== | ||
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==Sexes of nonhuman animals== | ==Sexes of nonhuman animals== | ||
[[File:ZwitterHauhechelblaeuling.jpg|thumb|A Common Blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') individual that is a gynandromorph, having a female form on one side and male on the other. Gynandromorphs occur in some animal species.]] | [[File:ZwitterHauhechelblaeuling.jpg|thumb|A Common Blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') individual that is a gynandromorph, having a female form on one side and male on the other. Gynandromorphs occur in some animal species.]] | ||
One common misconception is that all animals have only male and female sexes. However, nature is much more complex and varied. Many animal species are known to have a variety of | One common misconception is that all animals have only male and female sexes. However, nature is much more complex and varied. Many animal species are known to have a variety of diverse sex characteristics, or very different kinds of sexes than occur among humans. For example: male seahorses that get pregnant, fish that change sex if there aren't enough of a particular sex in their group, female deer with antlers, lionesses with manes, lizards that lay fertile eggs after two females mate together (''parthenogenesis''), hyenas that give birth through an organ that is nearly indistinguishable from a penis, and so on. Most animals don't have sex chromosomes that are the same as the XX or XY set that are most common in humans. Learning about the diversity of animal sexes can help one recognize how much the sexes are an idea constructed by humans to describe and simplify reality, but our understanding of that reality tends to be limited by our own sexual stereotypes widespread in our culture. | ||
To learn more about the diversity of animal sexes, read Joan Roughgarden's book, ''Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People'' (2009). | To learn more about the diversity of animal sexes, read Joan Roughgarden's book, ''Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People'' (2009). | ||