For many people, the terms “gender” and “sex” are
used interchangeably, which is incorrect. This idea has become so common, particularly
in western societies, that it is rarely questioned. We are born, assigned a
sex, and sent out into the world. For many people this is cause for little, if
any dissonance. Yet biological sex and gender are different: gender is not
inherently nor solely connected to one’s physical anatomy.
A person’s sex includes physical attributes such as
external genitalia, sex chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, and internal
reproductive structures. At birth, it is used to assign sex, that is, to
identify individuals as male or female. Gender on the other hand is far more
complicated. It is the complex interrelationship between an individual’s sex
(gender biology), one’s internal sense of self as male, female, both or neither
(gender identity) as well as one’s outward presentations and behaviors (gender
expression) related to that perception, including their gender role. Together,
the intersection of these three dimensions produces one’s authentic sense of
gender, both in how people experience their own gender as well as how others
perceive it.
Western culture has come to view gender as a binary
concept, with two rigidly fixed options: male or female, both grounded in a
person’s physical anatomy. Rather than just two distinct boxes, biological
gender occurs across a continuum of possibilities. This spectrum of anatomical
variations by itself should be enough to disregard the simplistic notions of a
binary gender system.
Beyond anatomy, there are multiple domains defining
gender these domains can be independently characterized across a range of
possibilities. Instead of the static, binary model produced through a solely
physical understanding of gender, a far richer tapestry of biology, gender
expression, and gender identity intersect in a multidimensional array of
possibilities. The gender spectrum represents a more nuanced, and ultimately
truly authentic model of human gender.
Gender is taught to us from the moment we are born.
Gender expectations and messages bombard us constantly. Upbringing, culture,
peers, schools, community, media, and religion are some of the many influences
that shape our understanding of this core aspect of self. How you learned and
interacted with gender as a young child directly influences how you view the
world today. Gendered interactions between parent and child begin as soon as
the sex of the baby is known. Many aspects of gender are socially constructed, particularly
with regard to gender expression.
Like other social constructs, gender is closely
monitored and reinforced by society. Practically everything in society is
assigned a gender – toys, colors, clothes and behaviors are just some of the
more obvious examples. Through a combination of social conditioning and
personal preference, by age three most roles and expectations are so entrenched
in our culture that most people cannot imagine any other way. As a result,
individuals fitting neatly into these expectations rarely if ever question what
gender really means. They have never had to, because the system has worked for
them.
“Gender-expansive” is an umbrella term used for
individuals that broaden commonly held definitions of gender, including its
expression, associated identities, and/or other perceived gender norms, in one
or more aspects of their life. These individuals expand the definition of
gender through their own identity and/or expression. Some individuals do not
identify with being either male or female; others identify as a blend of both,
while still others identify with a gender, but express their gender in ways
that differ from stereotypical presentations. A gender-expansive person’s
preferences and self-expression may fall outside commonly understood gender
norms within their own culture; or they may be aligned with them even as one’s
internal gender identity doesn’t align with the sex assigned at birth.
The diversity of gender is a normal part of the
human experience, across cultures and throughout history. Non-binary gender
diversity exists all over the world, documented by countless historians and
anthropologists. Examples of individuals living comfortable outside of typical
male/female expectations and/or identities are found in every region of the
globe. The calabai, and calalai of Indonesia, two-spirit Native Americans, and
the hijra of India all represent more complex understandings of gender than
allowed for by a simplistic binary model.
What might be considered gender-expansive in one
period of history may become gender normative in another. You only need to
examine trends related to men wearing earrings or woman sporting g tattoos to
see the malleability of social expectations about gender.
When someone is “typically gendered,” they benefit
from gender privilege For individuals whose biological sex, gender expression,
and gender identity neatly align, often referred to as “cisgender,” there is a
level of congruence as they encounter the world around them. Life many forms of
social privilege, this is frequently an unexamined aspect of their lives. Forms
they fill out, the clothing stores in which they shop, or identification papers
they carry bring few if any second thoughts. For a transgender or otherwise
gender-expansive person, each of these, and many more examples, is a constant
reminder that they move about in a culture that really does not account for
their experience. Social privilege comes from an assumption that one’s own
perspective is universal; whether related to race, or language, or gender,
privilege comes from being part of the “norm.”
Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of a person’s
identity, gender deeply influences every part of one’s life. In a society where
this crucial aspect of self has been so narrowly defined and rigidly enforced,
individuals who exist outside its norms face innumerable challenges. Even those
who vary only slightly from the norm can become targets of disapproval. Yet
this does not have to be the case forever. Through a thoughtful consideration
of the uniqueness and validity of every person’s experiences of self, we can
develop greater acceptance for all. Not only will this create greater inclusion
for individuals who challenge the norms of gender, it will actually create
space for all individuals to more fully explore and celebrate who they are.
