LGBTQ+ Talk: What's the difference between sex and gender? | Sex, gender identity, gender expression, and more!

I've always been an LGBTQ+ kid, and growing up in a society so full of taboos and prejudices has given me hard times. I've had to figure out so many things on my own, and I thought I should help get more information out there. That's why I thought about creating a space where we can all discuss different topics WHILE raising awareness on sujects that everyone must know about:

Before we even start to talk about sexual orientation and all the concepts it holds, we must begin by discussing the ways people identify themselves. One of the most important and intricate subjects is the one regarding sex and gender.

To most people it's very simple: if you are born female you must act like a woman and if you are born male you must behave like a man. However in reality there's so much more to being born female or male and the way that you are supposed to behave according to that.

What is the difference between sex and gender? 

Sex is basically a label you are given when you are born by a professional of health according to the genitals you were born with and your overall genetic composition.

There are three ways we can be labeled as: female (if we are born with a vagina), male (if we are born with a penis), and intersex (if our anatomy doesn't suit any of those generic descriptions).

However, we are commonly assigned male or female at birth, and the term intersex is often avoided by doctors, this, can ultimately be a big mistake.

Now, gender is a much more intricate concept and it is not to be confused with assigned sex. Many people say gender is a social construct and they actually are right.

Gender is basically a combination of features and behaviors expected from a person based on their assigned sex at birth. However, gender isn't binary, which means gender is not restricted to be only female or male. This is where gender roles come in; the way a person behaves and expresses themselves mostly depends on what a society demands from them if they are born female or male.

Gender roles can vary from one society to the other depending on their culture, based on religion, traditions and historical facts, but they are usually similar. One simple example for gender roles is how women are supposed to stay at home and look after their children while men go to work to provide for their families, just like it was in the prehistoric times when men left to hunt and women stayed in one place to take care of the children and sowing.

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We certainly shouldn't be expected to act a specific way depending on what is in our pants, but that's another story. We must first learn about our gender identity.

This last concept is a little easier to explain: your gender identity is the way you feel inside and the way that you express it. 

Some people's gender identity and assigned sex are aligned; these people are called cisgender. Likewise, there are some people whose gender identity and assigned sex don't match one with the other, and these people are called transgender or genderqueer.

There are also people who don’t identify with any gender regardless of their assigned sex, called agender, people whose gender identity fluctuates constantly, called gender fluid, and more. 

A person can display their gender identity in diverse ways, such as configuring their clothes and manners according to the way they feel, and how said manifestation can be interpreted by the society that surrounds them.

This is called gender expression, and it can fluctuate from person to person, being masculine, feminine, androgynous or gender neutral.

Some years ago I found this image on the internet and I believe it is an awesome graphic representation regarding this subject. I present to you, the Genderbread Person:

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Now that we are aware of the infinite and beautiful ways gender can be felt and expressed, I hope everyone feels more inclined towards respecting and embracing those differences instead of pushing them away. Gender is non binary, and it shouldn't be forced into anyone.

It’s less “this or that” and more “this and that.” -Sam Killermann

Since there is so much to talk about, specially regarding gender, I hope you understand this is only a summary and I am aware of all the diversity there is. I will work into that in some following different posts. Don’t miss it!

However, if you want to learn more about these subjects right now, you can go to Planned Parenthood's webpage. It has helped me a lot several times, I hope you find it as useful as I do!

As a bisexual person and part of both LGBTQ+ and Steemit community, I thought it was time I did something to raise awareness. I'm doing this with a lot of love and respect for everyone!