Differences between sex and gender

Gender

Sex and Gender

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and analyze the topic of sex and gender. Specifically it will discuss the difference between sex and gender and whether they are a biological or social construct. Sex and gender are really two very different things, as the topic of transsexuals shows. Simply because a person is born one sex or another does not guarantee they are the "right" gender for their biological needs and wants, which is why so many people choose to change their sex through artificial and surgical means. Sex is purely biological, sex is decided when the baby is first conceived in the womb, but gender is a product of society and what society believes about "male" and "female."

In her book "Self-Made Man," author Norah Vincent writes, "Gender identity, it seems, is in the genes as surely as sex and identity are, but we don't know why the program deviates. Maybe a crossed wire somewhere, or the hormonal equivalent" (Vincent 6). I believe that gender is in the genes, and I also believe that gay and lesbian people are wired differently, not in a bad way, but in a different way that is biological and leads them in a less traditional lifestyle that is not accepted by society. Gender is essential for procreation and life, but the social norm of gender is not essential, it is simply a construct society has created regarding "men" versus "women" and all that means. Gender is basically about reproduction and biology, while sex and identity are all about society and what society believes about men and women.

Vincent's book and the film "Transamerica" both explore issues of gender and sex in surprisingly similar ways. Vincent transforms herself into a "man" to see what living as a man is like in our society. She discovers that men treat each other very differently than they treat women, and that living as a man is not as difficult as she thought it would be. She is a lesbian in real life, and so, has some masculine tendencies that helped her with her disguise, but she still found many differences in how she was treated, simply because people thought she was a man. For example, she joins a bowling league, convinces the members she is a man, and spends eight months bowling with them and learning about how they interact with each other and their families. She writes, "As I tried to be one of the guys, I could feel myself saying and doing the very things that young men do as teens when they're trying to sort out their place in the ranks" (Vincent 39). She discovers that she desperately wants to fit in as a man and be accepted, and she finds that many of the men she meets are not nearly as "bad" as she had initially thought. In fact, she talks with affection about many of them. Her gender was different in this book, but inside, she was the same person. She knew she had many masculine tendencies from a very young age, and she believes this is biological. I do too. I believe that a person has no choice over their gender, or how they feel about it, and that you cannot "cure" a homosexual or lesbian, it is simply not possible. They are born with their gender and sexual ideas, beliefs, and tendencies, and there is not a lot you can do to change that. A good example are the many men who attempt to live as "normal" family men, but live double lives, appearing to be heterosexual while maintaining discreet homosexual relationships or encounters because they are really gay but cannot admit the truth. They cannot fight their biological destiny, no matter how hard they try, and that is another reason that I believe sex and gender are biological, and not simply psychological or mental.

However, I firmly believe that how society looks at gender is social, and has nothing to do with biology or nature. Society has placed certain "rules" about sex and sexuality on men and women. Men are supposed to be manly, strong, the providers, and most of all, supremely "male" and all that means. It means men are supposed to be unemotional, not show their feelings, enjoy sports and violence, and never show weakness. Women are supposed to be feminine, weak and dependent, good-looking, and emotional, and a man who shows these tendencies is labeled "gay" or "weird" by other men. These are all social constructs that most of society firmly believes in and abides by. Thus, anyone who is different from these constructs is considered to be wrong or misguided in some way. Homosexuals and lesbians do not all fit in these traditionally accepted social constructs of society, and that is one reason so many people do not accept them or their lifestyles. They may say it is because of religious or moral grounds, but for many, I think it just boils down to the fact that these people are different, and do not fit the acceptable models of society, and so, they are not acceptable.