This week, I started a new Coursera offering called GENDER AND SEXUALITY: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE developed and offered by professors at the University of Pittsburg. This blog serves as a repository of my notes and completed assignments for the course.
Section 1 - Introduction
1.2. Introductory Key terms
The lectures this week introduce many new terms. For additional information about some of these key terms, please review the Gender Inclusive Language Guidelines. Note that some terms will only be defined in the lectures.
NOTE: these terms were presented as just a list of the terms themselves. I looked up the definitions and recorded them here prior to moving on with the rest of the course material.
Agender: is defined as not having a gender. Some agender people describe it as having a “lack of gender,” while others describe themselves as being gender neutral. People often use the following words to mean more or less the same thing: genderless. genderfree.
Androgynous: this term is an adjective and is used to describe someone who is "neither specifically feminine nor masculine" and has "characteristics or nature of both male and female." Partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex.
Anti-miscegenation laws: or miscegenation laws are laws that enforce racial segregation at the level of marriage and intimate relationships by criminalizing interracial marriage and sometimes also sex between members of different races. Anti-miscegenation laws were first introduced in North America from the late seventeenth century onwards by several of the Thirteen Colonies, and subsequently, by many U.S. states and U.S. territories and remained in force in many US states until 1967.
Artifact 1: The Asexual Pride Flag.
Asexual: An individual who indicates a lack of sexual attraction; the lack of interest in and desire for sex; and/or the lack of a sexual orientation. Asexuals, while typically lacking in sexual desire, may engage in emotional, intimate, and/or romantic relationships. Each asexual person experiences things like relationships, attraction, and arousal somewhat differently. People with this identity sometimes use “ace” or “ace/sexual.” See Artifact 1: The Asexual Pride Flag.
Benign variation: genetic variants that are not known to cause genetic conditions, but can alter the protein products or change the gene's expression. Some of these variants may be associated with abnormal biochemical test results, but do not cause a genetic condition.
Artifact 2: The Bisexual Pride Flag
Bisexual: An adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, sexual, romantic and/or affectional attraction is to men and women. Bisexual identity does not require a history or current activity that includes sexual experiences with men and women. See Artifact 2: The Bisexual Pride Flag.
Cisgender: Non-trans*. From a Latin-derived prefix meaning “on the same side,” as opposed to trans- which means “across” or “on the opposite side of.”
Artifact 3: The Demisexual Pride Flag.
Demisexuality: a sexual orientation where people only experience sexual attraction to folks that they have close emotional connections with. See Artifact 3: The Demisexual Pride Flag.
Gay: An adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, sexual, romantic and/or affectional attractions are to people of the same sex. See Artifact 4: The Gay Pride Flag.
Artifact 4: The Gay Pride Flag.
Gender binary: The gender binary is the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary, having two genders. / Gender binary (also known as gender binarism, binarism, or ambiguously genderism) is the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system or cultural belief. In this binary model, sex, gender, and sexuality may be assumed by default to align, with aspects of one's gender inherently linked to one's genetic or gamete-based sex, or with one's sex assigned at birth. For example, when a male is born, gender binarism may assume the male will be masculine in appearance, character traits, and behavior, including having a heterosexual attraction to females. These aspects may include expectations of dressing, behavior, sexual orientation, names or pronouns, preferred restroom, or other qualities. These expectations may reinforce negative attitudes, bias, and discrimination towards people who display expressions of gender variance or nonconformity or whose gender identity is incongruent with their birth sex.
Hermaphrodite: A noun used to describe a person or animal having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally or (in the case of some organisms) as the natural condition.
Heterosexual: An adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to people of the “opposite” sex.
Homosexual: Outdated clinical term considered derogatory and offensive by many gay and lesbian people. Gay and/or lesbian accurately describe those who are attracted to people of the same sex.
Intersex: A group of medical diagnoses describing a person whose anatomy, physiology, and/or chromosome variation differs from cultural ideals of male and female, in terms of external genitalia, internal genitalia, and/or hormone production levels. Intersex individuals are typically assigned as “male” or “female” at birth, and often undergo surgery on their genitals in infancy to force a more culturally acceptable gendered appearance. The intersex movement has challenged the ethics of infant genital surgeries that are not medically necessary, pointing out that many intersex people who undergo such surgery in infancy later report feeling a sense of loss of an essential aspect of themselves. About 2–4% of all births are intersex to some degree. This is sometimes not evident until puberty. For more information see: http://www.accordalliance.org/
Artifact 5: The Lesbian Pride Flag.
Lesbian: An adjective used to describe women whose enduring physical, sexual, romantic and/or affectional attraction is to other women. See Artifact 5: The Lesbian Pride Flag.
Oppression: “We use [this term] rather than discrimination, bias, prejudice, or bigotry to emphasize the pervasive nature of social inequality woven throughout social institutions as well as embedded within individual consciousness. The term oppression encapsulates the fusion of institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry, and social prejudice in a complex web of relationships and structures that shade most aspects of life in our society... Woven together through time and reinforced in the present, these patterns provide an example of the pervasiveness of oppression” (Bell, 2010, RDSJ2).
Artifact 6: The Pansexual Pride Flag.
Pansexual/Pansexuality: a sexual orientation, characterized by enduring physical, sexual, romantic and/or affectional attraction towards people without regard for their gender identity or biological sex. Pansexuality "encompasses all kinds of sexuality; not limited or inhibited in sexual choice with regards to gender or practice. See Artifact 6: The Pansexual Pride Flag.
Queer: An umbrella identity term taken by people who do not conform to heterosexual and/or gender binary norms; a reclaimed derogatory slur taken as a political term to unite people who are marginalized because of their non-conformity to dominant gender identities and/or heterosexuality.
Romeo and Juliet exception: In the United States, many states have adopted close-in-age exemptions. These laws, known as “Romeo and Juliet laws” provide that a person can legally have consensual sex with a minor provided that he or she is not more than a given number of years older, generally four years or less.
Sex category: From a sociological standpoint, gender is a performance composed of a set of learned behaviors that are associated with and expected to follow sex category. Sex category, how we classify one's biological sex, refers to differences in genitalia used to categorize humans as male, female, or intersex (ambiguous or co-occurring male and female genitalia). Sex is thus biologically determined, whereas gender is socially constructed. We are socialized to expect that gender category (man/boy or girl/woman) follows sex, and in turn, to infer that sex follows the perceived gender of a person. However, as the rich diversity of gender identities and expressions makes clear, gender does not necessarily follow sex in the ways we are socialized to expect. In practice, many people, regardless of sex or gender identity, exude a combination of social characteristics that we consider both masculine and feminine. From: https://www.thoughtco.com/gender-definition-3026335
Sex-positive movement: a social and philosophical movement that seeks to change cultural attitudes and norms around sexuality, promoting the recognition of sexuality (in the countless forms of expression) as a natural and healthy part of the human experience and emphasizing the importance of personal sovereignty, safer sex practices, and consensual sex (free from violence or coercion). It covers every aspect of sexual identity including gender expression, orientation, relationship to the body (body-positivity, nudity, choice), relationship-style choice, and reproductive rights.
Sex-positivity is "an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, encouraging sexual pleasure and experimentation." The sex-positive movement also advocates for comprehensive sex education and safe sex as part of its campaign. The movement generally makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference.
Sexual orientation: Describes an enduring pattern of attraction and determines the focus of our sexual/erotic drives, desires, and fantasies, and the inclination or capacity to develop intimate, emotional and sexual relationships with other people. Sexual orientation is usually quantified in terms of gender — both an individual’s own gender and the gender(s) of the people to whom that person is attracted and/or with whom they engage in intimate relationships and/or sexual behavior.
Trans*: This abbreviation began as a way to be more inclusive/concise in reference to the myriad number of identities that could be referenced by using the term. The asterisk is used to imply that trans* encompasses transgender, transsexual, and other transitional identities and began as a blog or web movement that continues to grow into other parts of non-virtual life.
Artifact 7: The Transgender Pride Flag.
Transgender: An umbrella term that may include transsexuals, cross dressers, drag queens, drag kings, and other people who transgress the socially constructed confines of gender. As a term of self-identification, it should not be imposed on people. Nevertheless, we may use it descriptively to encompass anyone who falls under this broad definition, whether or not they would describe themselves this way.
Transgender Oppression: The hegemony of gender expectations and roles based on a rigid binary of male (masculine) and female (feminine) that is limiting and oppressive to everyone, but especially to those who transgress gender norms. Further, U.S. cultural hegemony dictates that the gender/sex binary is “natural” and any other genders outside the categories of man and woman do not exist (in some literatures referred to as genderism).
Transition: The process of changing sex or gender, including but not limited to socially (e.g. changing one’s name, cross-living) as well as medically (e.g. hormones and/or surgery).
Transsexual (TS): A person who experiences an intense, persistent, and long-term feeling that their body and assigned sex are at odds with their gender identity. Such individuals often (but not always) desire to change their bodies to bring then into alignment with their gender identities. This term comes from the medical establishment, and many people do not identify with it for that reason. As a term of self-identification, it should not be imposed on people.
1.3. Welcome & Introduction
Please take a moment to introduce yourself to the cohort. Please share information about where you are from and what interested you about taking this course.
Artifact 8: Steven H. Lee. “Self-Portrait.” 2022.
I’m Steven. I’m a third year Bachelor of Fine Arts student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, here in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. In terms of its geographical landmass and population size, Surrey is the second largest city in British Columbia, behind Vancouver. I live in South Surrey, which is about a forty-minute drive southeast of downtown Vancouver, and it’s also close to the border with Washington State. I was born in Williams Lake, a small town in British Columbia nestled in a natural wilderness that I’ve often missed over the years.
On March 12, 2020, I came out as pansexual on the Queer Collective Facebook group page of my local university’s Student Association. I then cemented that with a post I made on Instagram on March 13. Pansexuality is a term that refers to people who are attracted to others no matter the other person’s gender identity. That includes men, women, and anyone who falls outside of the gender binary. Pansexuality is not just limited to sexual attraction but can also involve a romantic and/or emotional attraction. I always knew I had an attraction to both women and men but being bullied a lot in high school led me to be afraid of expressing who I was. It was easier to keep it bottled up. I never dated in high school. Never went to the high school dances. I never went to my senior graduation prom.
My first girlfriend was a young woman I knew from high school, who I started seeing during my first year of my first time at university, around twenty years ago, while she was in her grade 12 year. She was super sweet and will always hold a special place in my heart. She set ground rules for our relationship, which I respected. I wasn’t allowed to touch her breasts, her behind, or her vulva. There were to be no public displays of affection such as kissing when we went out, although holding hands was okay. We did a lot together and she said once she loved dating me because I didn’t want to make out all the time. And each week, we’d watch an episode of Star Trek Voyager, followed by a movie in my room at my parent’s house. Near the end of the movie, we’d end up holding each other so closely, laying on my bed. We wouldn’t kiss, and our hands only explored everywhere except each other’s genitals, as per the ground rules. This would last around an hour before I would walk or drive her home. And each week, our breathing got deeper, heavier, more lustful. Our arms would wrap round each other and inch closer to the banned areas, and our legs would intertwine. But it was always slow, thoughtful, and hot. Looking back on it, I know it was the two of us engaged in a tantric, full-bodied experience. We never went all the way, and that’s ok. I don’t regret that, but it made me appreciate taking things slow, something I’ve tried doing in all my relationships since. But it was also natural for me, and that was something I didn’t fully understand until more recently.
159 days later, on August 19, 2020, I came out as demisexual, amending my identity to say I was demipansexual. Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexually attracted to someone only after they've developed a close emotional bond with them. Forming a bond doesn't guarantee a person will feel a sexual attraction, but the bond is needed before sexual activity is even possible. I’ve never been able to just hookup. I’ve never been able to meet someone off hookup sites like Tinder, or bring someone home from a bar or a pub. I’ve rarely been able to enjoy myself with other men at a bathhouse for gay or bisexual men, or more recently at co-ed nights at these same establishments. I mean, I’ve tried. Undoubtedly tried. But I’d always leave feeling profound sadness and frustration, and even self-hatred because I had just been with someone and not been able to perform. No matter how much I’d try to prep myself and build myself up for the experience. I’d end up driving away, often in tears, feeling broken as a man who couldn’t get it up. And for a long time, it left me stumped. I could have a wonderful time with a girlfriend or a man I’d spent a lot of time with, but why couldn’t that translate into an enjoyable time with someone I’d just met?
People sometimes say that sexuality is a choice, but from my experience it’s not. I’d never choose to be demisexual. I’d never wish it on anyone else who likes to hookup because I can’t. I’ve been naked with the most beautiful and attractive partners, after doing some amazing kissing, and them, grinding into me, but me, not being able to perform my part in the experience. It would be awkward. I’d apologize. And we’d end up snuggling and talking, before I got the strength to get up and sneak away, ashamed.
More recently, there was a woman I was extremely interested in. We were remarkably close friends, and I did develop an attraction for her. We talked about the possibilities of dating but there was just one problem: she was asexual. And aromantic. For her, there was zero interest in anything sexual or romantic. It made her stomach turn. Even though she loves me deeply, and will always be there for me, one of my closest friends. So, this was when I started reading more about asexuality. And that’s when I discovered that there was this thing called demisexuality. At first, I thought this was her - maybe if we grew closer it would unlock the door to her being able to experience something more fully with me. But I didn’t necessarily connect demisexuality to my own experience. But one day, it clicked. It made sense in terms of my own last experiences. About why I could have amazing intimacy with people I’d been seeing awhile but not with someone I’d just met. It’s who I am at the core of my being.
I never told my past girlfriends that I had bisexual leanings. My first girlfriend and I spoke once about how bullies called me gay, homo, and fag, and I remember she hugged me and said with confidence and a bit of a giggle, “…you’re so NOT gay.” But I couldn’t say, “No, but I might be bi.” I just never felt safe saying it, and I don’t know why. And when I’d try exploring it at a bathhouse, or other place, the demisexuality acted as the ultimate cock-blocker, leaving me confused as to why I’d feel those desires but not be able to act on them. I think all the years of being afraid of accepting who I am made it easier for me to choose the pansexual term as a way of identifying myself. There are some who argue that terms such as pansexual lead to what is known as bi-erasure, but I do not accept that. It is up to every individual to choose the right descriptor for who they are inside.
Artifact 9: Steven H. Lee. “Self-Portrait.” 2020.
So that’s a bit about who I am. I’m taking this course to deepen my understanding of sexuality and gender, although I like to think I know a lot already. I helped start my university’s pride collective, and helped other students create and expand positions that ensured representation of Queer students and other marginalized groups existed on the university’s representative student association. But it’s always good to come at anything in life with a beginner’s mind that encourages and fosters curiosity in investigation and learning.
NOTE: The two images are images I created. The first one that appears was created in 2021, based off of words people used to describe me as representing. The second one was created in 2020, also based off of what others thought about me. The creation of both images was humbling and inspiring.
Section 2 - Key Terms
2.1. Introduction to LGBTQIA
LGBTQIA is an acronym which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (or Transgender), Queer, Intersex, and Asexual.
The following represent different sexual orientation identities: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Asexual.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION is an enduring pattern of attraction, behaviour, and identity, related to one’s erotic desires and drives, as well as the inclination to develop intimate emotional and sexual relationships with other people.
ORIENTATION describes who you are into romantically and sexually, and how you define yourself according to that attraction.
GENDER is socially constructed - that is, we are influenced by the messages we receive from our social surroundings about what is acceptable and permissible for us to do, be and perform based on the gender with which we identify. Man, woman, masculine, feminine, or some mixing or absence of these things.
GENDER IDENTITY does not equal SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
Being Trans or Transgender is a GENDER IDENTITY, not a sexual orientation.
QUEER can refer to someone’s gender identity, sexual orientation, or both.
People who identify as LGBTQIA share common histories of experiencing oppression based on their identities, with shared interests regarding the expansion of gender, sex, and sexual orientation categories and norms in society.
What unites all LGBTQIA people is our common history of resisting norms and conventions related to who we are, who we love, and how we express ourselves in terms of our gender and sexual identities.
Understanding the terminology and language associated with LGBTQIA identities is the first step to understanding how social history, law, and activism have come together to create change.
2.2 READ: LGBT Workplace Issues
LGBTQ+ Workplace Issues. Catalyst. 31 May 2022.
Wong, Grace. One job, two lives: LGBTQ in the American workplace. CNN, 30 Oct 2014.
2.3 Sex
SEX. Sex Category. The biology of bodies (biological facts and details that are used to classify individuals as male or female… not sexual acts or sexuality).
The Sex Category - adding category to the designation helps us to see that sex categorization is social. Humans decide how a body should be classified and what that classification means.
The Gender Binary - man or woman.
Now many countries recognize a third gender, for categories beyond the male / female binary.
Third gender recognizes a willingness to see gender as much more complex than what was once thought.
In critical theories of sex and gender, sex and gender are defined differently.
~ 1 in 2,000 births are intersex. Intersex activists seek language that captures differences in bodies without referring to differences as abnormal or disordered.
Sex = Natural
Gender = Social
Sex typically refers to your biological makeup, but gender refers to your inner sense of self.
Sex is a legal status - everyone in the USA has a legal sex on their driver’s licenses, birth certificates, passports, sometimes university or college degrees, and many other places.
Identifying sex can be helpful in tracking particular patterns - for example with health issues and disparities.
Sometimes sex is completely irrelevant… Learning someone’s sex ultimately tells us very little about a person.
The category sex typically organizes people by their bodies through five elements:
reproductive organs;
sexual organs;
chromosomes;
gonads; and
hormones.
Reproductive and sexual organs dominate sex assignment in most countries, where sex is usually seen as a binary with only two legal sex categories - male and female. The sex binary assumes that all bodies are easily assigned to one of the two categories, male or female, even when sex asymmetries are present. For example, an individual with male chromosomes and female sexual organs.
SEX REFERS TO BIOLOGY
GENDER REFERS TO IDENTITY (ONE’S INTERNAL SENSE OF GENDER)
2.4. Gender
What is meant by gender varies significantly from culture to culture.
Sometimes sex and gender are used interchangeably which confuses things…
SEX REFERS TO THE BIOLOGY OF BODIES
GENDER (Gender Identity / Gender Expression) REFERS TO INDIVIDUAL AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF BEHAVIOURS, ROLES, FEELINGS, ACTIVITIES, as well as SPECIFIC ROLES, or to an INTERNAL SENSE OF SELF
People can feel like men or women, or in some cases, they do not feel like men or women. The experience of not feeling like your assigned sex category is precisely what makes us realize that gender is not in fact innate or biological.
Across cultures, it’s common to define all kinds of social phenomena via terms like masculine and feminine. Sex category, typically labelled male or female, and the biological criteria used to define sex category, are consistent across cultures.
Gender varies widely from culture to culture and throughout history. What might have been stylish in the 18th century England might be seen as feminine in the present.
Unlike sex category, biological factors do not determine gender.
Current sex/gender system links sex to gender through the naturalization and enforceent of gender conventions and norms… the conflation of sex and gender identifies masculinity and femininity as the natural and normal gender expressions for people assigned male and female respectively. Certainly, this is an accurate way to explain how some people experience gender, but it is not accurately reflect all of our experiences.
In theory, and in practice, all bodies have the capacity to be masculine, feminine, or androgynous, a term that typically refers to people who have a blend of masculine and feminine traits.
SEX CATEGORY
Biological Factors / Biology of Bodies
Organizes people by their bodies through five elements:
reproductive organs;
sexual organs;
chromosomes;
gonads; and
hormones.
GENDER
Individual / Cultural Understandings of Behaviours, Roles, Feelings, and Activities
Specific Roles (man as bread winner; female as care giver)
Internal sense of self
Socially constructed
Identity
There is nothing about the body that..
makes someone like masculine or feminine things; or
produces masculine and feminine gestures, interests, tastes or behaviours.
2.5. Understanding Gender Diversity
McConnell, F. Understanding gender diversity: Sex and gender are not the same thing. The Guardian, 4 Feb 2014.
2.6. Sexuality
Sexuality is also commonly referred to as Sexual Orientation or Sexual Identity.
It can be about both romantic and physical desires and attractions.
Sexuality or Sexual Identity is typically linked to the biological sex category. Different sexual orientations like heterosexual or homosexual describes sexual attraction via sex category. they announce whether you’re attracted to men or to women.
The two most prominent sexual orientations are same sex oriented (homosexual sexuality) and opposite oriented (heterosexual sexuality).
But not all sexual attractions or love interests are captured by these two categories… which is why there is an ever-growing list of sexual identities.
Sexuality encompasses both romantic and physical desires and attractions.
Some sexual identities specify romantic and/or sexual object choice (heterosexual, homosexual, gay, lesbian). While others express romantic and/or sexual desires or acts as they relate to dominant understandings of sex. For example:
QUEER > Romantic and/or sexual identities or practices that differ from existing customs; or
Sexual identities that differ from what the community accepts as normal or common.
What counts as QUEER is also always historically and culturally specific.
PANSEXUAL expresses romantic and/or sexual desires that are not influenced or determined by sex or gender.
ASEXUAL defines people with neutral or non-existent sexual desires and/or attractions.
Cultural norms shape how we judge and interpret sexual acts and desires. Some are considered normal, while others are deemed abnormal or different.
CONSENT = is the most central binary of good versus bad sex… consent is critical to the well being and safety of all.
AGE = of course, certain sexual acts should be considered illegal and punishable by laws. Most agree that non-consensual sex acts should be illegal and processed as crimes.
Non-consensual sex can be sex by force, rape, or sex between an adult and a minor (statutory rape).
People with disabilities can be defined as unable to consent to sex regardless of their chronological age.
Exceptions include Romeo and Juliet exceptions which protect sexually active couples when both are minors. These exceptions can vary by jurisdiction.
Historically, less than 150 years ago the age of consent was between ten and twelve years old in most US states! This highlights how laws have changed over time, and ow they vary by cultural location. Societal norms define the legal age of consent.
Regulation = all countries regulate sex through laws and most countries have a history of legislation aimed at regulating sexuality (often called anti-sodomy laws). Historically, anti-sodomy laws criminalize private sexual acts between consenting adults.
Anti-miscegenation laws have a long history in North America, and were also enacted in Nazi Germany, and under the apartheid system in South Africa.
The feature film LOVING explores anti-miscegenation laws that existed in the United States. See Artifact 10 to view the film’s trailer.
Artifact 10: Focus Features. “LOVING - Official Trailer.” YouTube, 15 Sept 2016.
2.7. Sexual Orientation
Buccigrossi, J. & Frost, D. (2003). Sexual orientation. WetWare, 2-24.
2.8. Lecture Reflection
Now that you have viewed the key terms lectures for this week, reflect and share your thoughts.
What information is new?
Although not all the information presented was new to me, the lectures did help me to become more familiar with the vast terminology surrounding sex, sex category, and gender.
One piece of information I was not familiar with was anti-miscegenation laws. I knew that interracial couples were looked down upon, but I didn’t realize the extent to which it was an illegal act. My Dad was Korean, and married to a Caucasian Canadian, whom he met in the 1960s. My Mom described the discrimination they faced as a couple, especially when they travelled - even to medical conventions in the states as my Dad was a medical doctor. I believe my Mom said to me once that they even faced discrimination from their own families as members of my Dad’s family wanted him to marry a Korean woman; and my Mom’s family wanted her to marry another Caucasian. They would be together for over forty years before my Dad passed away in 2004.
What is still confusing?
The nuances of sex, sex category, and gender are all areas in which I know I will need to review before I understand them more fully. There’s a lot of information presented, and although I have a passing familiarity, I’m not sure I’m at the point where I could sit down with someone who knew absolutely nothing about this topic and teach them all about the ins and outs of sex, sexuality, and gender. I’m doing my best though to approach all of this with curiosity and a beginner’s mind. I want to know more, and I want to understand it so I can better understand myself, and others in my life.
What seems most important or interesting?
One point that was repeated a lot concerned the primary distinction between sex and sex category, with gender. Specifically, sex refers to biology, or the biology of bodies; whereas gender refers to identity, or one’s internal sense of gender.
The discussion about consent was also important. I think it could be explored in its own video segment entirely, especially considering events like the “me too” movement. Specifically, it’s important to remember how sex by force, rape, or sex between an adult and a minor (statutory rape) are all non-consensual. It’s also important to remember that people with disabilities can be defined as being unable to consent to sex regardless of their chronological age.
2.9. Genderbread Person Discussion
Artifact 11: The Genderbread Person v3.3.
Examine the image of the Genderbread Person and share your thoughts with your classmates:
How does this image help you understand the key ideas from this module?
This image helps me understand the key ideas from this module by presenting them in an easy to understand graphic with concise textual information about each idea (identity, attraction, biological sex, and expression). I also appreciated how these ideas were attached to a specific part of the Genderbread’s body: gender identity is formed and impacted by the thoughts in our minds; while attraction is tied to the heart; sex is what we are biologically (what’s between our legs); whereas expression is how we present ourselves to the rest of the world.
For myself, my gender identity is genderfluid (also referred to as genderqueer, or nonbinary). I am not cisgender - in that I do not strictly align with the gender I was initially identified with at birth. As the Genderbread Person highlights, ideas such as gender identity can exist on a continuum, and that is exactly how my identity exists. Some days, I can feel more masculine, whereas on other days, more feminine. Specifically, according to a Healthline article by KC Clements, to be genderfluid or genderqueer is to:
“…exist in a way that may not align with heterosexual or homosexual norms… A “queer” gender may fall outside of, fall in between, or fluctuate among the binary gender categories of man and woman. People who are genderqueer often experience their gender as fluid, meaning it can shift and change at any given time. Genderqueer can also describe a position of questioning one’s gender identity during a particular period of time or in an ongoing way.
And, according to the LGBTQ fandom wiki, nonbinary:
“…is a term referring to individuals whose gender identity does not exclusively fall into the binary gender classification of only "man" or "woman." Those who are non-binary may identify with either masculinity or femininity in some capacity, both, or neither at all. Although it is a gender identity on its own, it can also be used as an umbrella term to refer to many gender identities. While non-binary is included in the transgender umbrella, not all non-binary people identify as transgender.”
In terms of attraction, I mentioned in my introductory biography that I identify as demipansexual and demipanromantic. For me, it doesn’t matter what a person’s sex is, what matters is the emotional or mental connection that I have with another person, be they male, female, or trans male / trans female.
In terms of sex, I was identified as male at birth, and my sex characteristics do lean towards male physical characteristics. For example, I have a heavy beard, and a lot of body hair.
Finally, in terms of my expression, I use the pronouns they / them / theirs - although I don’t get upset if people refer to me as he / him / his. I tend to be soft-spoken at first when I meet people. I am introverted but once I get to know someone, or a group of people, I can become more extraverted. In my youth, I shied away from sports, although I do enjoy getting out into nature for long walks. I often get my beard waxed, as it grows so fast and thick when I shave - and waxing allows me to have a clean-shaven look for several weeks before it grows back in. I’ve also taken to getting my armpits waxed, which, aside from athletes such as runners and swimmers, is something that is usually only done by females. I’ve been growing my hair longer in the last few years, and I would like to have it grow to the middle of my back - although many other men also grow their hair long. I also wear more jewelry - necklaces and bracelets, as well as earrings. I recently got two tattoos, one of which is a small heart on the upper right-hand corner of my right ass cheek - like a Care Bear has. I did this because I like to think I am like a Care Bear, kindhearted with love for everyone. I very much agree with Miley Cyrus, who said in a 2015 interview with Time Magazine, that ultimately, "I'm just equal. I'm just even. It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It's literally just how I feel." And for me too, it’s about how I feel.
How does it challenge dominant ideas about gender and sexuality?
The Genderbread Person challenges dominant ideas about gender and sexuality by highlighting the distinction that sex and sex category are primarily physical characteristics and attributes related to the body; whereas gender identity is related to an inner sense of self that is socially constructed and influenced. The fourth version of the Genderbread Person (as seen in Artifact 12 below) also makes it clear that identity does not equal expression which does not equal anatomical sex. It makes it clear that these three ideas are distinct and can be different from each other. For example, one may have been born as a man and identify as a woman while expressing themselves in an androgenous manner. Finally, version four of the Genderbread Person also makes it clear that gender identity does not equal sexual orientation. For example, someone who identifies as a male may not automatically be heterosexual. He might be asexual, bisexual, or even homosexual.
Artifact 12: The Genderbread Person v4.
Section 3 - Assessments
Section 4 - Additional Resources
Corporate Equality Index, The Human Rights Campaign.
The Corporate Equality Index 2018 provides information about workplace ratings on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality.
Discrimination Against Transgender Workers, The Human Rights Campaign.
This article discusses examples of discrimination against transgender workers and ways of mitigating the risk of a lawsuit.
Lawrence v. Texas, Lambda Legal.
This article addresses the history of the case of John Lawrence and Tyron Garner’s violation of Texas’ “Homosexual Conduct” law. This case is considered a key victory in LGBT civil rights.
O’Keefe, E. (2013, November 4). ENDA, Explained. The Washington Post.
This site describes the ENDA debate, The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which protects the workers from discrimination in workforce. It also discusses Congress's next move in terms of passing ENDA.
This is an interview of Susan Stryker, an unprecedented leader in transgender studies at the University of Arizona, and one of two founding co-editors of the new journal TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. She talks about issues faced by the transgender community in addition to her career.