LESSON 1

GENDER AND SEXUALITY AS A SOCIAL REALITY

Definition of Terms:
Sex- the biological aspect of sex; maleness or femaleness- the
Gender
social interpretation
of sex; masculinity, femininity, etc.

Sexuality
- the totality of our own experience of our sex and gender

Sex chromosomes
- chromosomal markers that distinguish females (XX) from male (XY)
species

Intersex- individual with composite genitals (possessing some characteristics of both male
and female genitals)

Introduction
What does it mean to be a male or a female, to be feminine or masculine, or
to be man or woman? The human mind and body are complex such that to
answer this question we have to trace our journey from the moment we
were born, and go back to the journey we humans have across the life
span.First thing you need to understand is the complexities of differentiating
sex, gender, and sexuality. Having a clear grasp of these concepts is crucial
since we will be using these terms over and over again in succeeding
discussion. Likewise, there are nuances in the meanings of these terms,
which have an implication on at which context we can appropriately use
them.Moreover, as we start our discussion of gender and sexuality as social
realities, we also want to understand how a person’s gender is expressed
from birth to adulthood. Our ultimate goal is to foster understanding of the
diversity of how humans experience and express their sexuality.

SEX
Sex is the biological dimension of your gender and sexuality. Also referred
to as biological sex or physical sex, the term generally pertains to your
identity depending on your sexual anatomy and physiology- the parts of
your body that are relevant to reproduction and the function of these parts.
Sex is typically determined by examining your genitals; these are external
organs that are associated with reproduction, the process or the ability to
create offspring. Among humans, sex is often assigned at birth. If at birth, a
child is observed to have a penis and testicles, then the child is categorized
as male. If on the other hand, a child is observed to have a vagina, then the
child is categorized as female. However, there are cases when the baby’s
genitals appear to be a conglomerate of male and female organs such that
it may be difficult to classify the baby’s sex without further examination. In
the past, this condition was referred to as hermaphroditism (from Hermes,
a male Greek god, and Aphrodite, a female Greek goddess). In modern
times, the term intersexuality is a naturally occurring variation in humans
and animals (in 1,500 births) according to the American Psychological
Association (APA) (2006). Since it may be difficult to distinguish biological
sex by merely examining the genitals, there are other biological markers
used. For instance, your chromosome protein structures which contain your
genetic materials are also used to determine sex. There are specific
chromosomes referred to as sex chromosomes, which marks a person’s
biological sex. An individual with a set of XY sex chromosomes are said to
be a male, while an individual with a set of XX sex chromosomes is said to
be female. The level of some hormones and chemicals in our body that are
responsible for sustaining bodily processes are also used as markers. For
example, human males tend to have higher levels of testosterone, which is
associated to sex drive and aggression. On the other hand, human females
tend to have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are
associated with lactation, menstruation, and other female reproductive
function.
GENDER
However, humans are meaning-making organisms. Our ability for higher
order thinking and our tendency to create social norms, allow us to attach
social and cultural meanings to things, including our sex. For example,
males are typically expected to be masculine and females are expected to
be feminine. Once parents are aware of their child’s sex (male or female)
during birth or through prenatal procedures such as ultrasound, they
automatically attach social and cultural meanings to their child’s sex and in
doing so, they already set an expectation in terms of how their child should
behave and how they should their child. This social dimension of one’s
sexuality is referred to as gender.
There are many ways through which gender is manifested. As soon as a
new baby arrives in the family, adults surrounding the baby manifest their
social interpretation of the baby’s sex by the colors assigned to the baby.
For example, it is common for families to buy blue apparels and toys when
the baby is a male, as the color blue is associated with boyhood.
Conversely, female babies are often assigned the color pink because the
color is associated with girlhood. Remarkably, the moment a baby is born,
the name, toys, and apparels are picked by parents and relatives based on
their interpretation of the baby’s sex. Throughout childhood and
adolescence, this assignment becomes more complex as the expectations
go beyond the kind of clothes worn, but also in terms of how the person
must or must not behave. There are sets of behaviors that all female
individuals must follow and so with the male individuals, and all are
expected to stick to these behaviors that are aligned with their biological
sex. This phenomenon of determining the normality of a behavior based on
whether it conforms or not to be expectations relative to one’s biological
sex is referred to as heteronormativity. In the Filipino culture, girls are
expected to have certain characteristics of being gentle, caring, and loving
while boys are encouraged to be strong, rough, and assertive. These
expectations also extend to how men and women are expected to behave,
the college courses they take, and the jobs they apply to. However, there
are people who do not follow culturally-accepted standards of masculinity
and femininity like girls not wanting to wear dresses and boys not wanting
to paly rough sports. This is natural variation of the human gender
expression. Social and cultural practices change through time. Just 60 years
ago, women could not wear pants without social disapproval, and now
wearing pants is already an accepted fashion trend among people of
different genders. How we express our gender is largely based on our social
and cultural setting. Most are comfortable with their sex and gender; men
who are masculine and women who are feminine. Each culture also has
different standards on how to be a man and a woman and how they should
present themselves according to their sex and gender.

GENDER IDENTITY
One important aspect of our gender is our sense of who we are: Do we see
and experience ourselves as a man, a woman, or neither. This refers to our
gender identity. Typically, males are comfortable identifying as a man and
females are comfortable identifying as a woman. However, there are cases
wherein a person’s biological sex does not align with one’s gender identity.
People with this experience are referred to as transgenders, such as a male
who does not feel comfortable identifying as a man (transgender woman)
or a female who is not comfortable identifying as a woman (transgender
man). Transgender people may undergo gender reassignment surgery to
align their physical characteristics to their gender identity. However, due to
many factors such as belief system, culture, and economics, some do not
opt for surgery.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Another aspect of our gender pertains to our emotional and sexual
attraction to a person. This aspect refers to our sexual orientation.
According to Psychological Association of the Philippines, typically at ages 6
or 8, we experience or develop attraction to other people. By adolescence,
we already know who we are attracted to and would experiment through
dating and relationships. Everyone’s sexuality is different and deeply
personal. Our capacity for emotional and sexual attraction is diverse and
complex, but there are few common terms or labels for us to use.
● Heterosexuals “Straight”- People
who are attracted to the opposite
sex.
● Homosexual “Gay or Lesbian”-
People who are attracted to people
of the same sex.
● Bisexual or “bi”- People are attracted
to both sexes, male or female.
● LGBT refers to the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender
community.
APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), nature and
nurture play a complex role in shaping our sexual orientation.
Homosexuality and heterosexuality are part of the human sexuality and is a
large part of the human experience. Identifying as a heterosexual, lesbian,
bi, gay, or transgender is a deeply personal process, so it may be more
difficult for others to ‘come out’ or for them to become comfortable enough
with their sexuality that they feel safe to share it with other people. For
others, it comes early in adolescence while for some, it may take time to
understand and discover themselves. According to the American
Psychological Association of the Philippines, “we can only truly tell if the
person is gay, lesbian, or bisexual if the person shares with us his or her
experiences and feelings of attraction towards them. “That is why it is
important for everyone to feel safe as they share their sexuality since it is a
personal and sensitive topic. We can do that in an environment wherein we
do not feel judged and discriminated upon. People who experience
prejudice and discrimination suffer negative psychological effects (APA), so
we must work towards an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe.

SUMMARY
The complexities of human sexuality can be quite overwhelming. We need
to look at our own experience on our journey of discovering our sense of
being a man and a woman for us to understand others. We also need to
engage in conversations with others for us to appreciate the many different
faces of human sexuality. A baby is born and is given an assigned sex
based on its genitals. In toddler years, they are raised to be a ‘man’ or a
‘woman’ based on accepted social and cultural standards. We know that
these standards change through time, what is not acceptable now may be
acceptable in the future.