🫦Intro to Human Sexuality Unit 3 – Gender Identity, Roles, and Sexuality

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people
• Sex is a label (male or female) that you're assigned by a doctor at birth based on the genitals you're born with and the chromosomes you have
• Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being male, female, neither of these, both, or another gender
• Gender expression involves the physical expression of one's gender through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc.
• Sexual orientation describes patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction—and one's sense of identity based on those attractions
• Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth
• Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth
• Non-binary is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine

Historical Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality

• Many ancient cultures recognized and accepted non-binary or third gender identities (hijras in India, two-spirit people in Native American cultures)
• Victorian era in the West promoted strict gender roles and viewed sexuality as taboo
• Sexologists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries began studying human sexuality scientifically
  • Havelock Ellis challenged conventional beliefs about sexuality
  • Magnus Hirschfeld advocated for gay rights
• Feminist movements in the 20th century challenged traditional gender roles and fought for women's rights
• Gay liberation movement in the 1960s and 70s fought against discrimination and for LGBTQ+ rights
  • Stonewall riots in 1969 were a turning point
• Queer theory emerged in the 1990s, challenging binary notions of gender and sexuality

Biological Factors in Gender and Sexual Development

• Chromosomes (XX for females, XY for males) determine genetic sex
  • Some people are born with variations (XXY, XYY, X)
• Hormones play a key role in sexual development and differentiation
  • Testosterone is responsible for male characteristics
  • Estrogen is responsible for female characteristics
• Brain structure and function may differ between males and females
  • Hypothalamus regulates sexual behavior
• Intersex conditions can result in a mismatch between genetic sex, hormones, and anatomy
  • Can lead to ambiguous genitalia or other variations
• Genes likely play a role in sexual orientation, but it's complex and not fully understood
• Prenatal hormones may influence gender identity and sexual orientation

Social and Cultural Influences on Gender Roles

• Gender roles are the behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society considers appropriate for men and women
• Gender stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about gender differences and roles
  • Can lead to sexism and discrimination
• Family, peers, media, and institutions socialize children into gender roles from an early age
  • Toys, clothes, and activities are often gendered
• Different cultures have different expectations and norms around gender
  • Some have more rigid roles, others more fluid
• Patriarchal societies privilege men and masculine traits over women and feminine traits
• Religions often prescribe gender roles and norms around sexuality
  • Can be a source of oppression or empowerment for women and LGBTQ+ people

Gender Identity Formation and Expression

• Gender identity typically forms by age 3
  • Most children express their gender identity by this age
• Gender constancy, the understanding that gender is permanent, develops by age 6-7
• Transgender and non-binary people may feel gender dysphoria, distress caused by a discrepancy between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth
  • Transitioning can involve social, legal, and/or medical steps to affirm their gender
• Gender expression can be feminine, masculine, androgynous, or other variations
  • Can change over time or in different contexts
• Gender non-conformity is not following gender-based expectations
• Genderqueer, gender fluid, and other non-binary identities challenge the male/female binary
• Self-identification and self-determination are important principles

Sexuality Across the Spectrum

• Alfred Kinsey developed a scale of sexual orientation from exclusively heterosexual (0) to exclusively homosexual (6)
  • Recognized sexuality as a continuum rather than binary
• Sexual orientation can be towards the same gender (gay/lesbian), another gender (straight), multiple genders (bisexual/pansexual), or none (asexual)
• Sexual identity is how one identifies based on their sexual orientation
  • Labels can include gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, etc.
• Sexual fluidity refers to change in sexual orientation over time
  • More common in women than men
• Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction
  • Asexual people may still have romantic attractions or relationships
• BDSM includes bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism
  • Practiced consensually for pleasure
• Polyamory is having multiple romantic/sexual partners with the full knowledge and consent of all involved

Intersectionality and Diversity in Gender and Sexuality

• Intersectionality examines how multiple identities (race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.) intersect and impact lived experiences
  • Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe the experiences of Black women
• LGBTQ+ people of color often face multiple forms of marginalization and discrimination
  • Can lead to higher rates of poverty, homelessness, health disparities
• Transgender women of color, especially Black trans women, face extremely high rates of violence and murder
• Disabled LGBTQ+ people face ableism and accessibility barriers in addition to homophobia and transphobia
• Bisexual and pansexual people experience biphobia and erasure from both straight and gay/lesbian communities
• Asexual and aromantic people are often left out of LGBTQ+ spaces and face pressure to conform to allonormative expectations
• Intersectional approaches are necessary for understanding and addressing the diverse needs and experiences within LGBTQ+ communities

Contemporary Issues and Debates

• Same-sex marriage is now legal in 29 countries, but still banned in much of the world
  • Obergefell v. Hodges legalized it nationwide in the US in 2015
• Transgender rights, including access to healthcare, legal recognition, and protection from discrimination, vary widely by country and jurisdiction
  • "Bathroom bills" and sports bans have been a recent focus of anti-trans legislation
• Conversion therapy, attempts to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity, is widely condemned as harmful and unethical
  • Banned in some countries and states, but still legal in many places
• LGBTQ+ youth face higher rates of bullying, homelessness, and suicide
  • Family rejection is a major contributing factor
• Blood donation restrictions on men who have sex with men are still common, though some countries have moved to individual risk assessment
• Debates within LGBTQ+ communities include:
  • Inclusion of asexual, non-binary, and other identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella
  • Role of kink and BDSM at Pride events
  • Corporatization and pinkwashing of Pride
  • Reclaiming of slurs like "queer"
  • Balancing gender self-determination with safeguarding measures for transgender youth