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What is the difference between sex and gender?

47 Answers
Last Updated: 04/26/2021 at 5:15pm
What is the difference between sex and gender?
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Top Rated Answers
ashtonistranstion1
March 5th, 2018 3:49pm
The distinction between sex and gender differentiates sex (the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics) from gender, which can refer to either social roles based on the sex of the person (gender role) or personal identification of one's own gender based on an internal awareness
Aayla
- Expert in LGBTQ+ Issues
June 19th, 2018 10:22pm
Sex is biologically determined: it is masculine or feminine depending on your chromosomes and the genitals you were born with. Gender, on the other hand, is a social construct: it refers to whatever a society expects a man or woman to be and act like. It includes behaviors and habits a man or a woman is supposed to have according to a certain society. There are more than two genders: one can identify with a purely masculine or feminine gender, but also with neither or both in different percentages.
orientalfairy
July 10th, 2018 3:02pm
Sex is determined by what's between your legs, while gender is determined by what's between your ears.
Opalescentrose
August 13th, 2018 6:31am
Scientifically, you could say sex refers to the gender we are assigned at birth (male/female) due to our reproductive organs, while gender is how you identify personally (man/woman/non-binary/agender/etc)
Alohmi
April 26th, 2021 5:15pm
Sex is biological, determined by genitals, hormones, etc. There are three main sexes: male, female, and intersex (aspects of both binary sexes) Gender is how you see yourself. Transgender, demi-gender, nonbinary, agender, bigender, genderfluid, cisgender, those are all words people use to identify themselves. A lot of those genders have pronouns attached, if someone says they're a trans man, you would probably use he/him, agender: they/them. Genderfluid folx change regularly, demigender people (like myself!) use two sets interchangeably. I am a demigirl, so I use both They/Them and She/Her. I can be introduced as a sister or a sibling, partner or wife, mother or parent. It's all about how you feel.
museofdreams
December 13th, 2016 7:07pm
You'd think they'd be the same right? Sex is the physical aspect; what genitalia do you have. (Male, Female, Intersex) Gender is the mental aspect; what do you identify as? what ARE you? (Male, Female, Intersex, Genderqueer, Poly, etc) The difference is mindset vs body.
courageousUnicorn67
November 15th, 2016 7:57am
Sex is the biological classification which one is given at birth, usually one of two categories, male and female. Gender is an identity or state of being either male, female, or on a spectrum of options in between.
IchooseCats
November 1st, 2016 8:41pm
"Sex" refers to the biological differences between men and women, while "gender" denotes the social and cultural role of each sex or an individual's concept of themselves (if we're talking about gender identity, which is different from gender role).
TheAdmirableCreatureAmanda
October 24th, 2016 6:23pm
Someone once told me that sex is what is between your legs, while gender is what is in your head. Your gender is what you identify as, while sex is what you are born
Anonymous
September 20th, 2016 2:34am
Sex is what biological body parts you were born with. Gender is how you identify. Sex does not equal gender. I could be assigned female at birth and I could be agender.
D0ct0rD
September 12th, 2016 11:38am
Sex is your biological sex, chromosomes etc-. Gender is how you express, feel and identify yourself. Your sex and gender do not have to align.
OliverC
December 29th, 2015 2:24am
Sex is a combination of genotype and phenotype. Genotype = your chromosomal arrangement. In terms of sex, you could have XX, XY, XYY, XXY, etc. Phenotype = the physical manifestation of your genotype. This means your hormonal balance (how much estrogen to testosterone you have in your body), your body shape (what types of organs you have), your secondary sex characteristics, etc. Sex does not determine gender. For example, a woman with hair on her upper lip (typically considered a male phenotype) is still a woman. Gender is an identity and a presentation. There are many different gender identities, broadly classified into Man, Woman, and Non-binary. Gender presentation is how you express/present your gender to the world (For example, a nonbinary person wearing makeup, or a woman wearing a skirt or a suit jacket). Just as there are potentially infinite arrangements of sex (when you take into account hormones, chromosomes, body types, etc.), there are potentially infinite arrangements of gender.
wolfen22
December 24th, 2015 8:37pm
Sex refers to our biological characteristics. It's defined by our external and internal sexual organs, our hormones, and chromosomes. Gender refers to our personal sense of being either a man or a woman. It's about our sociocultural roles.
Nadine
July 21st, 2015 2:47pm
Sex refers basically to your body's anatomy and characteristics, while gender is used to suggest one's own internal identity which could or could not match external appearance.
MonBon
May 6th, 2015 1:21am
Sex generally refers to the biological sex assigned to you at birth - i.e. it's a boy! or it's a girl! intersex individuals also exist, but are less commonly talked about. Gender generally refers to the gender that you identify with or the "sex" that you identify with. Some people feel strongly that they are a girl or a boy, and some people don't strongly identify with either. Some useful terms: cisgender - your assigned sex and gender match (ex: a person born as a boy feels that he is a boy) transgender - your assigned sex and gender do not match (ex: a person born as a girl feel that he is a boy) genderfluid - your gender fluctuates from day to day, week to week, etc. Your gender can alternate between being genderless and being a boy and being a girl. This depends on the person agender - you feel as though you are genderless. This can be hard to explain and understand unless you've had the feeling before These terms of course are not exhaustive. Good luck!
Anonymous
November 19th, 2014 4:49pm
Sex is biology, it is what genitals you were born with. Gender is what you identify as. The similar answer is that you were born with your sex and you chose your gender.
tranquilTree92
November 7th, 2014 2:24pm
I think sex is your biological gender as in male, female where as gender refers to your femininity and masculinity.