ok first up, wowee this has 405 reads O_O chaos is the best thing to write about apparently-
and The_Dance_Dragon asked me to rant about the difference between sex, gender, and sexuality :) here goes!
if I mess something up please don't hate me
The Merriam-Webster dictionary and thesaurus define sex as "the sum of the structural, functional, and sometimes behavioral characteristics of organisms that distinguish males and females." This, of course, is only mostly correct. Most people who use biology as a reason that your gender is invalid do not know about intersex people. Some of this group have an extra chromosome on only some or all of their genes. For example, XY for 50% and XX for the other 50%. Some other cases can be the inability to process testosterone or estrogen. These cases are rare but not unheard of, and you probably know someone who is intersex, since it happens in 1 in every 2000 births. Most parents choose to correct it at birth if it is evident, like having both genitals, but some of these cases are internal and you will only find out about them later in life. But that completely does away with the fact that there are only two sexes.
Gender is a spectrum, there really is no other way to put it. It differs from individual to individual and can differ within a lifetime. Your gender is not your sex, even though that is more widely accepted. Your gender identity and expression can differ, while that does not take away from the fact of what you are, and it's wrong for people to assume. Gender is related to sexuality on the basis of some sexualities referring to being attracted to one or more genders, or not at all. Gender is very fluid and different, and even within the definitions of things like nonbinary and transgender, there are more surprising things than you would think. Nonbinary people using binary pronouns are still nonbinary, and cisgender people use they/them pronouns. There are states of almost identifying as one gender, like demigenders, and having blurred definitions and lines between gender, like genderqueer. While people identifying as much can be seen as "new" or a "phase" this is completely incorrect. Even if you do discover that what you identify as is not you, it's just another step in life and NOT a mistake. The argument that it is "new" is simply laughable. In the book What's Your Pronoun? Beyond She and He by Dennis Barton (which is super duper good by the way :)), he discusses the search for a gender-neutral pronoun and the other ones people through the ages have come up with, the earliest dating back to the 1800s. So it's safe to say that "neo" pronouns like xe, ze, hir, and te are not new, just resurfaced.
Sexuality is also a spectrum and is very political. People have certain views, ideals, and traditions that translate into homophobia, though calling it fear is simply wrong and does not in any way validate the hate queer people face on a daily basis. Sexuality is intertwined with gender in the way that certain sexualities feel attracted to certain genders. It's intertwined with sex, too, but in a way that might make some people uncomfortable, so I'll just post this:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
:D so yeah-
Sexuality isn't a choice, and I cannot say it enough. No one chooses to face a life of hate for simply loving who they love. It's. Not. A. Choice. It's a choice to come out, and it label yourself, but not to love. Sexuality has a few parts: romantic, sexual, and sometimes platonic. Romantic attraction and orientations deal with who you like on a romantic level. I identify as biromantic, which is romantic attraction to two or more genders. Sexual is uh the screenshot above, meaning who you want to wahoo. I identify as demisexual, which is sexual attraction only after a strong bong/friendship has been formed. Some people see that as a micro-label and hurtful to the community, which is absolute bullshit. The whole point of the LGBTQ+ community is a safe place for people who aren't comfortable with our heteronormative society and calling certain orientations and genders wrong or micro-labels goes against the community's message and mission.
anyway yeah, I might discuss the flags next but hope you enjoyed :)
