Best of Week: Gender vs. Sex

It was one of the most divisive discussions we have ever had. Earlier this week, we had a discussion about the book Orlando. Mr. Allen prompted us by asking about a certain passage (pp. 102-103) and the lesson that comes from it. Little did he know the welter that would result from this prompt. As soon as we started, someone argued the point that gender and sex had two different meanings. This idea was immediately met with claims that gender and sex are interchangeable words. The discussion rattled on, even continuing on the bus ride from Glenbrook South to Glenbrook North (and possibly between the Titans who remained at South).  This idea made me think about LGBT rights in the USA, and how some opinions have been delaying their evolution.  If sex and gender were generally considered to be two different ideas, then the idea of a more feminine man or a more masculine woman would not seem so odd to the public.

When I think about sex vs. gender, I believe that they are two different entities. Sex simply refers to whether a person is biologically a man or a woman, but gender refers to how a person's mannerisms and personality can be considered within general social guidelines. Basically, I believe that a person can be a man but have a more feminine gender, and that the same goes for women. If somebody has a problem with this, then they need to open their mind and consider what it would be like to be in the shoes of an LGBT person.

I see myself using this idea to advocate LGBT rights because even though big accomplishments have been made, such as six states legalizing gay marriage, there is still a long way to go. In the Constitution, it is stated that "All men are created equal." Over the years, this phrase has evolved to include women and people of color, and not just white men. If this phrase has been able to evolve in the past, why can't it evolve now? The fact that gay marriage is not legal delivers the message that the LGBT community is not equal to the rest of the United States. Sure, some people have more money than others, but that is a result of choice. A person's sexual preference is not their choice. It is how they are created and we must respect this fact, or else we, as a population, will be abandoning our Constitution*.


*I understand that this is a very powerful statement. However, this is simply what I believe, and I do not wish to force this idea on anybody who does not want to believe it.