Cross Dressing - Sex vs. Gender

Cross Dressing - Sex vs. Gender

Sex - Male, Female
The term "sex" refers to biology and should be used when biological
distinctions are emphasized,

Sex refers to the biological categories of female and male that are differentiated by genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Characteristics or traits determined by sex should be relatively constant across cultures. However, the assumption that there are only two sex categories that all people neatly fit into is problematic.

Many folks think humans come in two sexual flavors -- male and female -- and that's about the end of the story. The truth, as with almost everything about humans, is a lot more complex. Human sexual traits aren't one-or-the-other, though. They're more like a spectrum. A whole host of different medical variations are the cause. Some people's bodies don't use testosterone or estrogen the same way as other people, leading to this diversity of sexual traits. Either way, many people all around you are not just "either-or." They might be complicated, but all humans are.

Gender - Masculine, Feminine
The term "gender" refers to culture and should be used when referring to men and women as social groups.

Gender refers to the social categories of what is perceived as male or female characteristics which are then accespted as either masculine of feminine. They are differentiated by psychological characteristics or role expectations.

In most cases, gender identity matches with biological sex and societally noted gender - but not always. In some cases an individual may feel compelled to align themselves (wear, act, etc.) in a way that is NOT consistent with their biological sex. Hence, they cross over to the other gender (transgender). This includes the expected behaviors, traits or actions that society associates with being male or female.

The human body is very "fluid" when it comes to differentiating between the two. Generally, females have skin with smaller pores, more pointed chins, a more well defined waist, softer features and a higher pitched voice. Whereas males have strong facial features such as strong jaws and square chins, more pronounced brows, adams apple, a deeper voice and sometimes male pattern baldness.

transgender example

However, these "general" characteristics are just that. There are many people that possess characteristics that are on a fluid spectrum somewhere in between these polar opposites. Many people that have strong characteristics of what does not necessarily "normally" dicate that they are "masculine" or "feminine". There will always be lots of people who don't fit neatly into either the "male" or "female" category. The more information we have, the better we will be able to deal with this variation all around us. We must ambrace the fact that we are all human and each one possesses their unique blend of both "masculine" and "feminine".

Disclaimer: These definitions and explanations are high-level and do not go into the detail of variations of sex and the fluid spectrum of gender. For a more indepth physiological and sociological understanding of these on a more granular level please refer to other more detailed resources.

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