Introduction:

What does it mean to be a male or a female, to be feminine or masculine, or to be men or a

First thing you need to understand is the complexities of defining and differentiating sex, gender,
and sexuality.Having a clear grasp of these concepts is crucial since we will be using these terms over and
over again in succeeding discussions.Likewise, there are nuances in the meanings of these terms, which
have an implication on at which context we can appropriately use them.

Moreover, as we start our discussion of gender and sexuality as social realities, we also want to
understand how a person’s gender is expressed from birth to adulthood. Our ultimate goal is to foster
understanding of the diversity of how humans experience and express their sexuality.

SEX

Sex is the biological dimension of your gender and sexuality. Also referred to as
biological sex or physical sex , the term generally pertains to your identity depending on your
sexual anatomy and physiology— the parts of your body that are relevant to reproduction and the
function of these parts. Sex is typically determined by examining your genitals-these are external
organs that are associated with reproduction--the process or the ability to create offspring.
 Among humans, sex is often assigned at birth. If at birth, a child is observed to have a
penis and testicles, the child is categorized as male. If on the other hand, a child is observed to
have a vagina, then a child is categorized as female. However, there are case when the baby’s
genitals appears to be conglomerate of male and female organs such that it may be difficult to
classify the baby’s sex without further examination. In the past, this condition is referred to
hermaphroditism (from Hermes, a male Greek god, and Aphrodite, a female Greek goddess). In
modern times, intersexuality is used to refer to this phenomenon. Hermaphroditism or
intersexuality is a naturally occurring variation in humans and animals (1 in 1,500 births)
according to the American Psychological Association ( APA) (2006).

Since it may be difficult to distinguish biological sex by merely examining the genitals,
there are other biological markers used. For instance, Chromosomes- is a protein structures
which contain genetic materials-are also called Sex chromosomes- which marks a person/s
biological sex. An individual with a set of XY sex chromosomes is said to be male, while individual
with a set of XX sex chromosomes is said to be a female. The level of some hormones-chemicals
in our body that are responsible for sustaining bodily processes-also used as markers. For
example, human males tend to have higher levels of testosterone, which is associated to sex
drive and aggressions. On the other hand, human females tend to have higher levels of estrogen
and progesterone, which are associated to lactation, menstruation and other female reproductive
functions.

GENDER

The social interpretation of sex; masculinity, femininity, etc.

However, humans are meaning-making organism.Our ability for higher order thinking and
our tendency to create social norms, allow us to attach social and cultural meanings to things,
including our sex. For Examples, Males are typically expected to masculine and females are
expected to be feminine.Our parents are aware of their child’s sex (male or female)during birth or
through prenatal proceduressuch as ultrasounds, they automatically attach social and cultural
meanings to their child’s sex and in doing so, they already set an expectation in terms of how their
child should behave and how they should treat their child. This social dimension of one’s sexuality
is referred to as gender.

There are many ways through which gender is manifested. As soon as the baby arrives in
the family, adults surrounding the baby manifests their social interpretation of the baby’s sex by the
colors assigned to the baby. For example, it is common for families to buy blue apparels and toys
when the baby is a male, as the color blue is associated with boyhood. Conversely, female babies
are often assigned the color pink, such that families would buy clothes and toys that are color pink
because the color is associated with girlhood. Remarkably, the moment a baby is born, the name,
toys, and apparels are picked by parents and relatives on their interpretation of the baby sex.
 Throughout childhood and adolescence, this assignments becomes more complex as the
expectations go beyond the kinds of clothes worn, but also in terms of how the person must or
must not behave.There are set of behaviors that all female individuals must follow and also with the
male individuals, and all are expected to stick to these behaviors that are aligned with their
biological sex. This phenomenon of determining the normality of sex is referred to as
Heteronormativity.In the Filipino culture, girls are expected to have certain characteristic of being
gentle, caring and loving while boys are encouraged to be strong, rough, and assertive. These
expectation also extend to how men and women are expected to behave, the college courses they
take, and the jobs they apply to.

However, there are people who do not follow culturally-accepted standards of masculinity
and femininity like girls not wanting to wear dresses and boys not wanting to play rough sports.
This is a natural variation of the human gender expression.Social and cultural practices change
through time.Just 60 years ago, women could not wear pants without social disapproval, and now
wearing pants is already an accepted fashion tend among people of different genders.

How we express our gender is largely based on our social and cultural setting.Most are
comfortable with their sex and gender; men who are masculine and women who are feminine.Each
culture also has different standards on how to be a man and woman and how they should present
themselves according to their sex and gender.

GENDER IDENTITY

One important aspect of our gender is our sense of who we are: Do we see and
experience ourselves as a man, a woman, or neither.

However, there are cases wherein a person’s biological sex does not align with one’s
gender identity. People with this experience are referred to as transgenders.

Transgender woman- male who is not comfortable identifying as a man.

Transgender man- female who is not comfortable identifying as woman.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Another aspect of gender pertains to our emotional and sexual attraction to a person.
 According to Psychological Association of the Philippines, typically at ages 6 or 8, we experience
or develop attraction to other people.By adolescence, we already know who we are attracted to
and would experiment through dating and relationship.

 Gay or Lesbian (homosexual)

People who are attracted to people of the same sex

 Bisexuality 

Is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females, or to more than
one sex or gender. It may also be defined as romantic or sexual attraction to people of any sex or gender
identity, which is also known as pansexuality.

 Pansexual

The prefix “pan-” means “all.” Similarly, pansexuality means that you're attracted to people of all genders.
This includes people who don't identify with any gender (agender). Many pansexual people describe
themselves as being attracted to people based on personality, not gender.

 queer

Is an umbrella term that can be used by anyone under the LGBTQ spectrum. Queer conveys
both an orientation and a sense of community.

 Asexuality 

Is defined as a lack of sexual attraction; an asexual is someone who is not sexually attracted to
anyone. Asexuals can be romantically attracted to other people, for example, a
biromantic asexual is someone who is not sexually attracted to anyone, but is romantically
attracted to males and females.
 The word “straight” is often used to mean “heterosexual.”

It can also mean “heteroromantic.” Heterosexual means you're sexually attracted to the
opposite sex only. Heteroromantic means you're romantically attracted to the opposite sex.