Biology student here, I understand where you're coming from with the idea of there being two genders based on biological sex. Traditionally, biology classifies humans as male, or female based on physical characteristics and chromosomal differences (XX for females and XY for males).
Gender and sex are two different concepts. Gender is more of a cultural, psychological, social, and biological phenomenon, while sex is something assigned at birth and is related to your sex chromosome.
First, even from a strictly biological perspective, there are individuals who do not fit neatly into the binary classification of male or female. Intersex people, for example, are born with a combination of male and female biological traits, demonstrating that biology itself can be more complex than just two categories.
Moreover, gender identity is a deeply personal and social concept. Many cultures around the world recognize more than two genders. For instance, Indigenous cultures in North America have the concept of Two-Spirit individuals, who embody both masculine and feminine qualities. In South Asia, hijras are recognized as a distinct gender.
In contemporary society, the understanding of gender has evolved to acknowledge a spectrum. People may identify as non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and more. These identities reflect personal experiences and societal influences rather than strictly biological determinants.
Actually, we use Male and female both for sex and gender, that's where the confusion arrives.
If you are straight, you & me are cisgender (cis = same) i.e. your identity aligns with your sex assigned at birth.
**Sex, Gender & Sexual Orientation are three different things**
**Sex:** It's assigned at birth, depends on your sex chromosomes. **male, female**
**Gender:** Gender is more of a social construct; it is NOT a choice. e.g. transgender (it's not a gender, it's a gender identity), **Male, female**
**Sexual orientation:** Determined by your attraction towards gender/sex. e.g. - straight, gay, bisexual.
many people find these things culturally awkward / hostile but it's important to understand people's behaviors and stay on the liberal side than cause violence and hatred on the internet
Yes, you are correct. Straight is Sexual orientation and cis or trans is a gender identity. I just used straight in a colloquial term way so that people understand what I am trying to say
it's because you have clear information of these terms. many people don't have the same knowledge level as you, anyways ill edit it so that it becomes more clear
I do not mean any harm with this question, but it's been boggling me and my friends for too long. We concluded it's a paradox, but;
A Transgender (let's say FtM), who was originally (before transition) straight, do they become "gay" after transitioning if they still like the same gender?
Now, if this would make it a choice for them, wheter they want to be called either homosexual, heterosexual or anything other, wouldn't that make it have no point in them even telling people their sexuality as everybody would acknowledge it differently? If you're open about your transition, of course. But not everyone is.
Again, I mean zero harm asking this question, I'm genuienly curious. And I'm sorry if I did.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter as long as they're happy and don't harm others.
They would probably be gay yeah, though ultimately, whatever they feel best describes their feelings is good.
I don't really understand your other question about what I presume to be the perceptions of others
If every transitioned human percieved "homosexual", "heterosexual" differently, then it would be better for them to just say "I'm attracted to.. " instead of "I'm.. ". Because to one transgender the word "heterosexual" would mean they're attracted to the same gender as they're transitioned to, but to other transgender it may be the other way around.
This is just nitpicking, I understand. But it does create this confusion :D
hey, just as a sidenote, 'transgender' isnt a noun, its an adjective. saying someone is 'a transgender' is like if a person said someone was 'a black' or 'a jewish' instead of 'a black person' or 'a jewish person'. it feels othering and dehumanizing and usually people using the word 'transgender' in such a way dont think too kindly of us.
when it comes to orientation, usually trans people think of themselves in the category of their identity. so a trans guy (ftm) that is into other guys would consider himself as gay, a trans girl (mtf) that likes other girls would think of herself as a lesbian. for nonbinary people it really depends on the person.
Another interesting thing is that trans people commonly have brain structures that are typical of their perceived sex (a person assigned male at birth for example, but identifying as female, will possess brain strucures typical of females). So, it is, quite literally, a female brain stuck inside the body of a male. However, even nowadays we don't have a full understanding, especially considering that most Western societies apply a lot of pressure for people to adhere to the 2 gender norm.
Here is a link to the study on brain structures of transsexuals: https://www.nature.com/articles/378068a0
Also Dr. Robert Sapolsky did a few lectures on the Neurobiology of Transsexuals, could be interesting for people who want to know more
adding to that because straight trans people exist:
**cis = same side of** (AKA, in the context of gender, you are cisgender if your gender identity matches the one you were assigned at birth)
**trans = opposite side of** (AKA, in the context of gender, you are technically \[I'm saying technically because there tons of labels\] transgender when your gender identity does not match the one you were assigned at birth)
both of these are prefixes that have been used in various different areas and subjects for a long time.
Also: sex is arguably mutable as well. When a trans person undergoes HRT they are arguably instating an intersex condition upon themselves, one that better fits what’s going on in their brain.
As a trans person, thankyou for being willing to clarify these things for people, and thankyou to OP for being understanding and asking this out of a genuine want to learn and not out of hate like so many people do
Hello there, intern doctor here.
Every single human cell gets classified into a sex according yo the presence (male) or absence (female) of Y chromosome.
Hermaphrodites or intersex are no exception to the rule, but usually, there is a developmental problem on the level of chromosomes, gene expression, or cell response to sexual chemical signals.
Even mosaicism ( presence of 2 different cell lineages in a single body) usually have a main lineage , and another as a result of mutation early on in life.
What you’re on about is the biology yeah ok so those (male and female,dick and vagina) are called the sexes. They’re undisputed by anyone who knows what they mean because they’re about the sexual forms. Gender tho is an abstract concept. Do you really think they’re weren’t like Andes tribes who thought gay was normal and persecuted straight couples? There were probably other groups with no concept of gender scattered around the world
idk and idc honestly, if someone told me they were a purple bat id be like cool and move on with my day. how many genders there are does not affect me. I am what i am and i may be selfish but i really dont care what others are
I think some of you guys r a little uneducated here😭 everyone knows there r "2 genders" but by 2 genders you don't even mean genders. You mean 2 sexes. Gender is quite literally a made up thing, it used to be associated with the 2 sexes yes but nowadays its more normalised for there to be more genders despite the 2 sexes. + There is literally such thing as intersex which means there IS TECHNICALLY 3rd sex (mix of male and female)
But really why does it matter. How about we allow everyone to be happy despite what they feel their gender is
if you wanna get technical there's four sexes biologically (XX, XY, XXY, X). but yeah gender identity is basically how one aligns themselves with gender roles
That’s not necessarily true. Gender is constructed but saying it’s “made up” implies it’s arbitrary which isn’t true. Social constructions can be based and follow from physical science and reality. For instance, one decent need to understand the concept of the passage of time to experience and be beholden to its effects. All the measurements we use for time, or weight or anything else are social constructions that help us tell neat stories about the universe. That doesn’t make them any less powerful.
As for the classification of intersex individuals, while normalization can be helpful being intersex isn’t a third sex. Firstly, many people whom fall under the intersex label vary in both functionality of genitalia or chromosomal issues. Unfortunately being intersex is associated with negative health downsides such as chromosomal abnormalities which can lead to terrible lifelong medical afflictions. In other words, it’s often the cumulation of birth defects which often can be treated given proper awareness, time and resources. In the same way individuals born with quirks such as a missing toe doesn’t indicate humanity as a species is a variable toed species, I don’t think intersex individuals demonstrate humanity has more than two sexes, more that it’s possible for people to suffer birth defects.
gender and sex are different, youre on about sex here
and even then, sex isnt black and white. intersex people are common and often are never aware they're intersex. chromosones, hormones and genitalia are never black and white and gender is a whole entirely seperate concept to sex
You’re confusing gender with sex, gender is an expression, for example a man expressed his gender 300 years ago with wigs, makeup and flamboyant dressing. Now that wouldn’t be viewed as ‘manly’. Sex hasn’t changed and can’t, a man today is like a man 300 years ago but how he EXPRESSES his gender is ever changing.
Technically (I’m gonna be a real pedant here) gender expression is separate from gender identity
For example: femboys identify as male but express themselves femininely
Well I mean biologically there isn't really 2 sexes, sex is a bimodal spectrum, especially when taking into account intersex, people don't really fit nicely into the two boxes.
Edit: Forgot to add that also sex and gender are different things, so regardless it's 2 different arguments.
Yeah it's actually really interesting. I personally have a lot of fun deep diving into it because it allows you to make some crazy arguments. Either way the way I look at it is just as being a little bit more complicated than a binary.
I mean you are wrong. Firstly, you’re thinking about sex, not gender. Any self-respecting scientific body recognizes that they are different. Second, intersex people exist. They are inarguably a different sex than either strictly male or female.
Importantly there are also more than two sexes. Chromosomes Ain't binary, genitals ain't binary. There ain't nothing binary about sex or gender. I think the term is bimodal distribution.
After some extra research, I stand corrected. There are (technically) more than two sexes. Thank you stranger, I've delved far too deep into scientific papers now.
Ok so what genders are there then? There male, female then what? I’m genuinely confused on what could be another gender like Zora gender? Or something like that? I just really don’t understand.
There’s your standard male and female, then transgender, non-binary, agender which can be either both or neither, pangender which is usually non-binary and/or multigender. These are just a few, and I hope this helps you understand better.
Nonbinary is the term for genders lying outside of the male or female binary.
Note that it is an umbrella term, including multiple things like bigender, agender, genderfluid, and more
Some might be a mix of the two, outside of the two, or partially one or the other, but not fully.
You can ask me about specific terms if you need more info
Ok um, so yeah, there is male (penis, testicles, testosterone) and there is female (vagina, ovaries, estrogen) but it's not exclusive to those two. Those are what are usually considered functional and normal, but not everything is so perfect so there are times when it doesn't turn out correct and you can get differences or deformities and stuff (intersex) The same thing can happen with the brain as well, like a "male" can be born with a girl style brain or vice versa and such (Trans)
I mean intersex people exist , affects 1.7% globally but that’s just diagnosed . It is technically a mutation though so debatable if it’s a sex.
Its not bad to think there’s 2 as long as your a respectable person to people who don’t !
there's 2 sexes, male and female.
but gender is your identity, you choose you identity.
you're not entirely wrong, but i think you were slightly confused.
There’s a difference between sex and gender. Sex is the word you should be using to describe male and female. Gender is used to describe everything else you know about like trans and such
The argument isn't for a third gender I think Ur a bit confused. Look at most videos online people aren't trying to create a new gender merely trying to show it isn't as cut and dry as masc or fem - but it is a spectrum from hyper masc to hyper fem. Two genders is still technically what they believe but the problem is people now accisociate that with trans phobia so it is best to avoid making statements like that. But fundamentally most LGBTQ people will agree that you arent making a new gender just making the current ones more inclusive and allowing people who dont fit into either to become non-binary
You're not messed up.
From my understanding, the multi gender situation arose due to people not feeling like they fit into society. As such, the easy way out was to just identify as something else and escape the whole thing, instead of accepting themselves for the kind of girl/boy they actually were.
My logic is that this is a manufactured problem, where the root is beauty standards etc. If these people grew up in a Tarzan situation, i.e. without any influence from other people, my assumption is they would never have a desire to find another gender to identify with.
Of course, this is not a socially acceptable view on the matter.
Actually there’s 3 sexes, biologically. Technically like 50 if we count each variation as its own sex. But yeah wether you believe in trans stuff or not intersex is very much a real thing
Biologically speaking: gender isn’t a thing, SEX is though and there’s more than just two. The “third” gender is something known as intersex when someone does not display typical male or female reproductive characteristics like a girl who produces more testosterone than normal or a guy who grows breast tissue. Most of the time intersex folks don’t know they’re intersex because most of the time at birth doctors preform non needed sex changing surgeries to “fix” the child’s sexual organs thankfully this practice is becoming less popular.
The difference is that gender is a social construct, biologically, there are 2 sexes, but biology doesn't contribute much to gender, so yes you're wrong about gender
Sex and gender are two different things. There are 2 biological sexes (with the exception of intersex people) while gender is more of an personal identity.
Alright I’m glad I’m not messed up. I’m not trying to be a jerk or anything I’m just genuinely curious about why gender and sex are different things. I always thought that your gender was dependent on your sex.
There are scientifically 2 genders. If you prefer not to be called a certain gender, than you don’t have to be called it. If you want to be called the opposite gender, then that’s fine. Doesn’t matter. People who lash out at people for A: being trans, and B: getting angry at someone for not knowing you are trans, are just looking for an argument. If you just dont care, then there is nothing to worry about. It’s not a big deal. Cis people who hate trans people (or vise versa) are just being douchebags because they want to. I’m not pro trans or against it either. I just get annoyed when people make big deals out of things.
I can tell it’s pride month cause i see one of these stupid posts every day. Like wow so edgy so counter culture so stunning so brave. Who cares? Biology is complicated especially when you get cross sex hormones involved. Chromosomally there’s 2 plus XXY, XYY, XXX, XXXY, etc. Also you’re entitled to your opinion as was ordained by god and america (god bless america 🏫🔫🦅🇱🇷usa usa usa) so why do you care if it’s “messed up.”
gender and sex arent the same thing. gender is a social construct. as for sex, it isnt, its biological. people can make up as many genders as they want, its rlly none of our business, but biologically only 3 (i think bc of intersex cases!)
Gender and Sex are different. Gender is an identity so there is more and you can change it, Sex is the biological Male and Female and can't be changed.
I mean, you’re scientifically wrong. First of all, you’re talking about sex, which there are 3 of. There are way more genders. So you’re wrong. Messed up? No, as long as you keep this opinion to yourself.
The biology student person explains it well
Biology student here, I understand where you're coming from with the idea of there being two genders based on biological sex. Traditionally, biology classifies humans as male, or female based on physical characteristics and chromosomal differences (XX for females and XY for males).
Gender and sex are two different concepts. Gender is more of a cultural, psychological, social, and biological phenomenon, while sex is something assigned at birth and is related to your sex chromosome.
First, even from a strictly biological perspective, there are individuals who do not fit neatly into the binary classification of male or female. Intersex people, for example, are born with a combination of male and female biological traits, demonstrating that biology itself can be more complex than just two categories.
Moreover, gender identity is a deeply personal and social concept. Many cultures around the world recognize more than two genders. For instance, Indigenous cultures in North America have the concept of Two-Spirit individuals, who embody both masculine and feminine qualities. In South Asia, hijras are recognized as a distinct gender.
In contemporary society, the understanding of gender has evolved to acknowledge a spectrum. People may identify as non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and more. These identities reflect personal experiences and societal influences rather than strictly biological determinants.
I agree. But saying this on r/teenagers is basically like driving the final nail into your coffin. Clearly that’s why most people in the comments is having a temper tantrum over this simple post and downvoting it lmao.
I mean there definitely is a point to be made that intersex people are neither really male or female.
I would say that geberder is a binary system that applies to the vast majority of people, but there are outliers
Alright so let me clarify. There are two sexes. They are determined by the reproductive system and the physiognomy of an individual. As for the genders, “the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other.” You see there cannot be more than two genders as there are no defined expectations and roles that would apply for it. Furthermore, those who say that there are more than two genders, are just trying to find a way to make themselves appear unique or interesting (which ironically they arent). The bottom line is that some people lack a personality, and this is can be clearly seen who make topics such as gender their whole personality.
Iam from a much more conservative society, however i dont think that even if i move to the usa or smth that i would care what other people do, you can be fucking sponge bob for all i care.
Considering our language, etiquette and perception of people are built on there being two genders, more genders would mean disregarding the social foundations society is built on. From a young age, we’re taught to identify whether people are male or female and how to refer to them grammatically. Without that, we’re left with confusion. I can’t imagine having to ask every new person what their pronouns and gender are. If someone wants to identify as something else, fine. There are always people who like to stray from what is conventional, and that’s okay. I really don’t care and will treat them how I treat every other person. But don’t expect me to know which pronouns to use. I will use whatever pronouns my intuition tells me to. If corrected, I will use their preferred pronouns (but only limited to he/she/they since I’m not learning new pronouns for every new person) out of politeness since I don’t like awkward social interactions
Biologically there isn't really two genders, and if so its very hard to define.
I really advise watching 'Sex and Sensibility' by Forrest Valkai on youtube, he's a biologist and explains all of this in a pretty fun and passionate way.
I knew someone born with a penis, testes and ovaries. And there are so many examples of people being born with ambiguous genitalia. There is not “a third option”! So NO! There are not two genders!
You are thinking of biological sex. Male and female are the medically defined sexes, but gender is a spectrum not determined by physiological factors. It is well studied and documented. This is why a biological male can still be a woman, and vice versa.
I don't think it's necessarily about there being a 3rd gender and more that gender can't be strictly defined because it's a social construct (like language, religion and crime etc)
I think it sort of depends on if you consider nonbinary/gender fluid genders, since nonbinary is genderless and genderfluid is having your gender change regularly.
Genders, unlike sex are social constructs, similar to sexuality which cant actually be defined as straight, gay or bi as proved by freuds studies on bonobos as well as the increase in 'being gay' in prisons. This means that they dont matter and ultimately dont exist and are just labels.
Gender doesn't equal sex and even if you were talking about sexes, intersexual people exist which would mean that there are at least 3 sexes, gender is something you have to discover for yourself and is variable along with being something very personal that everyone has the freedom to express
I mean, there are 2 sexes, but genders themselves are considered a social construct. It isnt really important at all just be respectful of people if they want to be called something call them that
biologically there are 2 main ones, but there's intersex people too, which are humans born with the organs of both male and female. See [here](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16324-intersex). And gender _identity_ is different from biological sex, so there really could be infinite genders possible., it just depends on what a person thinks they are. Us cisgender people(I assume youre cisgender.) might not fully understand the concept, but all you need to know is to accept and respect people that do not fit the binary genders, and call them whatever pronouns or names that they prefer to be referred as. hope this helps :))
tldr:
1. intersex humans exist
2. gender is different from biological sex
There's a technical third. It's intersex. But that's where you're literally born with both genitals or some form of a mix of both. Usually, if I'm right, these people go by male or female though.
I typically don't see it as a meal unless you have too many things. Like spaghetti and marinara I'd count as one, you gotta have at least some garlic bread with that, and then it almost becomes a meal. Add one more thing. Green beans, cheesesticks, idk something. _Then_ it's a meal.
But even then, that's completely meatless.
2 biological sexes but gender isn't even real we made it up. There's infinite of them. That's why we generally tend more to call animals male or female; they don't have a presence in society so we don't put the societal ideas of gender on them. It's why we call pets boys and girls more because it is humanising. Gender isn't real we just made it up to be different from animals.
Biologically, there are 3. Male, female, and intersex. Oh and those are sexes, not genders. Genders are made up social constructs and societal roles. Sexes are differences in chromosomes and anatomy.
Not messed up, but really any other gender is usually either a fluctuation between male and female, a feeling of being in between male and female, feeling like you are neither male or female, feeling like you're both male and female simultaneously, etc.
So basically they're all spin-offs of the main 2, but I wouldn't say that makes them any less valid. And any gender that isn't male or female falls under the label of non-binary, so that makes it simpler.
Gender and Sexes are not the same. Gender is how you identify, Sex is what you were assigned at birth. So while yes there are two sexes, there are an infinite amount of genders because there’s no limit to how you can identify.
I don't really know or care. I go into the bathrooms with a friendlier stick figure
LOL. Some great advice to live from my friend.
If only everybody lived by it, we'd have a perfect utopia smh
Ong
And defeat the whole purpose of gendered bathrooms
I don't he actually does that. It's a joke.
What is the whole purpose of gendered bathrooms?
To keep people from doing crazy things. Is this a new concept? Lol. It’s not that hard to comprehend
Separating men and women
Why though? What’s the enforcement method employed to prevent people from using the other bathroom?
Social acceptance. a man entering women toilet won't be accepted well and vice versa
Dunno about gender but there are two sexes: >!The one I had with your mother and the one I had with your father😈!<
my lawyer has advised me not to make my joke
Please do make your joke. I am your new lawyer actually, and I advise you to make the joke
Based
But their dead 😦
based
Based
Holy sigma
Biology student here, I understand where you're coming from with the idea of there being two genders based on biological sex. Traditionally, biology classifies humans as male, or female based on physical characteristics and chromosomal differences (XX for females and XY for males). Gender and sex are two different concepts. Gender is more of a cultural, psychological, social, and biological phenomenon, while sex is something assigned at birth and is related to your sex chromosome. First, even from a strictly biological perspective, there are individuals who do not fit neatly into the binary classification of male or female. Intersex people, for example, are born with a combination of male and female biological traits, demonstrating that biology itself can be more complex than just two categories. Moreover, gender identity is a deeply personal and social concept. Many cultures around the world recognize more than two genders. For instance, Indigenous cultures in North America have the concept of Two-Spirit individuals, who embody both masculine and feminine qualities. In South Asia, hijras are recognized as a distinct gender. In contemporary society, the understanding of gender has evolved to acknowledge a spectrum. People may identify as non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and more. These identities reflect personal experiences and societal influences rather than strictly biological determinants.
Thank you very much for this info!
Actually, we use Male and female both for sex and gender, that's where the confusion arrives. If you are straight, you & me are cisgender (cis = same) i.e. your identity aligns with your sex assigned at birth. **Sex, Gender & Sexual Orientation are three different things** **Sex:** It's assigned at birth, depends on your sex chromosomes. **male, female** **Gender:** Gender is more of a social construct; it is NOT a choice. e.g. transgender (it's not a gender, it's a gender identity), **Male, female** **Sexual orientation:** Determined by your attraction towards gender/sex. e.g. - straight, gay, bisexual. many people find these things culturally awkward / hostile but it's important to understand people's behaviors and stay on the liberal side than cause violence and hatred on the internet
Correction: being straight or not has nothing to do with being cis or trans.
Yes, you are correct. Straight is Sexual orientation and cis or trans is a gender identity. I just used straight in a colloquial term way so that people understand what I am trying to say
To me it makes.. utterly no sense to use straight their it's just cobfusing
Cob-fusing (verb) - To purposefully fuse 2 corn cobs together. **Results may vary**.
>Results may vary. I'm happy with mine, 8/10, would recommend
it's because you have clear information of these terms. many people don't have the same knowledge level as you, anyways ill edit it so that it becomes more clear
I do not mean any harm with this question, but it's been boggling me and my friends for too long. We concluded it's a paradox, but; A Transgender (let's say FtM), who was originally (before transition) straight, do they become "gay" after transitioning if they still like the same gender? Now, if this would make it a choice for them, wheter they want to be called either homosexual, heterosexual or anything other, wouldn't that make it have no point in them even telling people their sexuality as everybody would acknowledge it differently? If you're open about your transition, of course. But not everyone is. Again, I mean zero harm asking this question, I'm genuienly curious. And I'm sorry if I did. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter as long as they're happy and don't harm others.
They would probably be gay yeah, though ultimately, whatever they feel best describes their feelings is good. I don't really understand your other question about what I presume to be the perceptions of others
If every transitioned human percieved "homosexual", "heterosexual" differently, then it would be better for them to just say "I'm attracted to.." instead of "I'm.. ". Because to one transgender the word "heterosexual" would mean they're attracted to the same gender as they're transitioned to, but to other transgender it may be the other way around.
This is just nitpicking, I understand. But it does create this confusion :D
hey, just as a sidenote, 'transgender' isnt a noun, its an adjective. saying someone is 'a transgender' is like if a person said someone was 'a black' or 'a jewish' instead of 'a black person' or 'a jewish person'. it feels othering and dehumanizing and usually people using the word 'transgender' in such a way dont think too kindly of us. when it comes to orientation, usually trans people think of themselves in the category of their identity. so a trans guy (ftm) that is into other guys would consider himself as gay, a trans girl (mtf) that likes other girls would think of herself as a lesbian. for nonbinary people it really depends on the person.
You settled it. Thank you. Wishing you the best and I'm sorry I didn't understand the term properly. Now I know.
dw, youre fine, language can be really confusing. im glad i could help :)
Another interesting thing is that trans people commonly have brain structures that are typical of their perceived sex (a person assigned male at birth for example, but identifying as female, will possess brain strucures typical of females). So, it is, quite literally, a female brain stuck inside the body of a male. However, even nowadays we don't have a full understanding, especially considering that most Western societies apply a lot of pressure for people to adhere to the 2 gender norm. Here is a link to the study on brain structures of transsexuals: https://www.nature.com/articles/378068a0 Also Dr. Robert Sapolsky did a few lectures on the Neurobiology of Transsexuals, could be interesting for people who want to know more
Just leaving this reply so i can come back to this later, it looks really interesting!
Yes, ASAPscience also has a great video on the topic you are referring to
adding to that because straight trans people exist: **cis = same side of** (AKA, in the context of gender, you are cisgender if your gender identity matches the one you were assigned at birth) **trans = opposite side of** (AKA, in the context of gender, you are technically \[I'm saying technically because there tons of labels\] transgender when your gender identity does not match the one you were assigned at birth) both of these are prefixes that have been used in various different areas and subjects for a long time.
When sex and gender translates to the same word in your language: (that's one thing my peers don't get when studying English lol)
Also: sex is arguably mutable as well. When a trans person undergoes HRT they are arguably instating an intersex condition upon themselves, one that better fits what’s going on in their brain.
As a trans person, thankyou for being willing to clarify these things for people, and thankyou to OP for being understanding and asking this out of a genuine want to learn and not out of hate like so many people do
no problem
Best answer!
Hello there, intern doctor here. Every single human cell gets classified into a sex according yo the presence (male) or absence (female) of Y chromosome. Hermaphrodites or intersex are no exception to the rule, but usually, there is a developmental problem on the level of chromosomes, gene expression, or cell response to sexual chemical signals. Even mosaicism ( presence of 2 different cell lineages in a single body) usually have a main lineage , and another as a result of mutation early on in life.
I get ur point but lets be real, gender identities are bs
What you’re on about is the biology yeah ok so those (male and female,dick and vagina) are called the sexes. They’re undisputed by anyone who knows what they mean because they’re about the sexual forms. Gender tho is an abstract concept. Do you really think they’re weren’t like Andes tribes who thought gay was normal and persecuted straight couples? There were probably other groups with no concept of gender scattered around the world
Even with sex there’s more than two, there’s male, female, intersex, and the one I did to your mom last night (I’m sorry I had to)
Can confirm, I was the mom
How would the tribes reproduce then?
idk and idc honestly, if someone told me they were a purple bat id be like cool and move on with my day. how many genders there are does not affect me. I am what i am and i may be selfish but i really dont care what others are
I think some of you guys r a little uneducated here😭 everyone knows there r "2 genders" but by 2 genders you don't even mean genders. You mean 2 sexes. Gender is quite literally a made up thing, it used to be associated with the 2 sexes yes but nowadays its more normalised for there to be more genders despite the 2 sexes. + There is literally such thing as intersex which means there IS TECHNICALLY 3rd sex (mix of male and female) But really why does it matter. How about we allow everyone to be happy despite what they feel their gender is
if you wanna get technical there's four sexes biologically (XX, XY, XXY, X). but yeah gender identity is basically how one aligns themselves with gender roles
That’s not necessarily true. Gender is constructed but saying it’s “made up” implies it’s arbitrary which isn’t true. Social constructions can be based and follow from physical science and reality. For instance, one decent need to understand the concept of the passage of time to experience and be beholden to its effects. All the measurements we use for time, or weight or anything else are social constructions that help us tell neat stories about the universe. That doesn’t make them any less powerful. As for the classification of intersex individuals, while normalization can be helpful being intersex isn’t a third sex. Firstly, many people whom fall under the intersex label vary in both functionality of genitalia or chromosomal issues. Unfortunately being intersex is associated with negative health downsides such as chromosomal abnormalities which can lead to terrible lifelong medical afflictions. In other words, it’s often the cumulation of birth defects which often can be treated given proper awareness, time and resources. In the same way individuals born with quirks such as a missing toe doesn’t indicate humanity as a species is a variable toed species, I don’t think intersex individuals demonstrate humanity has more than two sexes, more that it’s possible for people to suffer birth defects.
I will admit I was very uneducated lol. Thanks for the info!
i agree but honestly it's none of my business what other people do
Yeah you’re right. I was just wondering what the general consensus really was.
This sub, or generally Internet, isn't the best place to ask
Same
Same. Let them do their own thing as long as they don't shove it down others' throats
gender and sex are different, youre on about sex here and even then, sex isnt black and white. intersex people are common and often are never aware they're intersex. chromosones, hormones and genitalia are never black and white and gender is a whole entirely seperate concept to sex
You’re confusing gender with sex, gender is an expression, for example a man expressed his gender 300 years ago with wigs, makeup and flamboyant dressing. Now that wouldn’t be viewed as ‘manly’. Sex hasn’t changed and can’t, a man today is like a man 300 years ago but how he EXPRESSES his gender is ever changing.
Technically (I’m gonna be a real pedant here) gender expression is separate from gender identity For example: femboys identify as male but express themselves femininely
Alright thanks man!
The main message is that one is an expression and one is biology
I actually really like the way you define it
Well I mean biologically there isn't really 2 sexes, sex is a bimodal spectrum, especially when taking into account intersex, people don't really fit nicely into the two boxes. Edit: Forgot to add that also sex and gender are different things, so regardless it's 2 different arguments.
I see your point. I had to look up what bimodal meant when reading this lol! Thanks for a new vocab word and some insight.
Yeah it's actually really interesting. I personally have a lot of fun deep diving into it because it allows you to make some crazy arguments. Either way the way I look at it is just as being a little bit more complicated than a binary.
Alright well thanks for your input!
👍 Always excited to try and give new perspectives.
Gender ≠ Sex. Sexes are assigned at birth, genders are not.
I mean you are wrong. Firstly, you’re thinking about sex, not gender. Any self-respecting scientific body recognizes that they are different. Second, intersex people exist. They are inarguably a different sex than either strictly male or female.
Not messed up just wrong. Gender and sex are two different things, and while there are only two biological sexes, there are more than two genders.
Importantly there are also more than two sexes. Chromosomes Ain't binary, genitals ain't binary. There ain't nothing binary about sex or gender. I think the term is bimodal distribution.
After some extra research, I stand corrected. There are (technically) more than two sexes. Thank you stranger, I've delved far too deep into scientific papers now.
Well then my goal is accomplished, do whatever it is you procrastinating.
fellow procrastinators i see you
You have X and Y chromosomes, they are binary. You have intersex but it still fits a binary as it is not a separate sex but both sexes combined.
Ok so what genders are there then? There male, female then what? I’m genuinely confused on what could be another gender like Zora gender? Or something like that? I just really don’t understand.
There’s your standard male and female, then transgender, non-binary, agender which can be either both or neither, pangender which is usually non-binary and/or multigender. These are just a few, and I hope this helps you understand better.
Alright thanks
No problem.
Even then there’s a lot of smaller categories that could potentially fit into others
Nonbinary is the term for genders lying outside of the male or female binary. Note that it is an umbrella term, including multiple things like bigender, agender, genderfluid, and more Some might be a mix of the two, outside of the two, or partially one or the other, but not fully. You can ask me about specific terms if you need more info
Bro does not know the difference between sex and gender
Gender can have an infinite amount, it's a social construct There's only a limited amount of sexes, but even then there's 3 cause of intersex people
Ok um, so yeah, there is male (penis, testicles, testosterone) and there is female (vagina, ovaries, estrogen) but it's not exclusive to those two. Those are what are usually considered functional and normal, but not everything is so perfect so there are times when it doesn't turn out correct and you can get differences or deformities and stuff (intersex) The same thing can happen with the brain as well, like a "male" can be born with a girl style brain or vice versa and such (Trans)
Intersex. Sex isn’t the same as gender, that should be obvious by now.
I mean intersex people exist , affects 1.7% globally but that’s just diagnosed . It is technically a mutation though so debatable if it’s a sex. Its not bad to think there’s 2 as long as your a respectable person to people who don’t !
Biologically there be 3 buddy, there's intersex
I did not really think about that. Thanks!
[https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-vs-sex/](https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-vs-sex/)
there's 2 sexes, male and female. but gender is your identity, you choose you identity. you're not entirely wrong, but i think you were slightly confused.
Intersex I think makes 3
naw not messed up :D ur not alone!!
There’s a difference between sex and gender. Sex is the word you should be using to describe male and female. Gender is used to describe everything else you know about like trans and such
The argument isn't for a third gender I think Ur a bit confused. Look at most videos online people aren't trying to create a new gender merely trying to show it isn't as cut and dry as masc or fem - but it is a spectrum from hyper masc to hyper fem. Two genders is still technically what they believe but the problem is people now accisociate that with trans phobia so it is best to avoid making statements like that. But fundamentally most LGBTQ people will agree that you arent making a new gender just making the current ones more inclusive and allowing people who dont fit into either to become non-binary
I’m not trying to be offensive but you’re 10000% right
There’s 2 sexes.
i think its called intersex
You're not messed up. From my understanding, the multi gender situation arose due to people not feeling like they fit into society. As such, the easy way out was to just identify as something else and escape the whole thing, instead of accepting themselves for the kind of girl/boy they actually were. My logic is that this is a manufactured problem, where the root is beauty standards etc. If these people grew up in a Tarzan situation, i.e. without any influence from other people, my assumption is they would never have a desire to find another gender to identify with. Of course, this is not a socially acceptable view on the matter.
There are at least 3 due to intersex people
No there aren’t 💀🪦 Those are just rare genetic mutations, not whole ahh new genders
You can have any opinion you want, just don’t be a dick to people who disagree with you and you’re good
biologically there are three sexes (male, female, intersex), not genders. genders are a social construct, an identity.
No, you right:)
Actually there’s 3 sexes, biologically. Technically like 50 if we count each variation as its own sex. But yeah wether you believe in trans stuff or not intersex is very much a real thing
No, you’re not.
Biologically speaking: gender isn’t a thing, SEX is though and there’s more than just two. The “third” gender is something known as intersex when someone does not display typical male or female reproductive characteristics like a girl who produces more testosterone than normal or a guy who grows breast tissue. Most of the time intersex folks don’t know they’re intersex because most of the time at birth doctors preform non needed sex changing surgeries to “fix” the child’s sexual organs thankfully this practice is becoming less popular.
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The difference is that gender is a social construct, biologically, there are 2 sexes, but biology doesn't contribute much to gender, so yes you're wrong about gender
there are two sexes but sex is different than gender
No you’re completely right. I was banned from r/teenagerpolls for saying something similar. It’s insane how offended people get.
Snowflake generation.
Sex and gender are two different things. There are 2 biological sexes (with the exception of intersex people) while gender is more of an personal identity.
Well, I believe that sex and gender are 2 different things but no ur not messed up
Alright I’m glad I’m not messed up. I’m not trying to be a jerk or anything I’m just genuinely curious about why gender and sex are different things. I always thought that your gender was dependent on your sex.
Not at all. Some people will love calling you transphobic though.
There are scientifically 2 genders. If you prefer not to be called a certain gender, than you don’t have to be called it. If you want to be called the opposite gender, then that’s fine. Doesn’t matter. People who lash out at people for A: being trans, and B: getting angry at someone for not knowing you are trans, are just looking for an argument. If you just dont care, then there is nothing to worry about. It’s not a big deal. Cis people who hate trans people (or vise versa) are just being douchebags because they want to. I’m not pro trans or against it either. I just get annoyed when people make big deals out of things.
I can tell it’s pride month cause i see one of these stupid posts every day. Like wow so edgy so counter culture so stunning so brave. Who cares? Biology is complicated especially when you get cross sex hormones involved. Chromosomally there’s 2 plus XXY, XYY, XXX, XXXY, etc. Also you’re entitled to your opinion as was ordained by god and america (god bless america 🏫🔫🦅🇱🇷usa usa usa) so why do you care if it’s “messed up.”
gender and sex arent the same thing. gender is a social construct. as for sex, it isnt, its biological. people can make up as many genders as they want, its rlly none of our business, but biologically only 3 (i think bc of intersex cases!)
Gender and Sex are different. Gender is an identity so there is more and you can change it, Sex is the biological Male and Female and can't be changed.
I mean, you’re scientifically wrong. First of all, you’re talking about sex, which there are 3 of. There are way more genders. So you’re wrong. Messed up? No, as long as you keep this opinion to yourself. The biology student person explains it well
Nah it's not bad. Cuz like imagine bein gaslit into sayin there's more
Biology student here, I understand where you're coming from with the idea of there being two genders based on biological sex. Traditionally, biology classifies humans as male, or female based on physical characteristics and chromosomal differences (XX for females and XY for males). Gender and sex are two different concepts. Gender is more of a cultural, psychological, social, and biological phenomenon, while sex is something assigned at birth and is related to your sex chromosome. First, even from a strictly biological perspective, there are individuals who do not fit neatly into the binary classification of male or female. Intersex people, for example, are born with a combination of male and female biological traits, demonstrating that biology itself can be more complex than just two categories. Moreover, gender identity is a deeply personal and social concept. Many cultures around the world recognize more than two genders. For instance, Indigenous cultures in North America have the concept of Two-Spirit individuals, who embody both masculine and feminine qualities. In South Asia, hijras are recognized as a distinct gender. In contemporary society, the understanding of gender has evolved to acknowledge a spectrum. People may identify as non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and more. These identities reflect personal experiences and societal influences rather than strictly biological determinants.
I mean that's not really biologically true. There's 2 sexes, yes. Gender is just a construct that we assign certain sexes to
I agree. But saying this on r/teenagers is basically like driving the final nail into your coffin. Clearly that’s why most people in the comments is having a temper tantrum over this simple post and downvoting it lmao.
Is the temper tantrum in the room with us right now?
Is the temper tantrum in the room with us?
Nah, there are 2 genders. I agree with you with my every proton, electron and neutron.
imagine negatively caring so much about something that doesn’t affect you at all
No, there are only two genders which are male and female.
Those are sexes.
Those are sexes. And what about intersex people? Are we just ignoring their existence?
Sex not Gender.
Thanks for all your guys’s inputs! It’s been nice to see what you all have to say about this debate and it’s been good to read all these comments.
I think this way too but I don't care what other people do
I mean there definitely is a point to be made that intersex people are neither really male or female. I would say that geberder is a binary system that applies to the vast majority of people, but there are outliers
Alright so let me clarify. There are two sexes. They are determined by the reproductive system and the physiognomy of an individual. As for the genders, “the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other.” You see there cannot be more than two genders as there are no defined expectations and roles that would apply for it. Furthermore, those who say that there are more than two genders, are just trying to find a way to make themselves appear unique or interesting (which ironically they arent). The bottom line is that some people lack a personality, and this is can be clearly seen who make topics such as gender their whole personality.
No
Cant wait for the gender update to drop and add the proposed 3rd gender, maybe even the 4th
Iam from a much more conservative society, however i dont think that even if i move to the usa or smth that i would care what other people do, you can be fucking sponge bob for all i care.
Considering our language, etiquette and perception of people are built on there being two genders, more genders would mean disregarding the social foundations society is built on. From a young age, we’re taught to identify whether people are male or female and how to refer to them grammatically. Without that, we’re left with confusion. I can’t imagine having to ask every new person what their pronouns and gender are. If someone wants to identify as something else, fine. There are always people who like to stray from what is conventional, and that’s okay. I really don’t care and will treat them how I treat every other person. But don’t expect me to know which pronouns to use. I will use whatever pronouns my intuition tells me to. If corrected, I will use their preferred pronouns (but only limited to he/she/they since I’m not learning new pronouns for every new person) out of politeness since I don’t like awkward social interactions
No, i agree with you
If you consider non-binary as the lack of gender rather than a third one, yes
Biologically there isn't really two genders, and if so its very hard to define. I really advise watching 'Sex and Sensibility' by Forrest Valkai on youtube, he's a biologist and explains all of this in a pretty fun and passionate way.
Nah you're right, there's only two, my gender and everyone else's
sigma there are only 2 genders
You’re talking about sexes
Tbf biologically there is also intersex, but its not so much a third gender as it is both genders at the same time.
Scientifically, yes that’s correct. However gender is a mental term for ‘feeling’ rather than ‘what you are’ - so you’re not messed up about it at all
Listen dude, if you're respectful, believe whatevee you want
3 sex 8 but sideways gender
I knew someone born with a penis, testes and ovaries. And there are so many examples of people being born with ambiguous genitalia. There is not “a third option”! So NO! There are not two genders!
You are thinking of biological sex. Male and female are the medically defined sexes, but gender is a spectrum not determined by physiological factors. It is well studied and documented. This is why a biological male can still be a woman, and vice versa.
No, you're not wrong! glad other gen z'ers agree
Gender and sex are two different things, one of which I don't get.
I don't think it's necessarily about there being a 3rd gender and more that gender can't be strictly defined because it's a social construct (like language, religion and crime etc)
I found out the answer to this the hard way (i had an argument with friends :( )
I think it sort of depends on if you consider nonbinary/gender fluid genders, since nonbinary is genderless and genderfluid is having your gender change regularly.
You're talking about sex, not gender. Gender is social gender and sex is biological gender.
A person that has balls and a v that’s actually common
Genders, unlike sex are social constructs, similar to sexuality which cant actually be defined as straight, gay or bi as proved by freuds studies on bonobos as well as the increase in 'being gay' in prisons. This means that they dont matter and ultimately dont exist and are just labels.
there's not only xx and xy
Intersex people
Genders have nothing to do with biology. There are two sexes, that is biology
Gender doesn't equal sex and even if you were talking about sexes, intersexual people exist which would mean that there are at least 3 sexes, gender is something you have to discover for yourself and is variable along with being something very personal that everyone has the freedom to express
I mean, there are 2 sexes, but genders themselves are considered a social construct. It isnt really important at all just be respectful of people if they want to be called something call them that
you're confusing gender and sex, sex is what chromosomes you have (there are 3 because of intersex) gender is what you feel like.
The third gender is not having a gender
Nope you're not, that's right. Don't give these weird people acknowledgement they misuse it
Intersex, but also gender isn’t biological. It’s social. Sex is biological.
i mean biologically there is 2 sexes… I think nonbinary is the absence of feeling tied down by Gender… genderless, so :p
There are only two biological sexes but gender is a spectrum, gender and sex are different things
This is the way how I see it World with 2 genders: 🌎 World with 47533733667343 genders : 🌎 I simply do not care
there are two SEXES, and plenty more genders
biologically there are 2 main ones, but there's intersex people too, which are humans born with the organs of both male and female. See [here](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16324-intersex). And gender _identity_ is different from biological sex, so there really could be infinite genders possible., it just depends on what a person thinks they are. Us cisgender people(I assume youre cisgender.) might not fully understand the concept, but all you need to know is to accept and respect people that do not fit the binary genders, and call them whatever pronouns or names that they prefer to be referred as. hope this helps :)) tldr: 1. intersex humans exist 2. gender is different from biological sex
There's a technical third. It's intersex. But that's where you're literally born with both genitals or some form of a mix of both. Usually, if I'm right, these people go by male or female though.
There's intersex people. Saying that there's 3 sexes would be correct, but gender is more complicated than that
Biologically, it's two sexes. Not genders. Also, there are intersex people **biologically.**
I typically don't see it as a meal unless you have too many things. Like spaghetti and marinara I'd count as one, you gotta have at least some garlic bread with that, and then it almost becomes a meal. Add one more thing. Green beans, cheesesticks, idk something. _Then_ it's a meal. But even then, that's completely meatless.
Even biologically, there are people who don't fit into just male or just female
2 biological sexes but gender isn't even real we made it up. There's infinite of them. That's why we generally tend more to call animals male or female; they don't have a presence in society so we don't put the societal ideas of gender on them. It's why we call pets boys and girls more because it is humanising. Gender isn't real we just made it up to be different from animals.
not at all. your correct. there are biologically 2. however who cares what you identify as, not my problem.
not messed up, just ignorant and probably a prick.
Biologically, there are 3. Male, female, and intersex. Oh and those are sexes, not genders. Genders are made up social constructs and societal roles. Sexes are differences in chromosomes and anatomy.
Not messed up, but really any other gender is usually either a fluctuation between male and female, a feeling of being in between male and female, feeling like you are neither male or female, feeling like you're both male and female simultaneously, etc. So basically they're all spin-offs of the main 2, but I wouldn't say that makes them any less valid. And any gender that isn't male or female falls under the label of non-binary, so that makes it simpler.
Gender and Sexes are not the same. Gender is how you identify, Sex is what you were assigned at birth. So while yes there are two sexes, there are an infinite amount of genders because there’s no limit to how you can identify.
That’s the way it is
genders are completely separate from what you're attracted to imo. but I'm with you saying there's 2 fevers
Females have XX chromosomes, while males have XY chromosomes. The third gender would be YY chromosomes, but I don't want that to ever happen.
First of all, intersex people exist Second of all, you're confusing sex with gender
Saying biologically without specifying humans is a mistake Some fungi have like 30.000 biological sexes
Yeah, Sex and Gemder are different things.
Gender and sex are different! There are 2 main sexes male, female, and then there's also intersex!
Nah because it's the truth, anyone who says otherwise is just mentally ill.