So far, I’ve defined the terms sex, male and female, and discussed propagated stereotypes and sexual preference. This post deals with gender identity.
Sex is a biological term. Gender identity is independent of physical fact and leans toward how one feels.
In 2014, Facebook introduced over 50 gender identity options. Some identities were combinations of sex, expression, and sexual preference.
We’ve lived in a binary world. Most choices have been one of two. The opposite of Democrat is not Republican. The opposite of Pro-Life is not Pro-Choice.
In the binary world, gender identity is either man or woman. Like the other two examples, there are many choices other than the presented two.
At birth, doctors assign babies a sex. Doctors do not give babies a gender identity. Your parents, family, and the general public will push you to accept a gender identity that matches your sex.
If you pick a different gender identity, the world may not recognize you as that gender, and some may not accept your identity. Factual record differentiation is usually based on sex rather than gender. Like sexual preference, you may be belittled if your gender identity does not match your sex. People are uncomfortable with those who are different.
Like sexual preference, any gender identity is acceptable to me if one’s selection does not harm another person. It is a personal choice.
Remember, though, that public facilities are sex-based, not gender-based. And, inserting your gender identity into these discussions is harming another person. At one time, public facilities were race-based. Those restrictions have been eliminated without harming anyone. However, there are still socio-economic fences.
I question changing a body to match sex with gender identity through either hormone therapy or surgery. You are a byproduct of your parents. If you feel uncomfortable with what your parents gave you, how do you know the change will be any better?
Love who you are. Identify how you want. It doesn’t need to match what other people think.
More in Part 5 with gender expression.