1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Vocabulary

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by MsEmmzy, Mar 10, 2018.

  1. MsEmmzy

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2014
    Messages:
    249
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    BC, Canada
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Okay so totally ambiguous title but I was talking to my friend about an hour ago, trying to explain the differences between gender and sex. And a thought really just hit me. At risk of offending anyone, I was thinking about what would have happened if we as a community just let the cis folks keep their "gender and sex are synonyms, they're the same thing", and just chose an entirely different word to represent gender? I'm by NO means saying that we should, and I honestly have no clue what word COULD be used, but it seems like so many transphobic cis people pull up the argument that gender and sex are synonyms and that we're just being dramatic. Opinions? Thoughts? Idk, just trying to make conversation.
     
    Mihael likes this.
  2. Secrets5

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2015
    Messages:
    1,964
    Likes Received:
    77
    Location:
    UK
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    A few people
    Gender - neurological, brain structures
    Sex - physical parts

    Now, gender and sex still correlate in the sense that those who are cis have matching gender and sex. Those who are trans don't have matching sex to gender, therefore experiencing gender dysphoria and often desire to change their sex so it correlates with their gender.

    Coming up with a new word, I think, would just confuse things further. "Cis-gender" is already a new term that didn't exist before "trans-gender" did.

    I wouldn't say you're being dramatic, but when for the majority of people (transphobic or not) gender and sex *are* the same for them, it is worth spending time explaining why it isn't. Instead, perhaps just try to explain to cis people that whilst for the majority of people gender and sex does match, gender and sex don't individually represent the same thing.

    But anyway, I'm cisgender, take of this what you will.
     
    #2 Secrets5, Mar 10, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2018
    Aberrance likes this.
  3. JaimeGaye

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2017
    Messages:
    481
    Likes Received:
    156
    Location:
    Illinois
    Gender:
    Genderqueer
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Some people
    I think the native Americans got it spot on with the term "Two Spirits" but sadly and possibly rightly so it is a term they claim solely for native Americans to use.
     
    quebec, MsEmmzy and looking for me like this.
  4. looking for me

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2014
    Messages:
    3,791
    Likes Received:
    869
    Location:
    on the Rock, Newfoundland and Labrador
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    my son's people count the entire LGBTQ+ community as being 2S.
     
    MsEmmzy likes this.
  5. Mihael

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2015
    Messages:
    3,049
    Likes Received:
    704
    Location:
    Europe
    Gender:
    Male (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I think you've got a point here... It's why so many people fail to reconcile the two or understand what a trans person comes out as. I mean... as for the original question, I don't know. I just think... this is really irritating when cis people don't distinguish sex from gender. I'm not even saying in transphobic discussions. In everyday life. They just wven stereotype genders so hard. If I look like someone who has a vee, then I must like babies and can't like cars. Yeah... That's really stupid, but many people think this way. Way too many.
     
  6. MsEmmzy

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2014
    Messages:
    249
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    BC, Canada
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    See, I'm definitely of the same mind, it's better to explain to cis people that they don't represent the same thing. My original post was more of a "I wonder what would have happened if.." type of thing. It just really got to me at the time, because I was explaining to my friend, who's not transphobic in the slightest and actually very accepting of me and the LGBTQ+ community, but he would say things like "well the way I see it they're the same thing, (synonyms)." He kept saying that he "respects the way I saw things, but that he has a different way of seeing things." And while I'm certainly one to respect people's views, I still want to explain to him the difference. Maybe I'm just looking for a different way to word it or something.

    As someone who's out and starting to pass more and more, I've definitely felt the stereotyping a lot lately. Like the boys at work assuming I must not like anime or that I MUST prefer drinking things like juices and water instead of soda because, clearly, girls can't enjoy those sorts of things.