Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Similarity between gender identity and sexual orientation
Male and female sexuality
Male and female sexuality
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
When thinking of sexuality, hetero- and homosexuality are the first concepts that come to mind. Rather than considering the number of emotional and physical attachments that are also involved, it is a common belief that one's sexuality consists only of their sexual desires. Because society has put the homosexual umbrella over any individual who does not claim to be heterosexual, many people are unaware of the diverse lifestyles that are a part of a melting pot culture. As a result, it is oftentimes a subconscious act to make assumptions about these sub-sexualities. Rather than judging every individual by their personal actions, assumptions are often made on the basis of physical appearance and the collective actions of those belonging to a similar sexuality category. Trans- people, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women are often at the center of this discrimination solely because their bodies are noticeably different from the “normal” physical male/female body.
According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term transgender refers to an individual who “identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth.” As Sheila Koenig explains in her article, "Walk Like a Man: Enactments and Embodiments of Masculinity and the Potential for Multiple Genders," the gender embodied by any individual is a "performance, designed to reinforce the categories of ‘man’ and 'woman' as dictated by heteronormative, patriarchal culture." Because the dominant group, namely Caucasian males, has assigned certain individuals to the “normal” group, the remaining people are forced to act out their minor roles with the hope of someday landing a role with the real actors. O...
... middle of paper ...
...Disabled." Dictionary and Thesaurus: Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2011.
.
Harjo, Joy. "Three Generations of Native American Women’s Birth Experience." 1991. 218-21. Print.
Iki, Kaua'i. "'O Au No Keia: Voices from Hawai'i's Mahu and Transgender Communities." Gender, Sex, and Sexuality. New York: Oxford University, 2009. 201-08. Print.
Koenig, Sheila. "Walk Like a Man: Enactments and Embodiments of Masculinity and the Potential for Multiple Genders." Gender, Sex, and Sexuality. New York: Oxford University, 2009. 193-200. Print.
Saxton, Marsha. "Reproductive Rights: A Disability Rights Issue." 1995. 221-24. Print.
"Transgender." Dictionary and Thesaurus: Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2011.
.
For instance, sociologists would argue that characteristics of the male gender in a given society include independence, and dominance whereas females express more passive behavior. Gender identity, on the other hand is an individual’s sense of their gender or in other words, their sense as to whether they are feminine or masculine. Therefore, transgender is a term related to “people whose gender identity is different from the gender commonly socially assigned to them on the basis of their biological sex” (Morrow & Messinger, 2006, p. 7).“Biological theories assume that gender should be consistent with biological sex and there are only two genders and two sexes” which does not correspond to transgender people. Furthermore, transgender is also used as a general term to include people such as transsexuals and cross-dressers
Kimmel, Michael S. "Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear, Shame, and Silence in the Construction of Gender Identity." Theorizing Masculinities. Ed. Harry Brod, and Michael Kaufman. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 1994. 119-42. SAGE knowledge. Web. Research on Men and Masculinities Series. 5 May 2014.
Mosse, L George. The Image of Man: The Creation of Modern Masculinity. New York: Macmillan publishers, 1996.
Wood, J. T. (2011). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture. (9th ed ed., pp. 1-227). Boston,MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
“Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls”: few of our cultural mythologies seem as natural as this one. But in this exploration of the gender signals that traditionally tell what a “boy” or “girl” is supposed to look and act like, Aaron Devor shows how these signals are not “natural” at all but instead are cultural constructs. While the classic cues of masculinity—aggressive posture, self-confidence, a tough appearance—and the traditional signs of femininity—gentleness, passivity, strong nurturing instincts—are often considered “normal,” Devor explains that they are by no means biological or psychological necessities. Indeed, he suggests, they can be richly mixed and varied, or to paraphrase the old Kinks song “Lola,” “Boys can be girls and girls can be boys.” Devor is dean of social sciences at the University of Victoria and author of Gender Blending: Confronting the Limits of Duality (1989), from which this selection is excerpted, and FTM: Female-to-Male Transsexuals in Society (1997).
Transgender is an umbrella term, meaning an individual’s gender-identity does not align with their assigned sex at birth. Although transgender is a protected class in eighteen states, these individuals still face discrimination within the country and around the world (“Non-Discrimination Laws”). Transgender is not a lifestyle, no one chooses to live their life constantly being discriminated against. Transgender issues should be more educated on and their lives should be more protected.
Many people relate sex, gender, and your sexual orientation as the same thing grouped in two categories of male or female traits and preference, however as both authors argue it is imperative to view each as a separate and ever changing category in order to protect peoples beliefs who contradict the earlier statement. “Educating legislators and policymakers about the damage inflicted by sexism and gender stereotyping is a critical component of winning
Living life as a transgendered person is not easy. There are very few times when someone comes out as transgender and their lives are still relatively easy to manage. There are a copious...
Transsexuals, defined simply is a person who from the very core of there being feels like they are in the wrong orientation and transgenderism is that state of being when one's gender doesn't match those feelings. In the case of transgender children they usually feel like god made a mistake and in some case scenarios boys particularly try to alleviate the situation themsel...
Stets, Jan E., and Peter J. Burke. "Femininity/Masculinity." Encyclopedia of Sociology. New York: Macmillan, n.d. 1-21. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Imagine going through life believing that you were born into the wrong body. This is how a transgender feels as they go through life. A transgender is a person who whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to male or female sex. This topic is very controversial due to many arguments about the differences between the male and female physique. The natural biological differences between males and a females play a huge role in this controversy.
Currently the citizens living in the United States are imprisoned within the binary of two genders. It is only acceptable for a person to identify as a male or a female. Depending on the gender the person identifies, as there is an expectation of how that person should look and act. The person identifying as the specific gender, must maintain the gender norms that are in place. These gender binaries are so prevalent in our lives; it is to the point where a large group of Americans are being overlooked. This group of Americans identifies as transgender, which means they do not fit society’s expectations of how a specific gender should look and behave. (gaycenter.org, 2012). The trans population does not fit the expected gender molds that are
Wilton, Tamsin. "Which One's the Man? The Heterosexualisation of Lesbain Sex." Gender, Sex, and Sexuality. New York: Oxford University, 2009. 157-70. Print.
No one wants to feel like they do not belong or like they are not cared for. Transgender people are just like everyone else and deserve to be treated equally to cisgendered people. According to Sam Killerman, being transgendered means living "as a member of a gender other than that expected based on sex assigned at birth." This definition is extremely important because a transgender person is still a person.
Throughout Western civilization, culturally hegemonic views on gender and sexuality have upheld a rigid and monolithic societal structure, resulting in the marginalization and dehumanization of millions of individuals who differ from the expected norm. Whether they are ridiculed as freaks, persecuted as blasphemers, or discriminated as sub-human, these individuals have been historically treated as invisible and pushed into vulnerable positions, resulting in cycles of poverty and oppression that remain prevalent even in modern times. Today, while many of these individuals are not publicly displayed as freaks or persecuted under Western law, women, queer, and intersexed persons within our society still nonetheless find themselves under constant