Gender and Sexes -

the differences
By Hibiki Yamazaki!
1. What is sex, and what is gender?
Sex refers to a set of biological Gender refers to the socially constructed roles,
attributes in humans and animals. It is behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women,
boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how
primarily associated with physical and people perceive themselves and each other, how they act
physiological features including and interact, and the distribution of power and resources
chromosomes, gene expression, in society. Gender identity is not confined to a binary
hormone levels and function, and (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static; it exists along a
reproductive/sexual anatomy. Sex is continuum and can change over time. There is
considerable diversity in how individuals and groups
usually categorized as female or male understand, experience and express gender through the
but there is variation in the biological roles they take on, the expectations placed on them,
attributes that comprise sex and how relations with others and the complex ways that gender is
those attributes are expressed. institutionalized in society.
The 6 Most Common
Biological Sexes in
Humans
*Article by Joshua Kennon!!*
Many of you have expressed an interest in more of
my personal essays; the documents I use myself to
study various topics and take advantage of the so-
called “orangutan theory”, which states that forcing
yourself to write down your ideas, or speaking
them out loud, even if your only audience is a large
primate in a circus tent, shifts your brain into a
logical mode that gives you a better understanding
of what you believe, both inherently and explicitly.
I decided to share another one of the in-progress
essays, though I modified it to read better online as
if it were addressed to the blog audience by
changing a small amount of the verbiage. Again,
just like my previous essay on religious beliefs
manifesting through time, culture, and geographic
distance, this is a work in progress that will change
substantially by the time I stamp “concluded’ on it
and feel as if I really have a handle on the subject
matter. It was not originally intended for public
consumption as its sole purpose is for me to
understand how the various components are
connected.
There was a news story about a 66 year old man who
discovered, during a trip to the doctor, that he was really a
woman. If you don’t have a biology or genetics education
background, or never really took an interest in reproductive
strategies of various animals and plants in nature, that might
seem absurd, or even impossible. Of course, it’s not. It’s far
more common than the general population realizes.
The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine points out that one of the
first modern cases came from the 1936 Olympics, hosted by Adolf
Hitler. An American named Stella Walsh, commonly called “Stella the
Fella”, crushed the competition. She always changed by herself and had
muscle tissue and facial features that resembled a man. The Olympic
committee did an examination during which the members found that
Stella was, in fact, both male and female. Sort of. She had ambiguous
genitalia and it was impossible to determine her biological sex. This
remained a secret until Stella’s death in 1980 when “she was shot and
killed in the cross-fire of an armed bank robbery in Los Angeles”.
Today, we have genetics and DNA that allows us to
examine karyotype. We know, without question,
that humans are not just born male and female.
There are at least six biological sexes that can result
in fairly normal lifespans. (There are actually many
more than six but they result in spontaneous
abortion as the body knows the fetus won’t be viable
so it is flushed out of the system in a natural process
meant to minimize the amount of nutrients and
metabolism devoted to growing non-viable
offspring.)
 The Six Most
Common Karyotypes
 • X – Roughly 1 in 2,000 to 1 in
5,000 people (Turner’s )
• XX – Most common form of
female
The six biological • XXY – Roughly 1 in 500 to 1 in
karyotype sexes that do 1,000 people (Klinefelter)
not result in death to the • XY – Most common form of
fetus are: male
• XYY – Roughly 1 out of 1,000
people
• XXXY – Roughly 1 in 18,000 to
1 in 50,000 births
When you consider that there are 7,000,000,000 alive on the planet,
there are almost assuredly tens of millions of people who are not male
or female. Many times, these people are unaware of their true sex.
It’s interesting to note that everyone assumes that they, personally,
are XY or XX. One study in Great Britain showed that 97 out of 100
people who were XYY had no idea. They thought they were a
traditional male and had few signs otherwise.
 Even today, we irrationally, and rather
stupidly, think of someone as a “man” if
they look masculine and as a “woman” if
the look feminine. It’s entirely arbitrary
and can lead to some significant
misunderstandings of how the
world actually works.
 It Is Possible for Your
Brain, Your Body, and Your
Reproductive Systems to All
Have Different Biological
Sexes
What makes it even more complicated
is that you cannot rely on karyotype
alone to determine biological sex. A
few years ago, there was a story about
a teenage boy who was, in all regards,
perfectly normal. He looked male, he
acted male, he had a fully functional
male reproductive system. He
suddenly became extremely sick. He
was growing sicker and could have
died when it was discovered that
he also had a female reproductive
system internally. When
he menstruated once a month, the
excess blood had nowhere to go since
there was no available external exit,
causing it to be reabsorbed into his
body. This boy was male. However,
he was also female. It is a gross
simplification to act as if he were just
a boy. He was more.
Even rarer are the
cases of chimeras
such as Lydia
Fairchild, who have
multiple sets of DNA
in their body so that
they are not the
biological parents of
their own children,
even when conceived
through regular
reproduction and
birthed entirely
naturally.
The Case of
Riley Grant
And then we get into the really interesting
territory. It is possible that your body, your brain,
and your reproductive system could all be
different biological sexes, or in some cases,
biologically one sex but physiologically wired as
another sex. It seems crazy but it happens
regularly on an ordinary statistical distribution so
it is simply part of human reproduction.
An example is the case of Riley Grant, who has been
documented in the news. Riley’s body is biologically
male. She has, I believe, a standard XY chromosome.
She has a fully functioning male reproductive system.
However, Riley’s brain didn’t develop as male during
gestation and was mapped as female. We know from
advances in neuroscience the past few decades that the
differences between male and female brains
are not insignificant – it influences everything from
color perception to taste, scent, emotional reaction,
empathy levels, rationality levels, pain tolerance, vocal
inflection, and a host of many other factors. This is easy
to see on an MRI – male and female brains respond
differently to different stimuli. The largest study
documenting the extent of the differences between male
and female brains was done by Dr. Daniel Amen, who
analyzed 26,000 people and found that the male brain
has heightened activity in regions “associated with
visual perception, tracking objects through space, and
form recognition” and are 8% to 10% larger in mass
size, while the female brain shows more overall activity,
as well as increased blood flow in 112 out of 128 brain
regions.
Riley’s parents realized this when they discovered her at 2 years old in the
shower holding clippers against her penis saying, “It doesn’t go there.” She
kept insisting she was a girl. Sure enough, a lot of medical tests later, that
turned out to be the case. That means that, in this case, the physiological sex
mapping of the brain is different from the biological sex of the body. Riley’s
brain is wired as female despite having XY chromosomes. There is no
question about it. It’s a fundamental, scientific, indisputable fact. It is not a
mental disorder. She is not confused. Her brain is of the same structure as
the typical woman. A century ago, she would have been written off as crazy
or disturbed but our understanding of the interesting outcomes of biology
now let us know that it’s a very real condition based upon demonstrable
facts.
Sometimes, but not always, this condition is caused because a male fetus is
immune to testosterone. When this happens, the testosterone released by the
mother’s body during development doesn’t trigger the signal to map the brain
as male, and a female mind is created, despite the fact the genetic instructions
from the chromosomes is busy making the physical body male. The only
way to remove the cognitive dissonance and prevent suicide, substance
abuse, and a host of other coping mechanisms that lead inevitably to death
and misery is sexual reassignment surgery, forcing the exterior body to line
up with the brain. This, in effect, removes the constant exposures to said
cognitive dissonance, and leads to far greater physical and mental health.
(This is not to say everyone who wants sexual reassignment surgery is legitimately a case of a brain
and body mismatch. Some are simply mentally unhealthy and fixate on the notion of being
transgender as a coping mechanism, only to regret the change later. A sociological manifestation of
this phenomenon is the so-called “pretendbians” – men who insist they are women, dress in
women’s clothes, and present as women, but then wish to retain their male biological parts whilst
saying that they are lesbians who want to date other lesbians. This includes having penis-in-vagina
sexual relationships. These lesbians, who by very definition are not interested in
having penetrative sex with a biologically male body, are then accused of being “transphobic” and
creating – this is the actual term – a “cotton ceiling”; a play on words that borrows from the glass
ceiling in female employment and the cotton construction of a typical pair of underwear. It’s a
disturbingly misogynistic thing to believe as it implies that the the biological female
lesbians owe their physical and emotional affection to someone who demands it and is incapable of
meeting their needs. One author refers to these “pretendbians” as men engaged in a self-deluded
form of “heterosexual kink”. In any event, they do tremendous damage to the political efforts
of actual transgender people, like the Riley Grants of the world, who should be protected from
employment discrimination, given access to mental health resources during transition, and supported
in school during early childhood when beginning hormone treatment to rectify what is a very real
biological condition. Men and women who fall into this faux form of transgenderism often display
a litany of mental health and / or mood disorders.)
The Case of David
Reimer
The flip case of Riley Grant is the now well-documented and studied
case of David Reimer. He was born a boy in 1965, one of two
identical twins. He was absolutely normal, XY karyotype, fully
functioning reproduction system. His parents wanted
him circumcised but the doctor botched the operation so badly that
they decided to castrate him and transform his body into a woman’s
through the use of estrogen injections when the parents realized he
would never have a penis or be able to enjoy sexual relationships
with women. The thinking at the time was the now-debunked idiocy
that is known as the “blank slate” theory; that humans are entirely a
product of their environment and we can adapt to anything. The
truth is, a lot of our personality is hardwired on a genetic level.
Despite putting David in “frilly dresses”, forcing him to play with female
toys, calling him “Brenda”, and keeping the secret so that no one knew he
was born a boy, David’s brain knew better. He kept insisting he was not a
girl. He kept insisting he was not attracted to men, despite being told that, as
a woman, he should be. By 13, he had grown suicidal as the cognitive
dissonance between what people were telling him and he saw when he looked
in a mirror and what his brain knew inherently grew too great. At 14 years
old, he decided to live as a man, began taking testosterone injections, and
undergoing cosmetic surgery. He married a woman and became stepfather to
her kids. Only later did his parents confess what had happened to him, after
he had finally decided he was willing to live as a man even if they didn’t
Nothing the doctors could do changed the
fact that David was a male nor could they
change his sexual orientation despite
everyone around him insisting that he was
a girl and was meant to date boys. His
brain knew better. He was wired in a very
specific way in the womb and no amount
of elective cosmetic surgery
or hormone treatment could change that.
 Biological Sex
Is Not the Same
As Gender
 • Biological Sex – Usually determined by
karyotype. The brain, body, and
reproductive system can be different sexes,
What causes some in the case of legitimate transgender
confusion in the general people, where the brain physiology
resembles that of the opposite sex, or
public is the use of biological chimeras.
biological sex and gender • Gender – Mostly used for cultural behaviors
as interchangeable terms. such as dress, mannerisms, signs of
They do not refer to the deference, et cetera, that differentiate the
same thing. As said earlier; sexes, gender itself is not entirely a social
construct. As already mentioned,
neuroscience research over the past few
decades indicates through an overwhelming
amount of evidence that gender is not a
“blank slate” that is imparted entirely by
civilization, but rather has some inherent
characteristics that manifest regardless of
upbringing or environment.
This is why some fringe activists can
seriously say, “You can be a woman
with a penis”, while most of the world
will look at them like they have lost
their mind. They are inherently using
the term “woman” to refer to gender and
not biological sex. This difference in
vocabulary is responsible for virtually
all conflicts between groups on issues in
this arena. They do not realize they are
using a phrase to refer to two separate
things that are often, but not always,
congruent.
The reality is the English language is woefully inadequate to address these
biological, and in some cases, psychological, conditions. Unlike many
ancient societies, we lack the requisite terms to make a differentiation. A
person who is born male with a female brain and has sexual reassignment
surgery can insist that she is a woman – and mentally, she is – but
it is different than a fully formed, biological woman. And therein lies the
trouble. Native American Indian tribes, Middle Eastern kingdoms … they
had words to explain these things as they recognized reality a bit faster than
we in the West have. It’s probably time to recognize that more than 99% of
us are male or female, but in a world with so many billions of people, that
1% is a heck of a lot of folks who are something else. Trying to shove them
into a binary system when the universe itself is not binary in this matter is a
form of the mental model known as “greedy reductionism”. It stigmatizes
them for a physical trait that is entirely benign and it damages us by causing
us to ignore reality; something that should be anathema to the rational
thinker.
GENDER
IDENTIT By SEXUALITY EDUACTION
RESOURCE CENTRE MB
Gender identity is how a person feels and who they know them self to
be when it comes to their gender. There are more than two genders, even
though in our society the genders that are most recognized are male and
female (called the gender binary) and usually is based on
someone’s anatomy (the genitals they were born with). This is gender
assignment and it is based on an assumption that someone’s genitals
match their gender. However, gender isn’t about someone’s anatomy, it
is about who they know them self to be. There are many different
gender identities, including male, female, transgender, gender neutral,
non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender,
and all, none or a combination of these.
There are many more gender identities then we’ve listed. Gender
can be complex and people are defining themselves in new and
different ways as we gain a deeper understanding of identities.
Some terms may mean different things to different people. There
are certain terms some folks may not like to use or call themselves
and some terms that they may like to use or call themselves. If
you’re not sure what to call a person, it’s best to ask the person
what they would like to be called. It is always up to us to decide
how we identify, and how we express our gender. However you
decide or identify deserves to be respected and supported.
Some (but not all)
gender identity
terms
Transgender
Someone whose gender identity is different from the one they were assigned at
birth might identify as transgender. Sometimes trans or transgender gets used as
an umbrella term for gender diverse people. However, not everyone uses it to
describe themselves. When in doubt ask, and always honour someone’s personal
terms when it comes to gender identities.
What do we mean assigned at birth? Think about one of the first things the doctor
(or midwife) says when someone is born, “It’s a girl” or “It’s a boy.” This is gender
assignment and it is based on an assumption that someone’s genitals match their
gender. However, we know this isn’t always the case and that each of us gets to
decide what gender we know our selves to be. It may not align with the genitals
we are born with or be part of the gender binary (male-female). For example,
someone may be born with a vagina but know themselves to be male.
Two-spirit
A modern English term that an Indigenous person might identify as that
comes from the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples in
Canada/Turtle Island/North America. It can mean a person who walks
between genders; one who carries the gifts of both males and females,
or one who is gender unique (not specific to any gender) and/or as a
way to identify as 2STLGBQ+. When Europeans arrived in North
America, they introduced homophobia and transphobia to many
Indigenous nations and dishonoured the idea of what it means to be
Two-Spirit. Today, many Indigenous Peoples are reclaiming the ancient
understanding that there are more than two genders.
Cisgender
Cisgender is a term to describe someone whose gender matches what
they were assigned at birth. For example, they were assigned female at
birth based on being born with a vagina and know themselves to be
female.
Non-binary
Someone who does not identify as a man or a woman, or solely as one
of those two genders. It’s often used as an umbrella term for identities
that fall outside the male/female gender binary. Being non-binary
means different things to different people, so this definition is
purposely broad.
Genderqueer
Someone may identify as genderqueer if their gender identity is neither
male nor female, is between or beyond genders, or is some
combination of genders. This identity is often related to or in reaction
to the social construction of gender, gender stereotypes and the gender
binary system.
Gender expression
Gender expression is about how someone acts and presents themselves to world.
For example does someone wear makeup? Do they wear dresses? Do they prefer to
only wear pants? Gender expression is not related to someone’s gender or sex, but
rather about personal behaviours and interests. A cis man may wear nail polish or a
trans woman may not like wearing dresses. Sometimes people don’t express their
gender in the way they would like to because they don’t feel safe to do so. This is
why it’s important to not assume someone’s gender just based on how they look,
but rather by checking in with them. Gender expression is also deeply tied to
culture. What Euro-Canadian culture codes as being either ‘male’ or ‘female’ can
be different than what other cultures may code as being ‘male’ or ‘female’.
Gender fluid
Gender fluid may refer to a gender which varies over time. Someone
who identifies as gender fluid may fluctuate between genders or
express multiple genders at the same time. Their gender may also vary
at random or vary in response to different circumstances.
Gender neutral
Someone who feels they are neither male or female may identify as
gender neutral.
LOOKING FOR
SUPPORT?
The Rainbow Resource
Centre

The Rainbow Resource Centre is a

Winnipeg based support centre for
2STLGBQ+ people. They have
information, free counseling, and
lots of programs for youth
including weekly meetups and a
summer camp. Contact them toll
free at 1.855.437.8523 or
204.474.0212.
 Two-Spirited People
of Manitoba

Two-Spirited People of
Manitoba is a community-
based organization
focused on helping
Indigenous 2STLGBQ+
people improve their
lives. You can reach them
at 204.330.8671
 GDAAY CLINIC

Gender Dysphoria Assessment and Action for Youth

(GDAAY) is a health clinic for Trans and Non-Binary youth
which provides youth (under 18) and their families with
supportive services including assessment and treatment.
They are based inside the Health Science Centre. Contact
them at 204.787.7435
 Based out of Klinic Community
Trans Health, the Trans Health
Clinic provides supportive health
Health services to Trans and Non-Binary
folks who are over the age of 18.
Clinic Contact them at 204.784.4090.
 Trans Lifeline

Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization

dedicated to improving the quality of trans
lives. They provide a peer-support line,
microgrants to help with the expense of
updating ID and resources. The peer-
support phone line is 1-877-330-6366.
Officially it’s open 24/7, but because it is
volunteer run, it can only guarantee
someone is available to pick up 9:00am-
3:00am central time. There’s often
someone around outside these hours so
when in doubt give it a call.
Questions about Gender Identity
 What is a gender pronoun?

A gender pronoun is the word someone uses

to described their gender. The most common ones
used in our society are she/her and him/he. However
there are more pronouns, such as zi/hir or they. It is
important to never assume which gender pronoun
someone uses. If you aren’t sure what pronoun
someone uses just ask them!
 I feel like I don't fit with any of these terms. What
does that mean?

Gender is a complex thing. We’ve only listed a few of the

terms that people may use. We know that there are many
other ways someone may define themselves and some
people prefer to not label who they are at all. You get to
decide who you know yourself to be and what (if anything)
you like to be called.
 No, gender identity and sexual orientation are
not the same thing. Gender identity is who
Are gender someone knows themselves to be.
Sexual orientation is about attraction.
identity and Attraction is the combination of the physical
sexual and personality traits that happen to turn your
crank. Someone may identify as trans and
orientation straight, or they may be trans and gay, or they
the same may identity as something else.
thing? Again, we each get to decide who we know
ourselves to be and to crush on who we want.
How many genders are there?(part 1)
The short answer is a whole bunch! Until recently, our society has only
acknowledged two genders; male and female. But this has never been
true. Many cultures and societies around the world have always known
and embraced the knowledge that there are more than two genders.
In some cultures there are 3 or 4 genders. Some have traditionally had
7 or 8 while others never bothered with settling on a specific number.
An example of gender knowledge on this land is the Indigenous Two-
Spirit community.
It’s important to recognize the role that colonization has played in
interrupting the knowledge (it tried to stop the knowledge) that there
are more than two genders. It is only through the hard work of trans
people and their allies that we are finally beginning to see a shift back
to embracing, and supporting the gender diverse community.
In modern English language, someone whose gender identity is
different from the one they were assigned at birth might identify as
transgender. They also might use a different term, which we will get to
in a moment. Often trans or transgender is used as an umbrella term
for the diversity of genders, however some people may not use the
word trans at all, or may use it in partnership with a different word.
How many genders are there?(part 2)
What do we mean assigned at birth? Think about one of
the first things the doctor (or midwife) says when someone is born, “It’s a girl” or “It’s a
boy.” This is gender assignment and it is based on an assumption that someone’s genitals match their gender. How
ever, we know this isn’t always the case and that each of us gets to decide what gender we know our selves to be.
It may not align with the genitals we are born with or be part of the gender binary (male-female).
For example, someone may be born with a vagina but know themselves to be male. We know right now,
as society begins to respect and honour trans voices we may be hearing and learning new terms.
It might feel overwhelming or confusing. You may wonder why folks need so many labels anyways.
The thing with language is it is always changing and growing. Older generations use words that may mean somethi
ng different then how you use those words. We bet at some point you’ve said something to
a parent or grandparent and they’ve totally not understood what you were saying. That’s an example of words cha
nging over time. We are seeing a growth spurt in
the area of gender language because it is starting be safer for people to come forward and share who they truly ar
e with the world.
 I'm dealing with transphobia. What can I
do?
We know that being the gender we know ourselves to be should be one of our
basic rights. Sadly, in our society, people who identify as transgender or some
other gender identity may deal with transphobia. Transphobia is a type
of discrimination people may face when they do not identify as cisgender. It is
never the fault of the person experiencing discrimination. Transphobia can be
systemic, for example, having to choose between male or female washrooms or
checking off ‘male or ‘female’ on an application form, or it can be in the form of
verbal harassment and/or violence by individual people.
If you are dealing with transphobia it is important to talk with someone you trust.
This could include a friend, teacher, parent or guidance counselor, who is non-
judgemental and supportive of your identity. You could also contact the Rainbow
Resource Centre which is a Winnipeg based support centre for 2STLGBQ+ people.
They have information, counseling, and programs for youth. Contact them toll
free at 1.855.437.8523 or 204.474.0212.
THAT WAS ALL, HOPE YOU
ENJOYED!!!!<3