Blog #1 Response: Gender - A Process in Self-Identification

Before you're even born, you're parents may know your sex. They could obsess over every detail of your life, from baby clothes to room color, based merely on that one vital piece of information. And yet, what if your gender doesn't necessarily conform to your given sex? How does this impact you, growing up from the moment of your birth with the notion that your gender must match your sex?

Every individual has their own ideas as to what exactly constitutes sex and gender. For me, the term gender is normally assigned based on one's determined sex at birth. While "sex" is the biological characteristics that define a person as being male or female, I see "gender" as the learned identification of an individual, such as masculine or feminine. Gender can be changed without physical modification, while sex can only be changed through a means, such as reassignment surgery. Unfortunately, sometimes an individual's gender can be influenced by the norms of society - many likely reject their true gender in an effort to remain 'normal.' It is my belief that individuals may not necessarily identify as the sex they are assigned to at birth, and as such, they can change their gender identity to more closely match their internal feelings. This creates conflict in many aspects of life - from the very beginning, everyone is expected to adhere to the norm.

As for my own gender identity, I consider myself to be masculine; I agree with my assignment at birth as a male because of my sex. As I grew up, although I realized that I'm gay, I still find myself identifying as male and masculine. This match between sex and gender identification seems to be the case for many people. I think this is fortunate, the disconnect between some individuals' sex and gender creates challenges that many never even dream of having to face.

In our society, great progress has been made in relation to gay and lesbian rights. In a few states, marriage is legally recognized between two individuals of the same sex. However, a huge issue, which in my opinion deserves more attention, is the plight of transsexual individuals. For them, there is a constant struggle in managing their birth-assigned sex and their own gender. Their constant quest to have their sex match their gender identity can greatly impact their lives.

Coming to USC, I was exposed to diversity beyond my wildest imagination. Not only did the students come from all corners of the globe, but they also came with their own stories and internal conflicts. The transgender/transsexual community has helped me analyze my own opinions on how we can categorize something as broad as gender. While many of us can easily say what gender we identify with, it may be worth it to understand that for others it isn't as simple. For a topic such as gender, it may be one which everyone needs to define on their own.

Also, just to put this out there, in my CORE-102 class last semester we watched the movie Transamerica. If anyone hasn't seen the movie and is interested in learning more about the problems faced by transsexual people, I would highly recommend it! Thanks all.