Gender Options on Facebook

​Gender identity has changed its definition over time. The psychological definition as stated from the social learning theory is that gender identity is the sense of being male or female. Seems simple but we now know in todays world the definition has broadened. Gender identity is now defined as one 's personal experience of one 's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. All societies have a set of gender categories that can serve as the basis of the formation of a person 's social identity in relation to other members of society. From the past when we had many strong women’s rights activist who fought so what your gender was did not

One who claims any gender other than male or female would be considered taboo or highly unusual by our society. Biological sex is often thought to determine one’s gender identity. Though sex and gender align for the mass of our population, there is a minority group that does not feel that they belong to either male or female genders. To understand gender fluidity, one must recognize that sometimes a person’s gender and sex do not align. A person may not feel that their biological sex reflects who they are, they may feel uncomfortable with the expectations and roles placed on them due to their sex. These gender roles are created by social expectations of our western society. Gender roles are merely social constructs, and if one does not want to conform to societies conjectures placed on them due to their biological sex, they should have the freedom to non-conform.

Relevant Terminology: Gender identity: refers to an individual’s sense of gender, may be different from one’s assigned gender at birth

Everyone is given a gender the moment they are born. At birth they are either one of two genders: masculine or feminine. This gender everyone is assigned affects many of our day to day actions and our looks. However some people may evolve differently as they grow up and may not fit the rigid boundaries set for the sex they were assigned at birth. In recent years there has been a boom in a third considered gender: the transgender population. However with the boom comes the argument of to what extent should transgender people be protected by the government. Throughout the existence of transgender people, the rights of transgenders have been

Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it “describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation” (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

We tend to put everyone in one of two categories when in actuality there should be many more because someone's gender identity could differ from their sex, but the common belief is that gender identity pairs in accordance with one's sex.

Christopher Mills’ is a forty-four year old man living in Peaks, Illinois. Living far away from home and venturing around the country for his job, his family members and friends have been persuading him to create a Facebook account. “It would be easier for us to keep in contact with you during your travels,” they said. Curiosity peaked his interest one night as he hopped onto the social media platform. Succumbing to pressure, he decided to make a Facebook account. He typed in his name, birthdate, and location… However, when it came time to choose an option for his gender, there were not just two, but also a myriad of options. It peaked his interested, so he began to count. There were over seventy. Christopher Mills had been introduced to the discussion of gender.

The process of acquiring a gender identity is simple within this framework. Because it is solely focused on biology, the identity is assigned based on which side of the gender binary it is closest to and that is all the nuance available. Later perspectives take this and define it as the biological sex, which they then separate from gender. However, this process is similar throughout all the perspectives for people who are cisgender, because they have no need for the further nuance that other perspectives can provide.

When discussing transgendered people it is important to understand the difference between sex, and gender. “Sex is assigned at birth, refers to one’s biological status as either male or female, and is associated primarily with physical attributes such as chromosomes, hormone prevalence, and external and internal anatomy,” (APA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office). Sex is mainly important for medical reasons. A person can change their sex, through surgery and hormone therapy. “Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for boys and men or girls and women” (APA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office). Gender and sex can coincide or they can be in conflict with each other. Someone whose gender identity matches the sex they are born with is called cisgendered. Cis- is a latin prefix, meaning “on this side”. Contrarily, trans- is a prefix meaning on the “other side of”. A person who is transgender expresses

There are attitudes and expectations made upon on these roles, and therefore it effects the behavior of the individual naturally. In the article by Schilt and Westbrook, it is emphasized that people who live their lives in a social gender, that is not the gender that they were assigned at birth, are disrupting the cultural expectations of gender identity. Two case studies were performed to see how gender normals react to mismatch gender identity and biological sex. West and Zimmerman explain how gender is performed in communications and interactions, and behaviors of people are evaluated based on socially accepted conceptions of gender. They identified and distinguished between sex and gender. Sex was agreed to be broken down as male or female. Thus it is based

The problem that comes with classifying one’ “sex” is that in current time’s operations and some medical conditions separate individuals from either group of male and/or female due to a mixture of organs. Now here comes into play…the word transgender, which was developed for such mixtures and according to Merriam-Webster it means, “Of, relating to, or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth”. The majority of the populous enjoys being in their own personal bubble and anything abnormal attempting to alter the normal characteristics and beliefs of that bubble are cast out into the oblivion. Basically, many new ideals being formed in modern society affect many beliefs in cultures and the overall thought process of many persons. In this case, gender roles that have existed for thousands

A person who identifies as transgender is one who expresses a gender identity that differs from the one that corresponds with their assigned sex. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or any other gender. Gender expression refers to the way someone communicates their gender identity, whether it’s through the clothing they wear, their hairstyle, or their voice and body characteristics. Although some may not be aware, sex and gender aren’t synonyms. Sex is assigned at birth and refers to a person’s biological status whereas gender is based on socially constructed roles, behaviors and attributes that given societies consider appropriate for men or women. People who fall under the transgender umbrella may identify

Despite on how the country has developed over the years with technological advances and cultural acceptance, lack of acceptance in gender identity is a problem many Americans face. As defined by Oxford Dictionary, Gender is “The state of being male or female” (2016). Although gender is usually separated into being either a man or a woman, it is important to state that gender is socially constructed and can differ between different societies. Gender is used as a mechanism to differentiate a person’s masculinity or femininity using their biological features (Babatunde & Durowaiye, 2015). Sadly, those who do not conform to their designated gender are not typically accepted into society and are out-casted by many, including the individual’s

This definition has as of late become absolutely irrelevant and is actually technically wrong in suggesting that there are only two genders. It supports the Gender Binary definition which states that the only existing genders are male and female. A more socially adept definition would be to split gender into 2. Gender identity is each person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is their sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from their birth-assigned sex. Gender identity is fundamentally different from a person’s sexual orientation. Gender expression is how a person publicly presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender. While sexuality is a term meaning. Now that we have put those two things in perspective, it is easier to understand all of the recent changes within these two factors and how they have been and will continue to affect daily lives. The main reason for the hype around these topics is that recently in the 21st century, we’ve seen people moving toward progressing movements e.g. Feminism and Black lives matter and represented on marginalised groups. Most of these movements have to do with the taking apart of traditional society ethics, morals and

Throughout today’s society, there are multiple views and opinions on whether or not there are more than two genders or if gender is even just a social construct. Each person has their own individual preference on how they express their gender. Therefore, we can no longer assume what someone identifies as just by looking at them. Over the years I have learned more about gender expression and gender identity as I gained friends who were homosexual as well as transgender. I feel as if I was introduced to all of these ways of life at a young age, therefore I can, in some ways, teach those who are uneducated and do not know what to think. I have personally never really thought about the different gender identities I could label myself as but as of right now I identify as a cisgender female