I thought Sex and Gender 101 was highly educational since it helped me understand the distinctions between sex and gender. The difference between the two terms has long baffled me. I definitely have a better idea now that I’ve studied Sex and Gender 101. I learned that there are three different kinds of genders: gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression. I started to wonder which type I am. I think I go under the category of gender expression, where I show my gender by the things I wear, the makeup I wear, or even the way I style my hair, yet a part of me is okay with the fact that I was assigned a female gender. While defining sex from a scientific standpoint. What I mean by a more scientific perspective is that it explains the XY chromosome, which implies you’ll be assigned a male, as well as the XX chromosome, which indicates you’ll be assigned a girl. So I understand that sex and gender are two distinct concepts. I am happy that I learned the meaning of these terms because I am now able to share this information with friends and family. 

The definition of Feminism is generally understood as a movement for social, political, and economic equality of men and women. bell hooks defines feminism as a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Hooks emphasizes that women must confront their own sexist thoughts before coming together under one banner. The importance of intersectionality is also highlighted, as women cannot unite if they continue to oppress other women due to varying marginalized identities such as race or class. Prior to reading this essay, my knowledge of feminism was limited to the belief in gender equality, equal pay for equal work, and shared household and parenting duties between men and women. Reading this essay has deepened my understanding and belief in gender equality. The harassment and discrimination of women based on their race and gender is unacceptable. Hooks’ suggestion that the feminist movement should include women of all races and colors is compelling, as it would lead to a significant outcome in the fight against similar struggles. Women should not have their bodily autonomy questioned by men.

“Sex & Gender 101” was very similar to my understanding of gender and the reality of it that this article dives into. I understand that gender is socially constructed and varies over time and in different cultures. I also understand that biological sex is only related to chromosomes and secondary sex characteristics. It is universal. One thing I didn’t know/really understand until reading this article is the scientific break down of intersex persons. I was not aware of the many variations of intersex and also how common it is. This was a real eye opener for me because I am really just now learning about it. In a way my view on concepts that exist on a spectrum fluidly may always be a bit outdated. Social constructs are ever-changing and whether it be slow or fast I know it is my responsibility to be informed, kind, and understanding. At the end of the day, every human being is allowed to express themselves and be whoever they want as long as it isn’t causing any harm. This perspective has made me realize why these discussions surrounding gender and sexism are so important. Restriction and refusing change has always caused division and harm but acceptance, staying educated, and open mindedness has continued to bring peace and happiness. Additionally, Bell Hooks’ piece on feminism is very powerful in my opinion. It isn’t hateful and it simply aims to end oppression and misogyny, which is what we all want. More hate won’t fix anything.

Reading both articles helped me realize how little I know about gender identity. For example, Myers talks about the difference between gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression Myers goes more and death in these topics and also stresses how anyone can I identify as what they want and how they express themselves could be different from when they were younger. I learned from this article that gender identity doesn’t always follow one sexual orientation, and you could be any identity and have any sexual orientation. These two topics are free-flowing. One thing that I didn’t know before reading this article was what gender expression was, and after reading this article, I have a better understanding of all these terms. 

In the article written by Bell hooks, he gave me insight into the word feminist based on experiences. The way I Define the term feminist is a woman who wants to be equal but also has hatred towards men. Still, after reading this article, that is different. Bell hooks stated that feminism is a community of people trying to end the objectification of women and the oppression that women face in daily life. One big reason she said this was that she wanted equality between all genders.

Sex refers to anatomy and physiology, including sex chromosomes, sex hormones, sex organs, and external genitalia. Male, Female, and Intersex are terms used to refer to biological sex. Intersex means a person has female sex chromosomes and female internal reproductive organs, but has external genitals that appear male. Gender is the social and cultural roles that males and females are expected to subscribe to based on their biological sex, and is broken down into three main categories: gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression. Intersex babies are often categorized based on their external genitalia and socialized according to the gender roles of the culture they were born into. Gender identity refers to how a person thinks about themselves in regards to gender, while gender assignment and gender identity don’t always “match.” Gender expression is how a person shows their gender identity, such as clothing, make-up, hairstyles, or style of walking or dancing. Sexual orientation is fluid and can change over time, making it a Choose and decide your own way.

In both articles “Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Myers and “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by Bell Hooks, gave me a better understanding of what gender identity, intersex, and hormones mean by breaking them down. Myers talks about society and cultural norms, the meaning of what gender is versus the reality breakdown of gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression into categories. It went more in depth with how a person’s “gender expression can change over time”. Anyone can identify as whatever they want to and choose their own adventures.

From reading this article I learned, although we are assigned a male or female identity, any gender identity can be attracted to any sexual orientation. In “Sex & Gender 101”, Myers explains to the audience that there’s a difference between sex and gender. Meyers gives a deep broken down understanding of sex, referring to the anatomy and physiology. Before reading this text, I truly believed that gender was male and female, but later I got a very good understanding of how gender expression changes overtime.

When I first heard the word feminist, I thought it meant women’s equality because of how society made it seem. Some men made the feminist movement seem like it’s against men. After Reading the article “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by Bell Hooks. I now understand that feminism is a “movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Hooks’ definition of feminism is great because she didn’t bash any specific group of people. She just explained we need to end sexism and gain equality. Both of these texts educated me on the realities of gender, sex, and feminism.

“Sex and Gender 101” shows the reader the differences between specific terms regarding gender, and sexual orientation. Reading the article, I learned about these terms which helped me understand their meaning. More importantly, differentiating each word aided in my understanding of the cultures around us, including my own. For instance, the difference in sexual chromosome variations like XX/XY Chromosomes and 46 (XX/XY) intersex chromosomes. This helped me understand that some people at birth have differences in chromosomes which leads to their gender assignment. Also, there are some people that are born with both types of chromosome variations which could change over time. In other words, the chromosomes play a role in truly understanding a person’s gender but as a result of culture and life experiences, they may be free to change their gender. Moving toward culture, males, and females may possibly follow certain stereotypes. Being a Hispanic woman, it is common for males to be looked upon as the head of the household, providing for the family, and taking an authority-like position. On the other hand, females in my Hispanic culture are looked upon as responsible for taking care of their household and raising their children. Generational traditions may alter over time like gender identities due to a rise in education regarding their capabilities to achieve power. For instance, women in Hispanic culture in today’s time can choose to work jobs and provide for their families and raise their kids at the same time. Also, Hispanic men learn to coexist with women in power positions in government, law, and business. As mentioned before, these changes in culture happen as a result of education. Moving back to the topic of gender identity, changes in culture and a rise in education can help people have a clearer understanding of who they are based on their gender, sexual orientation, identity, and more! The article educated me on these topics which can expand our ways of thinking.

In “FEMINIST POLITICS Where We Stand” talks about the misunderstanding of feminism. Moreover, 3 concepts this chapter talks about are how women can be sexist as well, fitting feminism in its correct term, and female freedom getting misunderstood and having to get that back. To add on sexism, in general, is placed in wrong misleading directions like how it states, at the beginning, of this chapter “all sexist thinking and action is the problem, whether those who perpetuate it are female or male, child or adult.“ One has to really understand sexism to understand feminism because you can’t judge based on other’s points of view or how they word things how in the article it shows how people think feminism is just women who want to be equal to men just that when it’s not just that they’re is more than just simple ways people try to express this term. Another thing this article talks about is how women are also sexist not only men if they believe they are superior to others because of the economic power they have they don’t agree or try to fight with the women who was to be treated equally as men because of where they’re placed in life not having to worry about anything. We also got to read those female politics are losing their way of embracing feminism and we as the ones reading this should remind them of the real reasons and get them back on fighting for our freedoms and rights. Personal experience, I grew up in a household where women and men are equal when it comes to making money doing chores, and life decisions. To exemplify, I was raised by a single mother who had 2 sons and 2 daughters she lived in a household where men were superior to female and females were known as useless and only worked for being housewives, she didn’t want us growing up in that environment so she made everything equal and making us all independent on making our own choices no matter what others say because we all can do it as she did. So as men, my brothers understood how women should be respected and treated equally.

I think reading “Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Myers was a great first read for this class. It was very informative. In the beginning when they talked about biological sex, I thought I knew a lot. However, when they brought up sex chromosomes, hormones and intersex, I almost got lost. I have seen some doctor shows and been introduced to the meaning of intersex but reading about it was different and I’m glad to know and learn more about it now. I honestly wasn’t aware that you could have incompletely formed genitalia, I had never even heard the term “gonad” before. 

I learned about gender assignment very early on in life of course, we do that with gender reveal parties. I found learning about parents surgically making their child’s genitalia look more “normal” at birth shocking. Gender identity I knew some more about, growing up in public school in New York kind of opened up a lot to me especially after coming out of quarantine when people had the time to reflect on how they wanted to be identified as. Gender expression, I have always tried to practice not conforming to gender norms in clothes but sometimes I still do. I like to stay in the middle of that. I wear pretty dresses but I’ve also worn my grandfather’s pants, shirts, ties, jackets, and shoes. I am aware that sometimes how I express my gender may not always align with my gender identity but I think that’s okay too. 

Something I was glad to learn was the true meaning of “pansexual” when reading about sexual orientation. I don’t know when I first heard about this sexuality but it was explained so differently, so wrong, to me. I wish I had searched it up on my own but I think I just never felt the need to because the people that told me were the ones that identified as pansexual themselves. I really needed to be corrected. I think another thing I needed to hear was that sexual behavior doesn’t always have to align with identity. I think a lot of the time we focus on labels because they make it easier for people to understand you but I personally don’t enjoy them. I will respect them of course but I will respect someone not wanting any of their own as well. 

“Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by bell hooks was a little disappointing only because it explained how feminism has been miscommunicated. They explain how we as a society learn about feminist politics usually through patriarchal mass media or through privileged white women. One quote I found interesting was “The wrong minded notion of feminist movement which implied it was anti-male carried with it the wrong minded assumption that all female space would necessarily be an environment where patriarchy and sexist thinking would be absent.” I thought this was an important quote to highlight because I am sure there are instances when every woman has felt less than or degraded by a room full of women. There are times when I have felt more targeted by women or felt as if I were in a competition with a woman that neither of us will win in the end. There are moments in my life when I have to take a step back and think if I am being sexist or misogynistic, I wonder if that’s just me and some of the sexist thinking I have internalized. 

Another thing I found shocking was when they brought up how when fighting for equal rights/working rights, white men gave more power to privileged white women and this kept black men from having equal rights with white men. Then as white women reaped these benefits, they started to care less and less about dismantling the patriarchy, they cared less and less about the revolutionary feminist visions. It’s all very disappointing.

“Feminism Is For Everybody – Passionate Politics” by Bell Hooks really puts in the perspective answering questions we probably have all been wondering. Just generally: What REALLY does Feminism mean?. I love that Bell Hooks introduces why she wrote this book in the means of inviting just about anyone into her reading by making it relatable. From her experiences and understanding that Feminism is viewed as anti-men. I decided to ask a few co workers surrounding me what their first thought of feminism was. Many used similar words. “Equality” “Men equal women” “Anti-Men” . And Bell Hooks wants us, yes, us, to understand that it is more than woman vs men. It’s breaking the division between humans! Starting with the main issue: sexism.

Bell Hooks states “Practically, it is a definition which implies that all sexist thinking and action is the problem, whether those who perpetuate it are female or male, child or adult” (Hooks, 1). Referring to her own definition of feminism in a previous book she wrote, she is teaching us that sexism is a root issue that does not come from just men like many would imply, but anyone! INCLUDING women.

More than our gender roles, there is so much more that come with these divisions. All the things that “separate” us in society. Included in those are culture and race. As I read about the black women within feminist groups, I sadly am not surprised to learn that their place in the movements had to be fought twice as hard! “Even before race became a talked about issue in feminist circles it was clear to black women (and to their revolutionary allies in struggle) that they were never going to have equality within the existing white supremacist capitalist patriarchy” (Hooks, 4).

Following all these beliefs that Feminism equals angry women wanting equal rights to men leads me to my question well where does that leave the individuals that do not refer to themselves as either or?

Sex & Gender 101 was such an interesting read. It really puts into detail the challenging questions most people have regarding genders and sex and the differences and what each means and this article helped make it easy to understand.I loved the categories it was broken down to, I find it an easy way to be able to explain it to someone in the future that is easily self explanatory: Gender assignment: The gender you were assigned by basically your family based off body features.. Gender identity: The gender you choose to identify yourself as. and Gender expression: The gender you choose to express yourself as, perhaps by style, hairdo, personality, etc.