I found Sex and Gender 101 to be very informative as it gave me a better understanding of the difference between both sex and gender. I always wondered the difference between the two terms. Now that I read the article Sex and Gender 101, I definitely got a better understanding. Some information that I found informative was that there are three types of genders: Gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression. This made me wonder what type I fall into. I believe I fall under the gender expression where I express my gender through the clothes I wear, the make-up I put on, or even the way I do my hair but another part of me is ok with my gender assignment which is female. While defining sex to be more of a scientific outlook. What I mean about more of a scientific outlook is that it explains the XY chromosome which means you will be assigned a male while the XX chromosome which means you are assigned a female. So I understand that sex and gender are two completely different terms. I am extremely excited that I learned the meaning of these terms because now I can inform others in my family that always wondered about the difference between these terms. I can’t wait to see what else this class has in store and the many things I will learn during this class. I will take what I learn and inform my family about the different terms we will continue to learn.

As a queer trans person, I have an abundance of personal knowledge and experience regarding the topic of gender and sex. I have been active in local LGBT communities and have both attended and led workshops for young adults on this topic. I love that in the beginning of the article, “Sex and Gender 101”, when explaining biological sex it is noted that determination of this is mainly based of someone’s external genitalia. I often see the common misconception that it is only based on chromosomes. I’m very glad that the author included the statistical fact that intersex people are as common as redheads. This is a fact that I love to share and it almost always surprises people when I tell them. If you think about it, I think we can all identify at least one redhead person we know, whether we know them personally or from the public eye. Unfortunately we aren’t taught about intersex people in general education, and if they are mentioned it is very brief and presented in a way that describes intersex people as such a small percentage of the population, so there’s no need to give it attention. In reality, they are a significant and very real part of the world population, whose rights are still overlooked. From my opinion as a non-intersex person, I think this articles quick explanation of intersex is helpful and informative. 
The essay on Feminism was equally informative. The author uses her definition that feminism is a “movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and opression.” to emphasize that feminism is NOT anti-men, but anti-sexism; Sexism is the problem because it has been pushed on us all since birth. Even with my already existing personal knowledge on these topics, I find these articles to be a great comprehensive foundation to begin this course with. Both articles start with challenging/de-bunking common misconceptions related to gender, sex and feminism (i.e. the idea that Feminism is anti-men)

After reading Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks, I felt a sense of pride in being a woman, and in being a feminist. The beginning of the text had me hooked. I think that nowadays, it can be considered embarrassing to have to explain to people that you are a feminist, simply because feminism’s reputation, as well as its mission, has been completely and utterly tarnished. I really enjoyed the acknowledgment of this in her writing, since it’s the sad truth of this (white supremacist, capitalistic, and patriarchal hell-scape) society that we live in. I also like that she aims for her readers to be able to understand her message clearly without being pretentious, and also makes an effort to mention Black and indigenous efforts of women’s liberation throughout her work. Her focus on intersectionality and the importance of eradicating racial inequalities within feminist spaces was very important to me. I found hooks’ writing to be super engaging and full of wit – it was a very entertaining and enlightening read for me!

I spent a lot of my formative years in online spaces (mostly tumblr) where LGBTQ+ voices were amplified, and talks of gender and sexuality were very common, so some of the ideas I read about in Sex and Gender 101 were not unfamiliar to me at all (gender is a construct, sexuality is fluid…) However, I hardly knew anything about the different chromosome combinations that can be observed in those who are intersex! I thought that was really interesting. I definitely think that more people should be exposed to this knowledge. I’m genuinely very happy that I learned something new, it feels so exciting and encourages me to learn even more and do some research of my own!

     After reading “Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Meyers, I developed a better understanding of biological sex and the three main categories of gender, such as gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression. When Meyers mentions children being “socialized according to the gender roles of the culture they were born into.”, I instantly thought about gender reveals and the stereotype that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. The breakdown of the different sex chromosome variations that Intersex persons can have was very helpful; I wasn’t aware of them beforehand. It’s definitely important to discuss topics such as gender with the people you surround yourself with. Learning from each other will help create a safe environment. I genuinely enjoyed this reading and how it focuses on the fact that “biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation aren’t mutually exclusive.” Meyers concludes with, “Every human’s identity falls along multiple spectrums…Kind of like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure!” and I think that’s such an important message. 

     “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by Bell Hooks focuses on her definition of feminism: the movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Mass media makes feminists out to be anti-male when in reality, the problem is all sexist thinking and actions. The goal isn’t equal pay; the goal is dismantling patriarchy and ending sexism, as she states. This was an essential read for me because I learned about the movement’s history and the problematic areas surrounding early activists. Towards the end of the reading, Hooks writes, “Feminist politics is losing momentum because feminist movement has lost clear definitions.” Personally, her definition and breakdown have helped me understand the movement a lot more.

“Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Meyers talks about how sex and gender are two very different things. I think society often put sex and gender together as if they are the same thing but they are not. Meyers discusses this by mentioning gender assignment. Gender roles and norms have been created by society and are put onto people based on their sex. Gender roles vary in different countries but in America girls are expected to be soft and submissive while boys are expected to be strong and dominant. We are taught these gender roles and made to feel like if we do not fit into our assigned gender then you’re wrong. Meyers also talks about how gender affects how you are treated. Gender inequality has been a heated topic for decades. It seems since the beginning of time, men put themselves in a superior position over women. Women are  considered less valuable. Not given equal opportunity solely based on their gender. Sexuality is another hot topic Meyers mentions. Another aspect of your identity that society seemingly dictates. Meyers stating that sex and gender can be intertwined with how a person sexually identifies, a large part of that being cultural expectations making it so being gay conflicts with masculinity. Being attracted to the same sex goes against societal and cultural expectations. Meyers makes their opinion on these matters clear by stating gender is complicated and that biological sex is not unchangeable. Making gender roles and norms irrelevant expectations created by society. 

In “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand”, by bell hooks states “Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” This definition implies that men are not the enemy and that anyone is capable of being sexist. In a society where it is taught that men are superior to women, it is easy to adopt a sexist mindset and actions without even realizing. The feminist movement couldn’t be shaped by an anti-male sentiment so it shifted to an effort to create “gender justice”. Equality could not exist within a white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. Women realized there couldn’t be any gender justice without also confronting the issues where women are “dominated and exploited ” based on class and race. The feminist movement shifted by creating a political platform that would address all of these injustices. After fighting for civil rights, the movement shifted again, focusing on inequality in the workforce. Within the existing system women were not able to be independent because they were exploited and given less opportunity and lower level jobs. At the end of this chapter, hooks emphasizes that the feminist movement is ongoing, continuing to shift and change in order to confront gender injustice. 

1. My reflection based the article “Sex & Gender 101”  is a gender-inclusive article made to show us how to take proper actions to providing care that addresses the specific needs of LGBTQI+ indivisuals. The article has a dictionary of terms and resources for who communicate with indivisuals across the gender spectrum. People’s gender identity can match their biological sex or it can not. When someone uses the words “girl” or “women” to identify herself, she is stating that her gender is female.
2. My recflection on “FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYBODY” is a book by bell hooks. A woman rights always brings us from slavery to being free, to feeling hopeless to having hope. Hooks explains her labor of love in writing this guide to us woman.

In reading “Sex & Gender 101”, I was taken back to last semester when I took Biology 108 & 109 as there was a chapter where we discussed the different sex chromosome variations that intersex persons can have. In that Biology course, I remember learning about the complex or undetermined intersex variation where a person can be born with just one sex chromosome (XO) or may have an extra (XXY,XYY,XXX). However, I admit I felt that so much information was missing to me after the biological explanations were given in that course that this article was able to provide in more depth along with other variations. I also appreciate learning to define gender as a cultural structure that shifts between societies and across time and that there are three categories involved which include gender assignment (assigned at birth based on a person’s biological sex), gender identity (how one thinks about themselves in regards to their gender), and gender expression (how on chooses to show their gender identity). Prior to reading this article, I believed gender was associated with ones assigned biological sex for the most part so this information provided an eye-opening addendum to my definition. Although I am a cisgendered heterosexual female, thinking about starting a family one day gives me the need to gain knowledge concerning sex and gender because I would like to understand how to approach children and motherhood someday through the many variations that exist. I know what it feels like to identify as cisgendered but I feel a responsibility to understand what it is like not to feel aligned with one’s assigned gender in hopes of being to guide the next generation with compassion and support.

“Feminist Politics: Where we stand” hit points in feminism that I needed to hear concerning my previous definition of the word which used to stress me out because I constantly thought about women who lost sight of how to create a movement because mainstream media just seems to portray these women as enraged and basically hating men 24/7. This idea of full-time anger caused me to shut down at the thought of feminism because who wants to live that kind of life? Not me. There is still alot for me to unpack from Bell Hooks’ definition of feminism as a movement created to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression but it definitely beats out my previous understanding of this movement.

I believe that the majority of my friends are self-aware about the concepts regarding gender and sex and that I too know the differences. After having read these two texts I started to realize that I have a lot to learn- that it is much deeper than what genitalia you have at birth and the deep-rooted assumptions people tie to the male and female gender. In Sex & Gender 101, I truly enjoyed breaking down intersex and how biological gender varies through chromosomes, as well as the practice of gender assignment starting to become something that isn’t enforced in the medical world. I find it frustrating that gender roles dictate a child’s life from the moment they are born until they are old enough to explore their identity and be confident in their decision-making.

I also enjoyed reading Bell Hooks’s chapter Where We Stand, I am aware of sexism and the inequality women have experienced in the past and present. Hooks helped me further my knowledge of this topic when she explains that after the civil rights movement there was still a major struggle for women of all races to be represented in a white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. White women then gave up fighting for feminism, and of course, benefited from the power they had from the preexisting social structure white men created. It upset me to read that there was little to no news coverage available to the public about the progress feminism circles produced, but I see a similarity in society today with the BLM movement and obtaining justice for the families affected by police brutality. In closing Hooks goes on to say let us start again, and to let the movement begin again – I feel that is what has happened over the course of this pandemic, with all of the violence and murder we see on social media.

“Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Myers starts off by clarifying on principle terms such as what biological sex is, gender and sexual orientation. The biology behind sex refers to the anatomy and physiology, which includes our outer genitalia, sex organs, sex chromosomes and sex hormones. Furthermore, Myers specifies that biological sex is in regard to how a person’s outer genitalia looks, which in turn can me changed via medication. When speaking on biological sex, the labels are female, male and intersex. Females have xx sex chromosomes, males have xy sex chromosomes and intersex persons have variations of sex chromosomes. One of the variations of sex chromosomes for intersex people is 46, xx in which the person has female internal reproductive organs as well as sex chromosomes but externally has genitals that look male. True Gonadal Intersex, another variation, is when a person has testicular and ovarian tissue either in the gonad, or the individual may have one ovary and one testicle. Universally, no matter where you are biological sex is understood. This is due to the expected development that takes place during puberty, so when a female who has xx chromosomes develops breasts, wider hips and body hair, it is no surprise.

            Gender is a term that refers to the roles that are placed for males and females, both social and cultural. There are three ways that break down gender: gender assignment, gender identity and gender expression. Gender assignment refers to when a person is labelled as either a feminine gender or a masculine one, all depending on their outer genitalia. This occurs in utero normally, even for intersex persons. This assigning of genders, children are then taught accordingly. Boys to be aggressive, rough and tough, and girls to be likeable, polite and submissive. These are stereotypical roles that affect people from pursuing their dreams in developing countries, in which a woman pursuing an education is not seen as valuable.

Gender identity is how an individual think about themselves in relation to gender. One important fact that gender identity and gender assignment may not match, and thus may be go by transgender, genderqueer, non-binary or non-conforming.If a person feels they do match, they are considered cisgender.Gendered pronouns allow others to know how to refer to someone, such as “they” or “she.” Lastly, gender expression is how a person chooses to present their gender identity. The way a person dresses or walks is how we can give people cues as to how we view ourselves and thus, how we wish to be viewed by the world. For those who are afraid of how people will view them, their gender expression and gender identity may not align. 

            Sexual orientation is alluding to who a person feels attracted to. There is a plethora of sexualities such as heterosexual(attracted to the opposite gender), homosexual(gay/lesbian), bisexual(attracted to both genders), andpansexual (attracted to the attributes of a person). Although there are set definitions for each term, sexuality is not set in stone. It is fluid and can fluctuate as a person grows. Ultimately, I have learned that these fundamental terms are not mutually exclusive, and sexuality as well as gender expression can change over time. They are not rigid because humans are constantly evolving and it is a beautiful thing!

 “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by Bell Hooks talks about what Hooks proposes feminism is. In Bell Hooks words, feminism is a movement that seeks to end sexism, sexist manipulation and despotism regardless of who is the perpetuator. One important move that she made was identifying the real root of the issue as sexism. Although the feminist that is shown by the media is portrayed as eager for equal work and pay to men, that is not the true meaning of what feminism is, in fact that is what the reformist feminist wants. Reformist feminists negatively impacted society as a whole because they deterred from the real movement to rebuild a sexist-free place. They also kept women of African American descent who were active at the precipice of the movement, from being featured or from gaining attention from the media. This maintained equality an achievement that was evidently not going to be attained by women who were not white. It is important to understand that feminism is simply the desire to build a nation that is free of sexism, oppression and manipulation, where all people can live their lives in peace.