Our assignment this week included reading two excerpts regarding sex, gender, and feminism. I found both of them very interesting and helpful in explaining these complicated topics. The first one is an article by Kyl Meyers titled “Sex & Gender 101.” It outlines very clearly what is biological sex, gender, sexual orientation and the difference between them. To put it in a few words, biological sex is defined by human anatomy, including chromosome type and organs. I was surprised to learn that there are four different variations of Intersex persons’ anatomy and that some intersex variations can be almost impossible to recognize by just looking at a person. Unlike sex, gender is a social construct that changes over time and cultures. People are assigned certain behavior and appearance based on their gender, but Meyers also stresses the fact that gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression don’t necessarily have to match. For example, you can establish a more masculine gender expression, but this won’t mean you identify the same way. The same goes for sexual orientation, which refers to who the person is attracted to. It is fluid and can change throughout life. All of these factors intertwine and contribute to a person’s identity in countless different ways. Because of how the article is written in such a simple, accessible manner, I even thought of translating it to my home language and giving it to my parents to read.

The second reading was the first chapter from the book “Feminism is For Everybody” by Bell Hooks. It introduces a modern definition of feminism, the goal of which is to end sexism and sexist oppression, rather than to make women equal to men. What I didn’t know before reading the chapter is that there were two groups of feminist thinkers — revolutionary and reformist. The latter refers to establishing gender equality, which was the main objective of early feminist movements, and it affected how the public viewed feminism in general. The vision of what same rights in the workforce as men was easier to realize and thus it became mainstream and favored by most women. However, it did not solve the problems of women of all colors and classes. That’s why Hooks promotes revolutionary feminism, which called for completely restructuring the society. Given that the book was published in 2000, I think the author’s vision is set to slowly succeed in modern days, considering how fast-paced everything is. We’re seeing shifts in people’s awareness about gender with increasing progression, indicating that society is becoming more accepting and casual about it. If this trend continues with generations, I can see the borders of gender being bent and somewhat erased (in a good way), thus making sexism oudated.