Gender binary refers to classifying gender into distinct forms of masculine and feminine. The classification of gender may occur through the social systems or cultural beliefs dominant in a particular environment. In the last section, you learned that the idea of a binary system for gender has roots in colonialism. Similar to the way power relations affect the social construction of gender, there are different ideologies used when understanding gender. Essentialists see gender as a biological and unchanging, two-category system. They view gender as something that can be classified into distinct categories. Essentialism views chromosomes, hormones, and genitalia as key factors in determining one’s gender identity. This perspective does not create much space to account for the role of culture, how one views themselves, and how they interact with others.

Most sociologists view gender from a constructionist approach. As introduced in Chapter 4, social constructionism is the theory that all reality and meaning is subjective and created through dynamic interactions with other individuals and groups. According to this approach, gender is shaped socially and changes over time. Behaviors that are associated with femininity and masculinity reflect culture and patterns of interaction that are considered normative during certain historical time periods.

The binary view of gender (the notion that someone is either masculine or feminine) is specific to certain cultures and is not universal. In some cultures, gender is viewed as fluid. Anthropologists found that among some Indigenous tribes, the terms berdache or “two-spirit” people refer to individuals who occasionally or permanently dressed and lived as a different gender. Berdaches may also participate in labor roles traditionally associated with their preferred masculine or feminine style of clothing. Samoan culture accepts what Samoans refer to as a “third gender.” Fa’afafine, which translates as “the way of the woman,” is a term used to describe individuals who are born biologically male but embody both masculine and feminine traits. Fa’afafines are considered an important part of Samoan culture. Individuals from other cultures may mislabel their sexuality because fa’afafines have a varied sexual life that may include men and women (Poasa 1992).

Examining Sex Assignment and Gender Identity

Gender identity may or may not correspond with the sex a person was assigned at birth. Cisgender refers to those who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. The term cisgender uses the Latin prefix cis-, which means “on the same side.” For example, a child is assigned female at birth and later self-identifies as a woman or a child is assigned male at birth and self-identifies as a man. The term cisgender does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation or gender expression.

Transgender refers to a person whose sex assigned at birth and gender identity are not necessarily the same. A transgender woman is a person who was assigned male at birth but who identifies and/or lives as a woman; a transgender man was assigned female at birth but identifies and/or lives as a man. While determining the size of the transgender population is difficult, it is estimated that 1.4 million adults (Herman 2016) and 2 percent of high school students in the United States identify as transgender (Johns 2019). The term transgender does not indicate sexual orientation or a particular gender expression, and we should avoid making assumptions about people’s sexual orientation based on knowledge about their gender identity (GLAAD 2021).

Some transgender individuals may undertake a process of transition, in which they move from living in a way that is more aligned with the sex assigned at birth to living in a way that is aligned with their gender identity. Transitioning may occur in the social, legal, or medical aspects of someone’s life, but not everyone undertakes any or all types of transition. Social transition may involve the person’s presentation, name, pronouns, and relationships. Legal transition can include changing their gender on government or other official documents, changing their legal name, and so on. Some people may undergo a physical or medical transition, in which they change their outward, physical, or sexual characteristics so their physical presentation better aligns with their gender identity (UCSF Transgender Care 2019).

Not all transgender individuals choose to alter their bodies: many will maintain their original anatomy but may present themselves to society as another gender. This is typically done by adopting the dress, hairstyle, mannerisms, or other characteristics typically assigned to another gender. It is important to note that people who cross-dress or wear clothing that is traditionally assigned to a gender different from their biological sex are not necessarily transgender. Cross-dressing is typically a form of self-expression or personal style, and it does not indicate a person’s gender identity or that they are transgender (TSER 2021).

Actress and activist Laverne Cox speaks publicly supporting transgender rights. Figure 9.7 shows Cox during part of her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speaking tour [Website], which you can explore if you wish. She discusses how the intersection of race, class, and gender contributes to our complex identities and how trans people in particular are affected.

Intersex is a general term used to describe people whose sex traits, reproductive anatomy, hormones, or chromosomes are different from the usual two ways human bodies develop. Some intersex traits are recognized at birth, while others are not recognizable until puberty or later in life (interACT 2021). While some intersex people have physically recognizable features that are described by specific medical terms, intersex people and newborns are healthy. Most in the medical and intersex community reject unnecessary surgeries intended to make a baby conform to a specific sex assignment. Medical ethicists indicate that any surgery to alter intersex characteristics or traits—if desired—should be delayed until an individual can decide for themselves (Behrens 2021).

It must be noted that intersex and transgender are not interchangeable terms. Many transgender people have no intersex traits, and many intersex people do not consider themselves transgender. Some intersex people believe that intersex people should be included within the LGBTQ community, while others do not (Koyama n.d.). Let’s learn more through Shane’s story (figure 9.8). Shane is a 42-year-old person who identifies on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. They are genderqueer, nonbinary, masculine of center, and discovered as a teenager through genetic testing that they are intersex. They were assigned female at birth, but they have an extra male chromosome. You can learn more about what genderqueer means [Website] if you wish.

The language of sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is continually changing and evolving. To get an overview of some of the most commonly used terms, you have the option to explore the Trans Student Educational Resources Online Glossary [Website].

When individuals do not feel comfortable identifying with the gender associated with their biological sex, then they may experience gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a diagnostic category in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) that describes individuals who do not identify as the gender that most people would assume they are. This dysphoria must persist for at least six months and result in significant distress or dysfunction to meet DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. For children to be assigned this diagnostic category, they must verbalize their desire to become the other gender.

It is important to note that not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria and that its diagnostic categorization is not universally accepted. For example, in 2019, the World Health Organization reclassified “gender identity disorder” as “gender incongruence,” and categorized it under sexual health rather than as a mental disorder. However, health and mental health professionals indicate that the presence of the diagnostic category does assist in supporting those who need treatment or help.

Awareness of Gender Identity

People become aware that they may be transgender at different ages. Even if someone does not have a full (or even partial) understanding of gender terminology and its implications, they can still develop an awareness that their gender assigned at birth does not align with their gender identity. Society, particularly in the United States, has been reluctant to accept transgender identities at any age, but we have particular difficulty accepting those identities in children. Many people feel that children are too young to understand their feelings and that they may “grow out of it.” It is true that some children who verbalize their identification or desire to live as another gender may ultimately decide to live in alignment with their assigned gender. But if a child consistently describes themselves as a gender (or as both genders) and/or expresses themselves as that gender over a long period, their feelings cannot be attributed to going through a “phase” (Mayo Clinic 2021).

Some children, like many transgender people, may feel pressure to conform to social norms, which may lead them to suppress or hide their identity. Most children have a limited understanding of the social and societal impacts of being transgender, but they can feel strongly that they are not aligned with their assigned sex. Considering that many transgender people do not come out or begin to transition until much later in life—well into their 20s—they may live for a long time under that distress.

Queer is a term used to describe gender and sexual identities other than cisgender and heterosexual. The term queer has been used in different ways and has many different meanings. Originally a term meaning “strange” or “peculiar,” queer came to be used in a derogatory way toward those with same-sex desires or relations in the nineteenth century. Starting in the late 1980s, queer activists began to reclaim the word and embraced it as a politically radical alternative to other LGBTQIA+ identities (Sycamore 2008). The Universalist Unitarian Association does a good job of capturing some of the common ways queer is used today, so explore Queer 101 [Website] if you wish.

Licenses and Attributions for Beyond the Binary

Open Content, Original

“Beyond the Binary” by Jennifer Puentes is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Open Content, Shared Previously

“Beyond the Binary” paragraphs 3-7; 9-13 are from “12.1 Sex, Gender, Identity, and Expression” by Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes, Asha Lal Tamang in Introduction to Sociology 3e, OpenStax, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Edited for clarity, consistency, and brevity.

Gender binary definition is adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Figure 9.7. “Laverne Cox, an actress on the television show, “Orange is the New Black,” speaks at CSUF” by CSFU photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Figure 9.8. “topless man with tattoo on his chest sitting on bed” by Shane is licensed under the Unsplash License.