Physical Sex vs. Gender Identity
Even before birth most everyone wonders if the baby will be a boy or a girl. “What are you having?” is a commonly heard refrain. Knowing someone’s gender seems like a basic, simple way to begin understanding that person; or is it? While gender has predominantly been thought of as an either/or, boy or girl phenomenon, the world is evolving and inviting scientific and lay people to re-think their understanding of what gender means. The sex of a person is based on physical characteristics present at birth. A person’s gender is considered to be based on that person’s perceived or felt identity.