Education is the biggest barrier to understanding, and stage one of education is terminology. Know the meaning of the words you are using!
Gender: the social construction of being male, female, or somewhere in between.
Sex: the social construction of the biological categorization of being male or female.
Sexuality: sexual preference
What does it mean for something to be socially constructed? It means that gender is built upon the roles and expectations taught by culture and society. For example, from an early age we often say to children, "what a pretty little girl," and "what a big, handsome boy," instilling gender differences early. Our culture therefore emphasizes being pretty to girls, and being strong and manly to boys. This is a very simple answer to a very complex question.
Remember: sexism hurts men, women, and everyone in between. Working for the rights of one oppressed group increases equality for everyone.
Debunking Myths about Sex, Gender, and Sexuality:
1. Gender differences between men and women are natural.
2. Biological sex is binary.
3. Sexuality is binary (straight or gay)
4. Women have achieved full equality in the United States.
5. Female hormonal cycles make women overly emotional and unreliable.
6. Men are naturally aggressive and competitive.
7. Feminists are man-haters.
8. Lesbians are always masculine, gays are always feminine.
9. Women have innate nurturing abilities that men do not have.
10. Jokes about women (get back in the kitchen!) are funny and harmless
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