Sex vs gender

[Guest KatyDesire]

I was recently having a conversation with someone who only recently identified herself as CD, and is having a huge number of problems getting her head round all the aspects. (As I still do - and I'm no newbie!)

She asked me: "what is the difference between sex and gender?" While I think I have this pretty much sorted in my own head, I thought it could be useful to many if we could get a number of different takes on this.

My own, is that sex is how you look on the outside, physically. Sexual preference is who you go to bed with. Gender is how you feel on the inside. Gender expression is how you show (on the outside) what you feel on the inside.

And they are all different, and can be at variance with each other.

Interested to hear other takes on this.

Hugs all round.

Katy

[Guest]

Gender is between the ears.

What's between the legs are genitals.

Sex is what I do to some one. Sorry, with some one.

Jus sayin'.

Huggs,

Joann

[~Nova~]

Sex is an act.

Gender is, well, unimportant really

[Charlize]

Gender is how i feel about my self and want to express that feeling.

Sex is a, hopefully, pleasurable pursuit that mostly uses the bits between the legs for a physical sensation of what one hopes will be ecstasy.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Cyndee]

Gender = Software, Firmware

Sex = Hardware

C -

[Guest ToughGuy]

Katy It's great to hear you are helping others find themselves. I wish when I started I had someone to guide me.

Sorry, but the "sex" part of this thread seems to be confusing some members. I think what your getting at is what is sex meaning, male or female. Gender being more a state of mind

I think your thoughts a pretty accurate, although for me gender, and gender expression are the same thing . Being CD kinda says it all, I cross between gender roles. Sex? Test me 100 times, 100 results will come back as male! Scan my brain?????

TG

[Guest carolynn2fem]

Sex is our chromizones most of the time it matches what is between our legs

sexual identity is in our head. M................F

sexual interest is what is in our hearts

sexual preference homo................hetro

[Guest AshleighP]

Very interesting question. I think there are variations on the answer for most everyone. The basics are: hardware vs software, but I see no clear cut distinctions. Societal "norms" at work again I feel.

[Guest Eve Caillard]

Totally agree with you Katy.

Matches my understanding. Nice to see how others see it, too! Good question.

Hugs,

Eve

[Guest Emma Leigh]

others have said it but I will simplify it....your sex is what you are assigned at birth..your gender is what you know in your head

[Guest Fiona]

I agree with the others that stated the term 'sex' is actually an act. I think the reason we hear people use that term to describe gender is just vernacular or the evolution of language.

[Guest Charr Lee]

gender: social and psichologycal

sex : biologycal (genitals, hormones,etc) or an activity that i rarely do

[Guest coping2014]

This is an interesting topic and one that was a recent post on the SO section. I had a member go thru the difference of Gender Identity, Gender Role, and Gender Expression. It really helped me compartmentalize it a bit and wrap my head around it so I could somewhat understand. My husband and I talked about this topic just last night on one of our drives and it helped him share with me that he felt more like he fell in the Gender Expression area. I know there are cases where they all kind of blur into one another as well but it really helped the two of us explain where we are at and what we are dealing with as he came out to me. It's been hard for him to express what he's going through and this site has been a great help in gaining some understanding - SO THANKS!

Coping2014

[gennee]

I'm in line with Katy and Joann's definitions.

[Guest sweetcharlene41]

HMM, EXCELLENT QUESTION, i believe gender is short for gene, which is what you were born with, male or female, your Dad's or Mom's gene maybe the dominant one, so outside you either male of female and that's the gender. Sex is the LOVE you have for you partner, and it's shown or performed in many way's, it also give you and your partner MUCH PLEASURE, some consider it an ACT OF LOVE. When my wife was alive, we MADE LOVE in many differant way's, beside's sex, sometime's I made dinner for her, brought her flower's and candy on Valentine's day, on our anniversary, a bottle of champagne, the made love, Of course this is my opinbion and we all know about them. LOVE and HUGS TO ALL