Gender Equality and the Distinction between Sex and Gender Expression

This article discusses the distinction between sex and gender expression and the importance of recognizing and legitimizing uncommon identities. It also critiques the unjustified draft policy that denies the equality and liberty of citizens.

Running head: GENDER EQUALITY
GENDER EQUALITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1GENDER EQUALITY
Introduction
The sexual psyche of an individual does not necessarily depend on his or her extrinsic
character but is also moulded from the intrinsic consciousness that an individual holds. In the
article “Intrinsic inclinations”, Julia Serrano states that sex and gender expression are two
different concepts and it should not be integrated while understanding the sexual orientation of a
person. The nature of an individual cannot be merely physical but also mental and it is important
to realize that the expression of individualistic identity in either gender forms is a confinement of
the self which cannot be justified in terms of liberty and equality. The distinctiveness of the
physical sex and the gender expression of any individual are different from that of their
designated gender at birth.
The society has a generalized stigma regarding the sexual orientation of an individual. As
Serrano puts it that the sex and the gender are two separate identities, it is the social stigma that
teaches us to identify our sexual character with that of our gender at birth in linearity, failing to
realize that these two are distinct and separate identities within an individual. Julia Serrano
explains that it is a common notion that the transition into transsexuals is not because of aligning
the sexual identity of the mind and the body, but more to express their femininity or masculinity.
The same notion is applied to indentify Gay or Lesbian identities and are expressed “as
masculine as women go or feminine as men go”. Serrano also states that the subconscious sex
and its orientation is invisible since it is an abstract value of an individual, it is our gender
expression that is notable to the outside world which gives it an even more reason to be
criticized, judged and commented on. It is essential to understand these two distinct notions of

2GENDER EQUALITY
the body and the mind as separate expressions and not draw conclusions only within the outward
expression of the gender.
Any individual when born is not capable enough to identify its sexual orientation. It is
only after puberty that we recognize our subconscious sex and thereby develop our gender
expression. The conflict in the psyche arrives when this gender expression is not in sync with
what we have been identified since birth and therefore creates a confusion that questions our
beliefs. The expression of our gender is greatly attributed to the learning process that has been
inflicted upon by the society. A boy is taught to behave like a male gender, a girl is taught to be
feminine in expression. Any deviation from this is greatly ridiculed or criticized. As Julia
Serrano explains that our gender expression is not always developed but is an intrinsic character
that expresses itself at times when the sexual orientation is not even developed, i.e. before
puberty. It is therefore important to look deeply into the subconscious psyche of an individual to
understand the feminine or masculine expression of the self.
It is however also necessary to realize that gender expression has to be distinct owing to
our biological necessity. The distinct masculinity and femininity is a biological manifestation
and transsexual expression is just an exception. Though there can be femininity in men and
masculinity in women it should not outgrow their biological character. This can only aggravate
the mental psyche of feminine man or a masculine man to think differently, which he or she is
not biologically inclined to. It is therefore necessary to make the male identify their role as a
masculine gender and the females as a feminine gender.
The necessity to identify the complex nature of the subconscious sex and the gender
expression, it cannot be argued that an individual can have contradicting behaviours and it

3GENDER EQUALITY
should not be allowed to grow, rather it should be understood that there is completely no fault in
realizing the femininity in men and masculinity in women. Since the gender expression is greatly
attributed to the practicing of gender roles, it can be assumed that such repetitive practice
suppresses the subconscious sexual orientation to identify an individual with their extrinsic
gender (May). Again it is not absolutely necessary to assume that all men are feminine and all
women are masculine, there are exceptions and the intrinsic inclination stated by Serrano,
expresses that these exceptions be allowed to grow naturally with their differences and not
judged based on the restricted structure.
With the draft policy being framed aiming to distinguish genders across polarity, the
trump administration is failing to understand the concept of gender equality and liberty
(Nytimes.com). The draft policy mentions that citizens would have to testify their identity in
terms of their gender at birth and all institutions funded by the government would harm the
identity of the around 1.4 million Americans indentified otherwise of the two sexes. This is
greatly an injustice on civil rights and as John Rawls identifies justice as a set of two constructs,
equality and liberty; the draft policy denies the equality and disapproves their right to
participation in civic bodies and the society. As Rawls (164-194) explains the concept of justice
in “Justice as fairness”, states that justice should be fair in terms of equality and liberty where it
should not be discriminatory. He also states that it can be unfair but only when being unfair dose
not harm or deprive a section of the society.
With the unjustified draft policy and the concept of sexual identity as defined by Julia
Serrano, it can be understood that the gender expression and the sexual orientation of a person
can be different and it is necessary to legitimize these expressions rather than suppressing them.
The society is ought to be diverse with distinct expression of the self and suppression or

4GENDER EQUALITY
deprivation of civic rights owing to one’s sexual expression cannot be justified and legitimized.
It is necessary to realize the nature and reality of the uncommon identities and recognize their
distinctness as a natural construct.
References
May, Larry, ed. Applied ethics: A multicultural approach. Routledge, 2017.
Nytimes.com. "‘Transgender’ Could Be Defined Out Of Existence Under Trump
Administration".Nytimes.Com,2018,https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/us/politics/
transgender-trump-administration-sex-definition.html. Accessed 1 Dec 2018.
Rawls, John. "Justice as fairness." The philosophical review67.2 (1958): 164-194.
Serano, Julia. Whipping girl: A transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity.
Hachette UK, 2016.