to

be an all-inclusive description of all

those things that a person says or does to
What are the differences between disclose himself or herself as having the
biologic sex, gender role, gender identity, status of a boy or man, girl or woman,
and sexual orientation? respectively (p. 305). In 1965, Money
amended this term as the public
The biologic sex of an organism in the expression of gender identity, which in
majority of species is defined by the turn was to become the private experience
gametes it produces: males produce of gender role. Soon thereafter,
spermatozoa and females produce ova. The psychologist Sandra Bem developed her
biologic sex of humans is also defined by an gender schema theory to explain how
XY sex determination system consisting of individuals use gender as an organizing
22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and category in all aspects of their life. Her
one pair of sex chromosomes. Normal theory is based on the combination of
karyotypes for women contain two X aspects of social learning theory and
chromosomes and are denoted 46,XX; men cognitive development of gender role
have both an X and a Y chromosome acquisition. She created the Bem Sex Role
denoted 46,XY (Gilbert, 2006). Human Inventory (1971) to measure an individuals
sexual dimorphism aside from the traditional gender role by characterizing
reproductive system is also evidenced in a personalities as masculine, feminine,
multitude of secondary sex characteristics androgynous, or undifferentiated. Through
such as appearance in addition to structural gender-schematic processing, a person
differences in the brain. Generally, among spontaneously sorts attributes and
males and females of similar ethno-racial behaviors into masculine and feminine
background, males are of taller stature, categories; therefore, the individual
have larger body mass and extensive processes information and regulates
capacity to grow facial hair; females are not behavior based on prevailing cultural
as tall, have smaller muscle mass, more definitions of femininity and masculinity. In
fatty deposits, and no comparable capacity our current post-modern society where the
to grow of facial hair. Males have more individual takes precedence over the group,
pronounced thyroid cartilage and a larger gender roles can be fluid, independent of
larynx due to their larger vocal cords, while biologic sex, gender identity and sexual
women have higher-pitched voices and orientation. The issue of sexual orientation
shorter vocal cords. These are but a few may be paradoxical, however, in that it
enumerated biologic sex differences includes assumptions that men who have
between males and females; until recent sex with men engage in effeminate gender
history, however, biologic sex was the only roles both professionally and privately.
accepted marker of the individuals identity Concomitantly, lesbians have also been
and sexual orientation. It is only during assumed to function in opposite gender
recent decades that a combination of roles, with the general public sometimes
research and social advocacy has begun to confounding a non- traditional female
decouple biologic sex from the construct of appearance with stereotypical male gender
gender, in which gender role, gender role behavior. In terms of gender role
identity and sexual orientation are ideology, these belief systems appear to be
expressed independent of the biologic sex prevalent worldwide and reflect a
of the individual. consensus that conflate sexual orientation
with the behavioral expression of gender
In his studies on intersex children, John roles.
Money (1955) coined the term gender role
 of the clinician. One way to characterize
human sexuality is along the dimension of
The term gender identity was first used by sexual orientation. This means the direction
John Money in conjunction with the of sexual feelings or behavior toward
opening of the Gender Identity Disorder individuals of the opposite sex
clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1966 (heterosexuality), the same sex
(Money, 1994). He proposed that gender (homosexuality) or a combination of the
identity is the individuals internal sense or two (bisexuality). In his research on the
conviction of maleness or femaleness as biological roots of sexual behavior, LeVay
distinguished from actual biological sex. (1993) noted that the direction of sexual
Person and Ovesey (1983) defined gender feelings is undoubtedly more significant,
identity generically as composed of two deeper and less susceptible to change than
categories core gender identity and the direction of sexual behavior; however,
gender role identity. In this context, core he pointed out that there is good reason to
gender identity according to male-female consider both aspects when discussing
polarity reflects a biological self-image and sexual orientation. Individuals may differ
is defined as an individuals self- greatly in the execution of orientational
designation of biological femaleness or behavior, and preferences may expand or
maleness. In contrast, gender role identity alter as the individual progresses through
along the masculine-feminine polarity adult development. When considering the
reflects a psychological self-image and can distribution of sexual orientation in the
be defined as an individuals self- population, a problem arises in researching
evaluation of psychological femaleness or a representative sample. Since homo- and
maleness. For the majority of individuals, bisexuality are still somewhat stigmatized
gender identity is an uncomplicated within the general population, accurate
concept congruent with biological sex. numbers may be difficult to ascertain.
Independent of sexual orientation and even Kinsey (1948) estimated that 37% of the
gender role, the phenomenological male population in his research had at least
understanding of ones gender identity as some overt homosexual experience to the
male or female has been accepted since point of orgasm between adolescence and
early childhood. For a small minority, old age, however, only 4% were exclusively
however, the internal experience of the homosexual post adolescence. LeVay
gendered self is dissonant with the external, guesstimated that 4-5% of the male
physical presentation as either male or population and 2-4% of the female
female. For some, the daily experience of population in the United States are
living with a conflicted gender identity is so predominantly homosexual, although he
disabling that these individuals seek cautioned against interpreting the results in
psychotherapy and counseling. Such a too literal a fashion. Current research on
person is said to be suffering from gender the origins of sexual orientation is mainly
dysphoria and may be diagnosed with concerned with the development of
Gender Identity Disorder according to the homosexuality, since heterosexuality is the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental norm, considered congruent with biologic
Disorders, (American Psychiatric sex, gender identity and largely gender role.
Association, 1994). If the gender dysphoria At this time, there is also increased
and concomitant cross-gender feelings has acceptance of biological theories,
been long-standing, pervasive and differences of brain structure and of the
accelerated throughout adolescence and genetics of homosexual orientation, despite
adulthood, the individual may well be vociferous criticism from feminists and
described in clinical terms as transgendered social constructionists worldwide.
or transsexual, depending on the paradigm
In 1953, the term transsexual was first in the activity of fetishistic transvestism.
introduced by pioneering endocrinologist- Crossdressing has been observed by several
researcher Harry Benjamin, who authored generations of clinicians, and contemporary
the article Transvestism and Transsexualism sex researchers have provided ample
after having begun to treat his patients with clinical descriptions of the predominantly
hormone therapy in 1949. In the most male individual who is dependent on
recent, completely revised version of the wearing female attire, often
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental undergarments, in order to achieve sexual
Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, arousal and orgasmic climax, with or
1994), transsexualism as a category and its without a partner while masturbating
subtypes has been removed and replaced (Money, 1986). In addition, fetishistic
by the diagnosis of Gender Identity transvestism is a bona fide diagnosis in the
Disorder. The term transsexual is often used DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association,
to describe three commonly related 1994.) Zucker and Blanchard (cited in Laws
phenomena: the wish to become the & ODonohue, 1997) have also expanded on
opposite sex, a life in the opposite gender the boundaries of transvestic fetishism by
role, and a person who has undergone sex postulating that there exist four subtypes of
reassignment surgery (SRS). The most autogynephilia, where fantasies
current meaning includes but also separates accompanying the crossdressing revolve
transsexuals from those who label around imagery incorporating being
themselves transgender, which in essence pregnant, having breasts and/or a vagina,
has become an umbrella term for all and engaging in some stereotypically
gender-variant individuals. A transsexual is female activities such as knitting. On the
now distinguished from other other hand, this author who is a clinician for
transgendered inviduals only by his or her gender variant populations has found that
status as having undergone genital crossdresser is experienced as a
confirmation surgery (GCS). While the pejorative term, and that someone being
individual is legally and surgically opposite partially transgendered represents a more
of his or her natal sex, gender role and accurate point along the continuum of
sexual orientation may be considerably gender identity. Thus, the difference
more fluid than documented in earlier between crossdressers and transsexuals
research literature. Bornstein (1994), an resides in the degree to which the
author and a post-operative male-to-female phenotypical gender variance is expressed,
transsexual, has declared that it is not while being part of the same clinical
entirely clear if transsexuals are male or syndrome. Gender variance is expressed
female. In doing so, s/he [sic] is accepting independent of biologic sex, gender role
the notion that biologic sex is fixed, but also and is not used to self-manipulate sexual
subverting the construct of transsexuals as orientation; the experience of gender
being required to alter the physical comfort is sought when presenting in the
appearance and function of their genitalia, opposite gender to others or while in
in order to gain access to privileges solitude. What is clear is that the individual
afforded to those who belong to a binary does not crossdress uniquely as a
sex/gender system. The fluidity and prerequisite for masturbatory activity or
inclusive aspects of transgenderism now same-sex activity the crossdresser also
includes such diverse orientations such as experiences episodic discomfort with the
bi-gendered and partially transgendered natal gender, but perhaps to a lesser extent
individuals, in addition to transsexuals. and incidence than does the transsexual
individual.
The term crossdresser has frequently been
used to describe a transvestite who engages Christine Milrod, 2008
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