Exploration of Gender and Sex

(Word count: 1436)

The article, Do We Need a Sex/Gender Distinction? by Val Plumwood tackles

and discusses the context, meaning, and relationships between sex, and gender and

the question of the need for distinction between them. The article was cut into several

parts with each of the following topics. In the article, the author discussed Five points

regarding the topic: 1.) The context of distinction, 2.) Point of Distinction, 3.) Objections

of Distinction, 4.) the Definition of Gender, and 5.) the Subject, and difference, and

degendering. Each part of them contains information, insights, and arguments that the

author has in mind as well as ideas that are from other authors. Throughout the reading,

the author thoroughly explored arguments against the distinction between sex and

gender and incorporated some of his own ideas against the views of other authors on

the topic. Through the readings, I was able to gain my own insights, understanding, and

doubts to question the topic regarding gender distinction.

Reading through the article, I learned and understood some meanings and ideas

that were said in the article. There are three (3) things that I have significantly learned

while reading the article. From the article, I further learned that sex pertains to the

person’s physiological and biological attributes while gender refers to the psychological

and cultural perspective of the person. Furthermore, I learned that corresponding terms

for gender are ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ and that gender refers to how masculine or

feminine a person can a person be. From further research, I was able to learn that ‘’sex’’
refers to the physical difference of male, female, or intersex. Sex refers to the

physiological characteristics (including genitalia and chromosome composition) that a

person have since their birth, while gender involves how a person identifies themselves

as to be. With this, gender has been diverse in the spectrum for a person can identify

themselves indefinitely and broadly. The next learning is that, after reading the whole

article and based on the arguments and ideas of the author, I have learned that there is

an importance on the distinctions that are being discussed in the article. Through

reasoning, we can say that it has its own importance to the society itself. Through

research, the distinction between gender and sex is important because it can help us

better understand how they affect a person's mental and psychological health. In fact,

according to the 2021 Trevor Project survey, trans and nonbinary youth have higher

rates of mental health problems when their identities are not recognized, thus the

distinction relating to sex and gender has been important and through this, we can say

that this distinction is important to the society as a whole as well. For the last learning, I

have significantly learned of the distinction between gender and sex and that there are

objections and clarification but at the end of the day, everyone is free to choose what

they think to be.

Reading the article was meaningful and full of learnings for me as a reader and I

was able to gain some understanding of the importance of the distinction between sex

and gender. Be as it may, there are still some topics that are unclear to me, one of them

being the topics in the Point of Distinction in the article of the author, particularly its

number 2, which made me unclear is the complex and variable operation of

androcentrism. What made me unclear about this topic was the word androcentrism

itself, and it made me unable to follow up on the topic and how this androcentrism

relates to the distinction of females and their characteristics. Following to the next

unclear topic for me is the different aspects that affect sex or specifically the gender

distinction between people. The aspects that were stated in the account were the

biological, social, psychological, and cultural aspects. For example, sex encompasses

biological and physiological aspects while gender are social, psychological, and cultural

aspects. These things are unclear to me because I think that the biological and

physiological aspect also affect a person’s thinking of determining what their gender is

and I think that all of them affect how a person determine their own gender. Additionally,

I think that the author could have further elaborated and explained the relationship of

each of them on how a person determines their gender. Lastly, what is unclear to me is

that some of the concepts and words in the article are vague to me such as the

metaphysical in sex and gender. That gender is the imaginary while sex is the actual

body of the person. Though through research and contemplation, I was able to

understand the meaning behind this, still, this is one of the things that were unclear to

me at first.

After reading the article, some of the things that I formerly thought were either

changed or further made me have a deeper understanding of it. Before reading the

article, I had three things that I formerly thought and used to think about the topic. First

is that I have learned that, formerly my understanding of sex was that it refers to the

sexual orientation based on the genital of the person while gender is what the person
believes himself/herself to be whether they think of themselves as a male or female,

however reading the article, I learned that there are much deeper and broader meaning

on them. The second thing that I used to think is that, at first, I thought that there are no

relationships on the distinction of gender and sex in relation to society today and that

this cannot affect society, however, it is now different today. Reading the article, I now

know that these distinctions are important because they give importance to other

people’s identity and value, and that they help people feel respected which relieves the

mental, and social problems of people. For the last thought that I formerly have, I do not

know of degendering, and from reading the word I thought that it means removing

gender (or changing) or sex (changing or removing genitalia), however after reading

through the article I have learned that degendering means removing all gender

differences which means in all social meanings. I was able to further deepen my

understanding in it after doing research and asking others.

Reading the article has provided me with a great thing of topics and concepts to

learn. It further gave me a deeper understanding of the distinction between gender and

sex and its importance to us and society. After reading, there are a few questions that

have been on my mind regarding this topic. One such question is regarding gender.

Currently, in society, there have been new classifications of gender that people refer to

themselves. I get that we are free to have our own gender, however, from the two

genders (male and female) to the subsequent genders (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, etc.),

why have there been more and more classifications being made? I don’t say that it's

bad, however, is it not enough to have the listed main and the first subsequent
genders? I respect the first few genders that have been in the LGBTQ community,

however, it left me questioning why the list of genders has been increasing. With this it

makes me question other things related to them such as what public toilet would they be

using especially if we were to add the genders that were listed by them. Or what

pronouns should we use when meeting them for the first time? Additionally, I get that

gender distinction is important and that we are free to determine our own gender,

however, how can we know that the gender that the person is referring to

himself/herself is true? Lately, what further importance would there be by having

distinction on gender and sex? Is it just for research and health? How can this affect the

society or maybe the whole world as a whole?

The article written by Val Plumwood has been educational and insightful for us

readers for it fully explained the topics of the distinction between gender and sex.

Through the reading, we were able to encounter new concepts and ideas, and helped

us change our views and prejudice on certain topics. The article made me realize that

the distinction between gender and sex is an important aspect in today’s society for it

can help in calming the people and further help them be valued and be identified.

Gender distinction helped people realize that sex and gender are two different things

and that we are free to choose what gender we have.