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Arlenn Galvan
Professor Beadle
English 115
October 3, 2016
Sex, Gender & Genderless
Is Gender and Sex the same thing? Do we see Genderless in the future? In the articles by
Judith Lorber, Ruth Hubbard, Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert they show that many may
confuse the word sex and gender as something that is the same by following society influences in
todays culture but in reality many of us have not fully identified ourselves. I come from a Latino
culture household where gender roles are forced upon us but never restricted us from playing
with the opposite genders belongings.
When people hear or even mention the word sex, they dont think of the way it relates to our
identity. Sex defines you and what categorizes you in society but it is all based by physiological
characteristics between men and women since the day of birth. Sex is categorized as a gender
status through naming, dress, and the use of other gender markers. (Lorber 20). In this quote
Lorber reflects upon the factor of how society focuses on your physical aspect and when people
know your sex you are separated from the other. For example, Lorber mentions a man who takes
the role of motherhood to his children. Its abnormal for a male to take a woman role; raising a
child but as society advances/changes this action is seen as something normal. But older
generations follow a traditional role were a woman handling the children while the men are the
ones who need to worry about proving for his family. But Lorber later refers to gender is a way

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people can organize their lifes. In my household my brother and I followed the same values but
also we followed our gender roles. My dad enforced the female roles of learning how to clean,
cook and being lady like. The rule of me to clean my room and help around the house when
having a boyfriend came to place.
To continue, gender is constructed through political and social views your behavior and so
called gender roles. Society has its own belief on roles for men and women. Take for example in
Latino households, women must learn to cook, clean and just become a stay at home mother so
they can offer a great life to their children. Men are to work for a living so they can offer a better
life for his family. In Hubbards article Rethinking Womens Biology she gives the example of
the common ideal about women, offered that characterize women as weak, or
overemotional.. (Hubbard 46). This quote shows that woman are seen as weak links compared
to men seen as tough, masculine and they are considered superior then women due to what they
believed in and saw in their households. Even simple as the teachings given to them as they grew
up throughout their years. Womens biology is based on stereotypes that are constructed through
political and social views. Hubbard supports her claim by using the stereotypes of how the men
are the ones to be taller and not the women themselves in the United states.
In a matter, people believe the words sex and gender mean the exact thing. Where you name
yourself as female or male. People relate them in a way where they can be asked either filling out
an application or a simple piece of paperwork. But people who arent sure on what gender they
show themselves. In the article Are We Facing a Genderless Future by Barbara Kantrowitz
and Pat Wingert, they mention the controversy of people who arent decided or in the mindset of

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their gender. As they express their belief they say the following, Develops between the
biological and the environmental. You cant always detect gender by physical evidence. Ask the
person how they identify themselves, in that sense, its psychological. (Kantrowitz and Wingert
69). Both Kantrowitz and Wingert mention that you arent just looked at your physical
appearance but for yourself to identify and not to let society affect you as a person. The quote
shows that we are just assigned to a sex because of our external appearance and not what one
feels like. Growing up my parents never really restricted me from playing with cars, wrestle or
even play and watch sports. I was to play with whatever made me happy although I still played
with dolls, house and did my dolls hair. Despite the society and latino culture very well present
my parents never saw me participating in boys activities as a bad thing, in this case they saw it as
something normal. In the future, I begin to imagine the major transition society will take when
people become genderless and no one will shame them. Think how this can affect our children in
the future or maybe even it will help them fit into society more.
In the end, as years go on we will no longer focus on the question of what gender you identify
yourself but people will no longer be characterized as a certain category and expected to
complete ones roles as a male or female. People will be more free and anybody will be able to do
whatever they want. The wont have to feel like they must satisfy what the views society sees for
females and males.

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Work Cited
Lobber, Judith. Night to his Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Composing Gender,
edited by John E. Sullivan III, A Bedford Spotlight Reader, pg 19-33.
Hubbard, Ruth. Rethinking Womens Biology Composing Gender, edited by John E. Sullivan
III, A Bedford Spotlight Reader, pg 46-52.
Kantrowitz, Barbara and Wingert, Pat. Are We Facing a Genderless Future?. Composing
Gender, edited by John E. Sullivan III, A Bedford Spotlight Reader, pg 68-71.