Glossary
Sex (Gender)
Sex refers to the biological traits used to classify people as male, female, or intersex, while gender refers to identity and social role, which is why the two are treated as distinct.
In everyday language sex and gender are often used interchangeably, but they describe different things. Sex refers to a set of biological characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive and sexual anatomy, which are typically used to label a person male, female, or intersex at birth. Gender refers to a person's internal sense of self and the social roles, behaviors, and expressions tied to it. Health and advocacy organizations stress that a person's gender identity may or may not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Biologists and clinicians also note that sex itself is more varied than a simple two-box model, since intersex traits are naturally occurring.
Learn more: glaad.org/reference/trans-terms
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