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SEX, SEXUALITY AND GENDER. Sex ~ is what you are born with Sexuality ~ is how you perceive sex and your preferences Gender ~ is how you socially exhibit your sexuality. You. Sex. Gender. Sexuality. Born as a male…. Or a female….
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SEX, SEXUALITY AND GENDER
Sex ~ is what you are born with Sexuality ~ is how you perceive sex and your preferences Gender ~ is how you socially exhibit your sexuality You Sex Gender Sexuality
And gender is how you are socially constructed as a man or a woman.
Sexuality Sexual Behavior With Whom I have sex Sexual Orientation Whom I Desire / get attracted Sexual Identity recognition of one’s sexual orientation and sexual behaviours along with their meanings
Are these images of sex, sexuality or gender? • What would we need to know in order to make sense of this question?
MSM in India • MSM - literally “men having sex with men” • Same sex identities/ behaviors found in Hindu texts, literature, paintings and sculpture • MSM belong to all socio-economic, age, religious and ethnic groups in India
Gender and identity • Gender: Attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex. • Gender identity : It is a perceived identity of oneself. When one’s gender identity and biological sex are not matching, the individual may identify as transsexual or as another transgender category. • Gender expression : A form of expression where a person acts to express gender within a given culture of clothing, communication patterns and interests.
Explanation of the terms. • Transsexual: Individual whose gender identity is that of the opposite gender (sex). There are male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals. A transsexual may or may not have had sex reassignment surgery and thus could be ‘pre-operative’ transsexual, ‘postoperative’transsexual and ‘non-operative’ transsexual. • Hijras: Hijras are biological/anatomical males who reject their 'masculine' identity in due course of time to identify either as women, or “not-men”, or “neither man nor woman”. They are part of the gharana system which has a guru-chela hierarchy. • Intersex persons (‘hermaphrodites’): "Intersex" is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. • Crossdressers: They are usually heterosexual persons who like to cross dress and live their life.
Myths and Misconceptions • Homosexuality is an illness and can be cured. • Sex change is a irrecoverable process. • Homosexual men can be identified by their looks. • I keep dreaming about having sex with a guy, am I homosexual? • My boy friend has sex with me. However, he says he is not homosexual. • I am masculine, but I feel like a women inside. Am I a transgender? • At what does an individual get to know about his sexuality? • All MSMs should be linked to the exisiting TI services.
Key Messages • Identity is not a constant phenomenon, but changes with time, roles, social milieu, geographic location, phase in life to name a few • Identity is not often linear; each individual may have multiple identities. An interaction of these identities may lead to complex life situations. • Sexual identity is an integral part of one’s life and the same needs to be needs to be understood while counselling individuals. • Individuals identifying in a similar way may have different sexual behaviours, and gender expression. • In the view of HIV intervention, it is important to focus even on a single episode of the sexual activity with another man.
