Best of Week: Sex vs. Gender

     Throughout the week, there has been an onslaught of questions and discussions regarding the distinctions between sex, gender and the roles that people are given by society. This interesting topic of the difference between males and females was sparked by Orlando's strange transformation from a man to a woman in the third chapter of Virginia Woolf's Orlando. In the fictional biography, Orlando had underwent a mystical procedure that had morphed him into a her. In addition to this interesting change, Virginia Woolf made it a point to show that the Orlando's identity had remained the same and that there was no key difference after the transformation besides the obvious change in sex. This clearly dictates Woolf's opinion that there should be no distinction between the roles that males and females play in society. True to the Academy standard, the discussion that ensued contorted into a variety of tangents which included an inquiry into the male and female mind and homosexuality.

      In order to tackle the incredibly charged topic of the sexes, our class first had to define the following terms: Sex and Gender. To me, they were the exact same thing. I believed that these two terms were used as a way to identify oneself as a male or a female. However, with the help of the omniscient internet, the class had eventually come to the conclusion that sex and gender were completely different things. In fact, when you are talking about someone's sex, you are addressing them in a strictly biological sense, either male or female. However, a person's gender is referring more to their cultural, behavioral, and psychological traits that are usually associated with their sex. This sparked an incredibly interesting thought in my mind. Was it possible to be a male sexually and be categorized in the female gender? Was that homosexuality? There were many questions that were bouncing around in my head like rapid fire. 

      To answer my own question, I now know that no, having a female-like gender while being a male is not homosexuality, and I am about to explain why. Mr. Allen had brought in a book (which title has completely eluded me) that details recent scientific studies of the mind. The studies state that male minds typically are more apt to be mathematical and literal. On the other hand, the female mind is more likely to comprehend emotions and be more sensitive. The words "more apt" and "more likely" are key here. This does not mean that every man thinks like a machine and every woman cries when insulted. In fact, every person on this planet has a part of the opposite sex's "mind". The point that I am trying to reach here is that if the definition of "gender" is behavioral and psychological traits that a person exhibits, then why are people defined as having a male or female gender when every person has both traits? Gender, as I learned previously, is not the same thing as sex. Sex is defined as black or white. You are either a guy or a girl and there are no exceptions. However, I have come to realize that gender can be described by more than black and white, there can be reds, blues, and an army of other colors and hues in there as well, and it is not fair to make the assumption that a person has either a strictly male or strictly female gender. 

      Society is too ignorant to acknowledge this. People cannot make the distinction between gender and sex, and as a result, they cry homosexuality when a person exhibits an unexpected quality. This is simply inconsiderate. Homosexuality is only defined by the attraction to the same sex. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with this. For example, Mr. Allen also spoke of a Native American author who had a very sensitive side and was frequently called gay. The author (whose name also eludes me...) said that if he is gay for being a sensitive man, then he is gay, but in terms of the sex that he has, he is completely heterosexual. As we saw in the documentary Tough Guise, society pushes the thought that a man has to act like a person with a thick leather skull and gargantuan muscles, and a woman has to be a beautiful and emotional being. Just because the author had long hair, and cried when someone close to him died, he was immediately pegged as a gay person. I hope that one day, these ridiculous assumptions will be thrown into the wind. In order for people to progress as a species, we cannot keep limiting the mind as sex specific. The difference between gender and sex is too profound to ignore.

Captured Thought: A Lasting Legacy

          Recently, I have encountered a thought that I find to be extremely profound. While reading the book Orlando, a fictional biography by Virginia Woolf, an interesting idea was introduced to me. The protagonist was wandering the family sepulchre when he saw that all that was left of his ancestors was a hand, a skull, and other skeletal remains. These men had fought in wars and raised families but all that was left behind were bones. At that point, Orlando realized that he wanted to be remembered for more than his femur and clavicle that would eventually be buried alongside his ancestors. Orlando wanted to leave an astounding legacy through literature that would be recognized until the human race itself died out. The notion of a lasting legacy was imprinted in my thoughts ever since I read that passage. I keep asking myself, what do you want to be remembered for when you're dead and gone?

         I feel like this question had always been lingering in my brain, but I had not given it much thought until I read about Orlando's epiphany. Before, this question took the form of, "What do you want to do as a career when you graduate college?" Now I know that the better inquiry is what legacy or imprint I would like to leave behind. I had always put off the idea of what I would do with the remainder of my life thinking I had a lot of time to contemplate the thought. I mean, I am only fifteen years old, and I have been told that even college students have not figured out what path they would take. But now I realize that attempting to find out exactly what impact I want to make in this world is an extraordinary challenge.

         My goals are different than Orlando's in the fact that I have no interest in creating an "immortal legacy". I do want to impact this world in a way that means a lot to me personally, but I could not care less if I invented a groundbreaking technology or discovered  a new element. Although those would be amazing achievements and I would revel in the fame and fortune that would ensue, I would be perfectly content by impacting this world in a simple and satisfying manner. If I left this world with a grateful and loving family and was respected by my friends and colleagues, I could die a happy old man knowing that my impact was definitely profound. However, the specific legacy that I will leave behind is a complete mystery to me. As I age, I am certain that my priorities and values will evolve. However, with determination and tenacity, life has the tendency to work itself out. I am sure that my legacy will make me proud.

        Nothing but benefits comes from human aspiration to be or create something great. The world will be more beautiful, efficient, and thrilling. Why should the population live life without the incentive to leave any kind of legacy, grand or satisfying? Like Orlando's spark of insight, I hope that this thought captures and ignites the minds of the whole world around me, and people will strive to be remembered for something better than their bones.

-Minho Park