Adam Blatner

People with alternative sexualities are demanding recognition! I’m fairly straight but not stuffy, and some friends are letting me know that the lid is off regarding sexuality. For instance, I’ve been told that, in general, "sex" refers to the biological (genetic, genital) differences between males and females, while  "gender" refers to the role of a male or female in society (gender role), or an individual’s concept of themselves (gender identity). These are important distinctions. Is this still valid?

Furthermore, the phrase to use is “transgender, not “transsexual,” which is an outdated term. I don’t know why it’s  outdated.

Two spirit (2S) is a Native American expression for people who feel their bodies simultaneously manifests both a masculine and a feminine spirit. Here’s another: “Intersex” is a 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.

”Queer,” is an encompassing term, usually self-declared, for people who express gender or sexuality differently from the mainstream population. Some GLBT people prefer to use Queer as an umbrella term, and self-identify this way.

It is important that people who serve sexual and gender minorities, particularly those people— especially clinicians who may be called on to be helpful, clinicians who are heterosexual and cisgender (those who’s gender matches the sex given them at birth) have sensitivity to these differences and language-ing. But we must make it easy for them, which is why this is online.
 
Can “Gay” be either sex? I confess to ignorance and want to be corrected! But I’m wary of oversensitivity and reproach, Are there groups not mentioned? It’s time for an article that can be reprinted and handed out; or a workshop. Continuing my education.