Chapter 12

Question 1

Biological sex

Answer 1

A person’s identity based on
◦ Physical characteristics (e.g. having a penis, vagina,
beard, womb, etc.), genes and hormones (ReachOut
Australia, 2019)
 A set of biological attributes in humans/animals
 Physical and physiological features including:
◦ Sex chromosomes
◦ Gene expression
◦ Hormone levels and function
◦ Reproductive organs/sexual anatomy
(Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2016).
Biological Sex

Question 2

what determines human sex

Answer 2

chromosome, ovaries vs testes, womb vs not, hormones, genitals

Question 3

Gender

Answer 3

Society often expects people to look and
behave a certain way, depending on their
biological sex.
 Men are usually expected to act and look
‘masculine’, and women, ‘feminine’.
 However, we all express masculinity and
femininity in different ways, and we all relate
to elements of masculinity or femininity
differently.
Masculinity <———–> feminiity

Question 4

the two sexes vs the two genders

Answer 4

Female/Male: Sex
 Biological characteristics, such as sex chromosomes, hormone levels, and reproductive organs.
 These terms are often used in medical or scientific contexts, and they are usually based on objective physical criteria.

Women/Men: Gender
 Socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions, and identities that a society considers appropriate for men and women.
 “Men” and “women” are social categories that refer to individuals’ gender identity, which can be
influenced by a range of factors, including cultural
norms, personal experience, and biology.

Question 5

Intersex

Answer 5

 Many people think of ‘male’ and ‘female’
as the only sexes, but that’s not actually
true.
 Some people have genetic, hormonal and
physical features typical of both male and
female at the same time, so their
biological sex isn’t clearly male or female.
 This is called ‘intersex’

Question 6

Intersex chromosomes

Answer 6

XO, XXX, XXY, XYY
“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 (Intersex Society of North America)

Question 7

ANDROGEN INSENSITIVE SYNDROME

Answer 7

AIS
 A person who is genetically male (who has
one X and one Y chromosome) is resistant
to male hormones (called androgens).
 As a result, the person has some or all of
the physical traits of a woman, but the
genetic makeup of a man

Question 8

hermaphrodite

Answer 8

male and female sex in one person
A person or animal having both male
and female sex organs or other
sexual characteristics, either
abnormally or as a natural condition

Question 9

Facts on intersex

Answer 9

There are many ways that a person can be intersex
◦ The organization Intersex Human Rights Australia states
there are at least 40 different intersex variations.
◦ Some intersex traits may be visible at birth, while
others may not appear until the person reaches
puberty.
◦ In some cases, a person may never know that they are
intersex.
 According to some estimates up to 1.7% of the
population has intersex traits.
◦ This is comparable with the number of people who have
red hair.
◦ Intersex people may have a range of gender identities

Question 10

Social Work and Sexual Gender
Identity

Answer 10

 Canadians have become increasingly aware of sexual
and gender diversity.
 Laws/practices are changing to ensure that people of
all sexual orientations and gender identities have
equal rights/protection in our society.
 On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country
in the world to legalize same-sex marriage
nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act

Question 11

Historical Context of Gender and
Sexuality

Answer 11

 Two major historical developments over the past 50 years have helped to shape our thinking about
gender and sexuality.
 Sexology
◦ A field of study that attempted to classify sexual desire and gender identity.
 1st generation and 2nd generation sexologists
 Community Activism
◦ Is a creative and focused movement that evolved in response to a history of oppression and marginalization shared by people embracing sexual and gender diversity.
 Sexual non-conventionality was often
understood as sinful and/or illegal to the
religious and judicial authority.
 “Punishment” (Criminals!)
 In the late 19th Century, sexologists were called
into courtrooms to provide evidence that such
transgressions were caused by biological or
neurological abnormalities that required
treatment, rather than punishment.
 A medical perspective toward sexual identities
was proclaimed, often termed “medical
colonization.”

Question 12

Sexology: Cont’d
Richard von Krafft Ebing (1840 – 1902)

Answer 12

 He wrote about the categorization of
abnormal sexual behaviour titled
“Psychopathia Sexualis.”
 He defined heterosexuality as
reproductive sex between a man and a
woman, and homosexuality as same sex
desire.
The heterosexual begins to represent
normality.
Heterosexual – Normal – used for reproduction
Homosexual – Abnormal – use for pleasure

Question 13

Sexology: Cont’d
Karl Heinrich Urlichs (a German lawyer; 1825 –
1895) developed scientific theories of
homosexuality

Answer 13

 He sees homosexuality as inborn and natural – in other words, it is a biological variation, like blue
eyes or red hair.
 He created categories of Urning (a female caught in a male body) and Urningin (a male caught in a
female body) to make sense of same-sex attraction.
 He was vocal in the fight to decriminalize sodomy (i.e., unnatural sexual intercourse: anal sex).

Question 14

Sexology: Cont’d
Researchers sought physical markers.

Answer 14

Ex) For male homosexuality, it was argued that
one could determine a homosexual by the way
he walked, the size of his hips, the shape of his
penis, or his “womanly behaviour, etc.
 Many of the beliefs of early sexologists
continue to influence common thinking about
sexuality

Question 15

Second Generation Theorists:
the Kinsey Report

Answer 15

The Kinsey Report, titled Sexual Behaviour in the Human Male (1948),
surveyed a variety of people about their sexual habits.
* It surprised the American public by revealing that 37 percent of the men in Kinsey’s survey reported having had a homosexual experience.
* The Kinsey report was groundbreaking because it suggested that everyday sexual behaviour often transgressed laws, public opinion, and social norms.
* His research provided much of the basis for the political analysis developed by members of the gay liberation movements in the early 1970s
* It challenged heterosexism (a system of oppression that assumes
heterosexuality is normal and superior).

Question 16

Biological determinism theory

Answer 16

 Early sexologists attempted to explain sexuality invterms of biology: “Biological Determinism” -
 It focuses on the organic causes of non-
conventional gender and sexual identities and
behaviours.
 This tradition (biological focus) continues today.
Simon LeVay argued that the brain structures of
gay men are different from those of heterosexual
men.  “gay gene”
 Such theories have been used to demand rights
for queer communities on the grounds that queer
persons are born queer and that their sexuality is
not a matter of choice

Question 17

Social Constructionism theory

Answer 17

 is predominantly the theories of the second
generation of sexologists.
 Sexualities are constructed by our social
and cultural context and by our
cultural histories.

Question 18

Critique of biological determinism

Answer 18

While it has a certain potential for liberation,
biological determinism also has serious limitations.
 The fact “sexual diversity and gender identity are
rooted in biology” has not ended homophobia,
heterosexualism, and cissexualism.
 Scientific “truths” related to gender and sexuality
have consistently been shown to reflect current
socio-political norms and values.
◦ Heterosexual privilege: what if prospective parents want
to test their fetus for the “gay gene” and choose abortion
based on the results? Similar to Racism

Question 19

social constructionism critique

Answer 19

For example, gender reassignment surgery at birth was introduced for babies who were determined to be intersexuals (persons whose sexual organs are not clearly male or female)
 They were treated and raised as male or female.
 They should have no problem being raised as male or female as their sex were assigned at birth.
 However, they face challenges once entering puberty and find that their gender identity is incompatible with their sex.
 It seems clear that our sex, gender expression, and sexual orientation rely upon at least some biological potentials.

Question 20

First generation of sexology

Answer 20

Richard von Kraft-Ebing (1840 – 1902)
◦Normality/Abnormality
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895)
◦Homosexuality: Inborn and natural
Theory: Biological Determinism
 1st generation of sexologists
◦ This tradition (biological focus) continues today.
brain structures, gay gene (e.g., Simon LeVay)
 While it has a certain potential for liberation,
biological determinism has serious limitations.
◦ What if parents want to test their fetus for the “gay gene” and choose abortion based on the results?
◦ It can accentuate hetero- sexual privilege

Question 21

Second generation of sexology

Answer 21

Alfred Kinsey (1894 –1956)
◦Kinsey Report:
◦Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948)
◦Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953)
Theory: Social Constructionism
 2nd generation of sexologists
 Sexualities are constructed by our social
and cultural context and by our cultural histories.
 Limitation: Babies who have been reassigned a
gender at birth, as a result of having
ambiguous genitalia, later find that their
gender identity is incompatible with their sex.

Question 22

The Rise of Community Activism

Answer 22

 Mental Health Problems?
 Public and political pressure resulted
in the removal of homosexuality from
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973.
 The American Medical Association
 The American Psychiatric Association
 The American Psychological Association
 The American Psychoanalytic Association
 The American Academy of Pediatrics
 The National Association of Social Workers
- oppose conversion therapy
 In the 1970s gay and lesbian organizations were able to work systematically to begin to challenge laws that limited the civil and social rights of members of LGBTQ communities.
 What is one of the important historical
events?

Question 23

Stonewall Riots

Answer 23

*The Stonewall Riots (rebellion, revolution)
were a series of violent conflicts between LGBT
people and New York City police officers that
began during a June 28, 1969 police raid, and
lasted several days.
*They were centered at the Stonewall Inn and are
widely recognized as the catalyst for the modern-
day movement towards LGBT rights.
 Ignite celebrating gay pride with events such as
pride parades and dyke marches

Question 24

Bill C-150 Pierre Trudeau

Answer 24

 An important year for the recognition of the civil
rights of LGBT was 1969.
Bill C-150
 “Gay sex” was decriminalized if
committed in private between two consenting
adults over the age of 21. (1969)
 With the passing of Bill C-150, Pierre Trudeau’s
stated that “there is no place for the State in the
bedrooms of the nation

Question 25

Value conflict

Answer 25

 Before the 1980s social work largely
embraced the notion of the heterosexual
family as the norm and treated
homosexuality as a disorder or deviancy.

Question 26

Social Work Perspectives

Answer 26

 Increasingly social workers are challenging
oppressive notions of sexuality and developing an
understanding of sexual and gender diversity.
 The range of gender identities and sexual
behaviours and attractions that humans
experience can at times be confusing.
 Social workers need to remain supportive and
open-minded to new situation and to the
possibility that the people they are working with
may experience confusion.

Question 27

Combatting Oppression, Discrimination, and Stigma

Answer 27

• Traditional social standards/cultures may cause members of the LGBTQ+ community (specifically youth) to feel devalued and to struggle with self-acceptance.
• On average, gay adolescents and young men are 6 to 16 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their straight peers.
• LGBTQ+ youth are known to experience higher levels of ostracism and harassment in their everyday lives.
• They are sometimes rejected by their families and end up on the streets, where they are vulnerable to sexual and physical violence.
  Members of the LGBTQ+ community may feel reluctant to seek services because discrimination and stigma can be institutionalized within schools, healthcare systems and social services.
• As a result, many LGBTQ+ communities are developing queer-positive social services.
• These organizations are involved in policy change, community organizing, advocacy, and service provision.

Question 28

Social Workers as Role Models

Answer 28

Offering unconditional support – working with intersex, transgendered, and transsexual clients
* It is important to be educated on the biological,
physiological, and psychological aspects of each
* Many societal barriers exist for these clients are
therefore they require advocacy
* Social workers can also help educate and support the families
* Agencies should demonstrate non-discrimination by providing gender neutral washrooms as part of their accessibility standards
* Client registration forms should not limit gender
selection to male or female 50

Question 29

sex, gender, and sexual orientation terminology

Answer 29

Sex and Gender
* Sex is what doctors attribute to babies based largely on the shape and size of their genitalia
* Determined by genetics, chromosomes and hormones
* Gender has two components:
* Gender identity: which is the sense we have of
ourselves as male, female, or transgendered
* Gender role: which is our adherence to cultural norms of femininity and masculinity
* Sexual Orientation: an emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction to another person. It is not dependent upon a person’s
gender identity of gender role
sexual attraction and gender is fluid

Question 30

New terminology and sexual orientation and gender

Answer 30

Two-spirited: is a First Nations term that recognizes gender as a continuum and includes sexual or gender identity, sexual orientation, and social values.
* Cissexual/ Cisgender: are terms used to define persons who are not transsexuals and who have only ever experienced their gender identity and physical sex as being aligned.
* Transexual: a term often used to imply that a person has or desires to have a gender affirmative surgery (aligning their physical sex with their gender identity)
* Transgender is a broad term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender. Transexual can be included under the umbrella term transgender.
* Intersexuals: individuals whose external sex organs are indeterminate. These individuals often have characteristics of both sexes and DNA chromosome types of both sexes.