9781422273883

“The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” — Earnshaw’s Infants Department (trade publication), 1918

as a “feminine” color. Of course, there’s nothing inherently masculine or feminine about a color—they’re just colors. But societies assign those colors with particular meanings. Gender Identity versus Gender Presentation The word identity has a couple of different meanings. It can refer to things like “selfhood,” individuality, and uniqueness. But, at the same time, it can also refer to a very straightforward “form of identification,” like a birth certificate or a driver’s license. In other words, identity can be either the most personal thing imaginable or a government issued document. That speaks to how complicated the issue can be, particularly when gender is involved.

Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

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