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1. WHAT IS GENDER?

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

Normative: Behavior that is considered normal and acceptable. Effeminate: A man who is seen as having feminine characteristics. Binary: A system made up of two, and only two, parts. Ambiguity: Something unclear or confusing.

Most people are assumed to be either male or female at birth. And up until very recently in our culture, that single accident of birth directed the rest of a person’s life. From how they dressed, played, and were educated to possible jobs, careers, and life partners, a person’s assigned birth gender defined to a huge extent society’s expectations and the opportunities open to them.