Especially nowadays, there has been much debate on whether or not there is a difference between sex and gender in the first place. To make it simple, sex is what is based on external genitalia as well as chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. On the other hand, gender is the role and social identification of an individual as a male or female. Since gender is seen as a social construct, this leads to expectations within society for each gender. For example, females are seen as having to be nurturing, caring, and not assertive in any way for the fear of being seen as bossy while men are expected to be tough, gritty, and unemotional by society.

From these expectations sprout stereotypes such as women expecting to be the caregivers of children while men are expected to be the “bread winners” of the household, and if any of the stereotypes are broken they may cause distress for the individuals involved. A personal example that I can think of is when I was a teenager and worked in a pool store. The owner was a woman, and her husband had been working under her for many years at this point. One day when I was running the store, a customer walked in at the same time as the husband and sparked a conversation about what jobs they had. Upon hearing that the husband works for his wife, the customer seemed a little surprised and responded “why would you want to work for your wife?” in a rather passive aggressive manner, causing the situation to become awkward and uncomfortable. This example highlights the idea that men are supposed to be the bosses of the household while women are expected to be submissive and in a supportive role. Also, in other parts of the world such as the middle east, gender roles may restrict specific genders (mostly women) from things such as politics and power.

Traditionally in the United States, gender has been seen as strictly binary: two options (male and female). However, not everyone fits into this category in regards to either medical issues or a difference in gender identity. Third gender can be defined as individuals who are categorized, as either by themselves or society, as neither man nor woman. Those who do not fit into the binary system may fall victim to violence and judgment from the general population due to a misunderstanding about third gender or, in some cases, denial that individuals may be attracted to those that are of the third gender. However, not all nations have a society that seems so concerned with the third gender.

In the specific case of Kathoeys, or “Ladyboys”, of Thailand, there does not seem to be such a fear of those concerning themselves with the third gender. In fact, it appears that they’ve been relatively accepted into society. With its extremely large population within Thailand (~300,000 individuals) combined with the ever-important concept of reincarnation has lead to a society that accepts their presence in society. Many of them have varying beliefs on what they consider themselves. Regardless of whether they have had surgery or not, each individual has their own identity, with a combination of personal beliefs as well as the presence of religion that has helped them form their own identity over time.

All in all the exposure to the idea that there is such a thing as a third gender has had a rather large impact on me as a person. Until now, I had never really given the idea of a third gender any thought nor had I given any thought to how gender stereotypes may affect those stereotyped against. Beforehand, I was under the impression that those who identified as third gender either had a mental illness or some sort or simply desired attention. However, with realizing that other cultures in India, Thailand, and even here in the U.S. with Native Americans have recognized these individuals, combined with the concept that individuals can be born with ambiguous genitalia, I have come to the belief that individuals may be whatever they feel that they are because it appears that their decision does not affect my life in the slightest.

References/HR: slides