TED Talk on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

TED Talk on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: A Reflection Paper
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Many people mistakenly confuse sex with gender or sexuality. These concepts share some similarities. Nevertheless, these are entirely different entities based on description and application. These concepts are evident in our daily routines. However, since we lack knowledge about their differences, we often brand different phenomena as the same. In this paper, we shall define these three concepts and relate these to observations and personal experiences.
           Arquilla (2021) defined sex as the biological characteristics that accompany an individual from birth up to the present, while gender pertains to how one identifies oneself. In 2013, Sam Killermann provided specific examples of gender in his TED Talk. He emphasized that society had stereotyped genders and segregated them into just two different identities. However, gender has many classifications, and it might outnumber what we know or recognize. Precisely, the speaker dissected gender into three parts, namely, gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex. However, the last concept is more related to sex than gender, but the speaker used this as a reference point. Gender identity defines gender, while gender expression is an individual’s way of demonstrating to the public their gender. The speaker identified sex as the same as how Arquilla defined it and added that it is secondary to genetics, such that an individual with a penis is a male and an individual with a vagina is a female. Sex is unchanging and can be compared cross-culturally as these parts, as long as not modified, remain the same throughout life (TED Talks, 2013).
           On the other hand, sexuality refers to sexually expressing oneself, including thoughts, emotions, and attractions. Some examples of sexuality include heterosexuality or the instance where an individual is attracted to the opposite sex. Homosexuality is where the individual is attracted to the same sex. Bisexuality is the development of strong feelings for both sexes. Furthermore, asexuality refers to the lack of any form of attraction to any sex. These are just some of the types of sexuality, and there are still many others that already have legitimate definitions and others that are yet to be defined ...