How Gender-Savvy Are You?

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d) An infinite number. What a pointless question!

3. What exactly do you feel the basis of gender to be?

a) Genitalia, hormones, chromosomes, and brain structure. I mean, duh!

b) Gender may be a social construct, but it's based on, or influenced by, biology.

c) Gender is how we act, not what we are: We're all human, after all.

d) It's a lot of heretofore unnamed social, biological, and psychological factors masquerading as a bipolar system. I mean, duh!

4. Which of the following most nearly expresses your ideas about gender and sexual preference?

a) Birds do it, bees do it. Face it: Heterosexuality is natural.

b) I'm straight, but sometimes I lust in my heart for . . . umm . . . other things.

c) Well, in theory, I imagine I could be attracted to anyone, no matter what gender.

d) Oh, come on! As long as no one's getting hurt, any pleasurable activity between any two (or more) consenting adults is just dandy.

5. How have you lived your gendered life so far?

a) I have been living my biological destiny.

b) I may have been living a biologically destined gender, but I don't want to anymore.

c) I've been experimenting: using bits of some genders here and bits of other genders there.

d) Let's just say that in the battle of the sexes, I'm a conscientious objector.

6. Has anything you've read about gender recently made you want to stretch your own gender?

a) No. I'm happy the way I am. Always have been, always will be.

b) Not really, but I might be more lenient when it comes to other people.

c) Yes, I might consider that . . . but it's a little intimidating.

d) Yup. Now I'm more determined than ever.

7. When you see someone on the street whose gender is unclear, how do you react?

a) Honestly? With some combination of revulsion, pity, and bewilderment.

b) I try to figure out if it's a man or a woman.

c) I mentally do a makeover so the person can pass better as one or the other.

d) I probably notice the person is staring at me, trying to figure out what I am!

8. Which of the following most nearly matches your definition of the word transgender?

a) It's a disorder that results in men cutting off their penises.

b) Being born in the wrong body, or having the wrong sex for your gender.

c) Changing from one gender to another, or just looking like you've done that.

d) Transgressing gender, breaking any rule of gender in any way at all.

9. Who gets to say exactly what gender you are?

a) It's not up to anyone to say. Gender is a biological fact: man or woman.

b) Gender may be a biological fact, but biologists are constantly refining their definitions . . . and that makes me nervous.

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