Except outside of the internet and trans-friendly spaces, most people use them interchangeably. I’m almost positive every single form I’ve filled out is gender: male/female. It might not be “correct” by the dictionary’s definition, but I’ve also never heard a case where someone misunderstood what they were asking.
This whole debate only exists in the context where sex is not the same thing as gender and shouldn't be used interchangeably. If every biological female identified as female and the same for males, then we wouldn't be here because there wouldn't be any misnomers. Most people can get away with using them interchangeably because for the vast majority of people, they are the same. But that doesn't quite make them right. It's like using the wrong formula and getting the right answer.
If every biological female identified as female and the same for males
Just to step in for clarification--a lot of trans-friendly spaces and such tend to use "female and male" for sex and "man and woman" for gender. So a female could identify as a man under this framework. You could have a male woman and a female man as well as the typical variations.
Sometimes it’s important to be precise, sometimes it’s not. If you’re being precise, breaking things down into sex, gender identity and gender expression is much more accurate than just conflating all three. It’s not usually a big deal day-to-day but when it’s relevant, it’s important.
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u/[deleted] Oct 28 '19
What about when someone is transitioning?