Does gender really matter?

Gender tends to be a hot topic in today's society, it never used to be an issue.  So much has changed within the last 15 years.  In years past, the definition of gender would be male/female, or boy/girl.  The new definition of gender from Wikipedia is "Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity. Depending on the context, these characteristics may include biological sex, sex-based social structures, or gender identity. Traditionally, people who identify as men or women or use masculine or feminine gender pronouns are using a system of gender binary whereas those who exist outside these groups fall under the umbrella terms non-binary or gender-queer."  

Wow, so much has changed, even I’m confused by this definition.  This topic can generate a great deal of politics and discontentment and I don’t wish to contribute to either.  I do think it is interesting studying about these things and how much our culture has changed.  I’m not certain that all changes are for the better, I think it can become more confusing especially for those who are struggling with gender identity.

I think it has been changed in relation to our sexual identity.  We are in a sexual revolution where exploration and experimentation are widely accepted and, in many cases, encouraged.  

Boys and girls are different from birth and have physiological differences as well as their reactions to facial expressions, stimulation, and sensory responses.  Male infants often look at movement, lights, their surroundings, while female infants look at faces for long periods of time.  A study was conducted between toy preferences between male and female infants ranging from age 9 months to 17 months, 18-23 months, and 24-32 months.  They fell into the gender typical toys; boys chose trucks, diggers, cars, and balls, while the girls chose dolls, cooking, and dress up.  It was very interesting seeing the girls interact socially with each other, they talked about what roles they were going to play and talked about their feelings.  While young boys turned many objects into swords and made motor sounds with cars as they rammed them into objects.  Typical young boys were louder and more aggressive, while girls had many conversations while playing house, having tea parties, and playing dress up.  The male and female children chose these activities naturally and were observed.  There were a few children that didn’t follow these patterns, so what does this mean?

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in a document written by our prophet and apostles, titled, The Family A Proclamation to the World.  It states, “All human beings male and female are created in the image of God.  Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.  Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose”.  This document was presented to the church on September 23, 1995.  This document goes on to talk about the roles of men and women as husband and wife, what the roles and responsibilities of children are.  Let me say that this is something that is taught as an ideal way of living for families, but there is no punishment for those who do not abide by these teachings.  We always have our agency, nothing is ever forced upon us.  It is an inspiring document that has brought me great comfort and consolation in a world that has fluctuating values and is disintegrating as was foretold.  When it came out, it was not disputed, but we now see how differently society currently views these roles.

There are always exceptions, there are children who don’t follow the typical behaviors.  I’m not sure that we can label them as being gender confused, and it seems we are quick to assign labels.  If a child has certain tendencies or doesn’t fit into their peer group, we think they might be gay or even transgender.  I think there are boys that are more sensitive, but they shouldn’t be labeled by society or adults.  Everyone needs to be loved regardless of how they identify their gender or their sexual orientation.  I think that far too often, those who feel confused about who they are and begin to explore other options.  I feel that society may push kids in certain directions by encouraging exploration with their sexuality when they are too young. Teenagers are already hormone imbalanced as they are going through puberty, sexual experimentation would only increase the confusion they feel. I know people that are gay, some members of my family are openly gay, and I love them dearly.  This is not about judging lifestyles or people.  Boys and girls are different, even from birth. They think differently, and were created differently, but they compliment each other in beautiful ways.