1. What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex refers to the biological difference between females and males present at birth.

Gender is a concept that refers to how societies view women and men, how they are distinguished, and the roles assigned to them.

2. What is gender identity?

Gender identity refers to each person's deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms.

3. What is sexual orientation?

Sexual orientation refers to each person's capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender.

4. Name some sexual orientations and say how they are different from each other.

Some sexual orientations are heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality.

• Heterosexuality is the sexual orientation where a person is attracted to people of a different gender.
• Homosexuality is the sexual orientation where a person is attracted to people of the same gender.
• Bisexuality is the sexual orientation where a person is attracted to people of more than one gender.

5. What is heterosexism?

Heterosexism is the assumption that all people are and should be heterosexual. It lays value on heterosexual romance, heterosexual sex, heterosexual families and other heterosexual ways of being, and devalues any other form of expression.

6. What effects does heterosexism have?

Heterosexism leads to prejudice against people who do not conform to this assumption. It leads same-sex desiring people to distrust their own feelings and be ashamed of their attractions. Being brought up in a society that teaches one that men and women are supposed to be attracted only to each other and have emotional, romantic and sexual feelings for each other, makes it difficult for lesbians, gays and bisexuals to accept their own feelings for people of the same gender. Further, heterosexism also leaves heterosexual people discounting and even invalidating the legitimate desires of same-sex desiring people. This leads to stigma and discrimination. Heterosexist biases also oppress heterosexual people because they assume that there is only one right way of being heterosexual.

7. What is 'coming out'?

'Coming out' is the act of revealing one's sexual orientation as a lesbian, gay man or bisexual man or woman.

8. What does it mean when someone says, "He is in the closet"?

It means that the person is keeping his sexual orientation as a gay or bisexual hidden from others.

9. What are the possible risks involved in coming out?

In a heterosexist society there are many risks. Coming out could result in rejection by family and friends, loss of home, loss of employment or college admission, and in some cases even pbysical violence. In the case of lesbians, it could result in being locked in the house and even being raped in a misguided belief that it will 'cure' them.

10. What might be some advantages of coming out?

In a supportive environment, coming out brings with it a sense of liberation, of being able to live true to oneself, amongst one's family, friends and work associates, whoever one is out to. It also affords opportunities to socialize with other lesbians, gay men and bisexual women and men, and to participate in raising awareness about these issues.

11. How will you respond to the following situations? Discuss in detail.

1. Shalu and Vikram have been married for five years. Two years ago Shalu could no longer resist her attraction to Meena, a close friend, whom she had known for several years. They began to tentatively explore the attraction and within six months were regularly having sex and becoming mo.; ann more emotionally involved with each other. As they, in any case, used to spend a lot of time together, Vikram remained unaware of their growing bond. Shalu also remained very loving towards Vikram. Finally, last month, unable to bear her 'double' life, she told Vikram that though she loved him very much, she was 'in love' with Meena. Vikram was shocked. He felt hurt, rejected by Shalu, began to question his sense of being a man. He also felt cheated by Meena who was also a friend of his. Vikram comes to you saying he cannot understand what is happening and does not know what to do. How will you respond?
2. Aditi and Supriya, both in their early twenties, meet at a party and start chatting. They are both attracted to each other and find themselves on the dance floor. As the evening proceeds, their mutual attraction is evident and they begin kissing in a dark corner of the room. Aditi has had relationships with women before but for Supriya this is the first time that she has kissed a woman. The next day she is very anxious about what happened and comes to you. How will you respond?