Sex. Gender. and Sexuality

Sex describes genetic sex, gender describes the societal constructs gender identity and gender role, and human sexuality describes sexual preference.

• Sex is both genetic (what genes a person has and how they express) and epigenetic (how genes express and how environmental factors effect genes). Biological sex depends on the genes a person has and how those genes express to create physiological differences (like a penis or vagina). Biological sex is not thought to be affected by environmental factors.
• Gender refers to societal constructs of gender identity (how a culture perceives a person and how a person perceives themselves) and gender roles (a set of societal norms based on actual or perceived sex, gender, or sexuality).
• Sexuality refers to personal preference regarding human sexuality (which comes in a variety of flavors based on nature and nurture).