Abstract
On November 18th, 2021, Sacramento State released an email with the stated purpose being “...to remind the campus community that Sacramento State values the freedom of gender expression and takes all efforts to promote dignity and respect”. Included in the email were definitions of words related to the subject. This study focused on the definitions of sex and gender included in the email cited directly from the California State University(CSU) Handbook.
1. Gender - “Gender means sex, and includes Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Stereotyping.”
2. Sex - “Sex includes, but is not limited to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or any related medical conditions.”
The CSU Handbook equates gender to sex, a counter-narrative to modern research provided by institutions studying these terms, including Yale, Stanford, and the World Health organization. All three institutions, and more, have concluded that sex is biological, and gender is sociological.
Data was collected and examined from 151 participants that identified themselves based on their school status and gender. Quantitative data, the numerical data, was collected and analyzed from the multiple-choice questions of the survey. This method was used to determine the numbers associated with the results, making it easier to relay the data in writing.
Eighty-two participants agreed that sex and gender are different things, and they should be distinguished within university policy. Distinguishing between them promotes advocacy, safety, and education. Eighty-one percent of participants in this study said these definitions are incorrect, outdated, oversimplified, and offensive. Higher Education institutions have the ability to spearhead nuanced, forward-thinking conversations surrounding important topics. By publicly reevaluating the definitions of gender and sex in the CSU Handbook, Sacramento State can facilitate an open dialogue surrounding the importance of updating these definitions for CSU campuses across the state.