How do young people experience the world when they do not fit the gender binary reinforced in US mainstream culture? What does research say about true gender and sexuality diversity? Learn vocabulary, about cisgender privilege, and ways we can make schools more inclusive to youth whose biological sex, gender identity and gender expression do not match their assigned gender.

1. Seattle Girls’ School
Parents and Guardians
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
What Boys and Girls Are Made Of:
Gender and Sexuality Diversity
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

2. Agenda
• Gender and Sexuality
• SGS’ Story
• Discussions
• Resources
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

3. Disclaimers and
Other Food for Thought
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4. Basic Definitions: Biological Sex
The physical structure of one’s reproductive
organs that is used to assign sex at birth.
Biological sex is determined by chromosomes
(XX for females; XY for males); hormones
(estrogen/progesterone for females,
testosterone for males); and internal and
external genitalia (vulva, clitoris, vagina for
assigned females, penis and testicles for
assigned males). Given the potential variation in
all of these, biological sex must be seen as a
spectrum or range of possibilities rather than a
binary set of two options.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

5. Basic Definitions: Gender Identity
One’s innermost concept of self as male or female
or both or neither—how individuals perceive
themselves and what they call themselves. One’s
gender identity can be the same or different than
the sex assigned at birth. Individuals are conscious
of this between the ages 18 months and 3 years.
Most people develop a gender identity that
matches their biological sex. For some, however,
their gender identity is different from their
biological or assigned sex. Some of these
individuals choose to socially, hormonally and/or
surgically change their sex to more fully match
their gender identity.Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

6. Basic Definitions: Gender Expression
Refers to the ways in which people externally
communicate their gender identity to others
through behavior, clothing, haircut, voice, and
other forms of presentation. Gender expression
also works the other way as people assign
gender to others based on their appearance,
mannerisms, and other gendered characteristics.
Sometimes, transgender people seek to match
their physical expression with their gender
identity, rather than their birth-assigned sex.
Gender expression should not be viewed as an
indication of sexual orientation.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

7. Basic Definitions: Gender Role
This is the set of roles, activities,
expectations and behaviors assigned to
females and males by society. Our culture
recognizes two basic gender roles:
Masculine (having the qualities attributed
to males) and feminine (having the
qualities attributed to females). People
who step out of their socially assigned
gender roles are sometimes referred to as
transgender. Other cultures have three or
more gender roles.
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8. Basic Definitions: Transgender
Sometimes used as an umbrella to describe
anyone whose identity or behavior falls
outside of stereotypical gender norms. More
narrowly defined, it refers to an individual
whose gender identity does not match their
assigned birth gender. Being transgender
does not imply any specific sexual orientation
(attraction to people of a specific gender.)
Therefore, transgender people may
additionally identify with a variety of other
sexual identities as well.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

9. Basic Definitions: Sexual Orientation
Term that refers to being romantically
or sexually attracted to people of a
specific gender. Our sexual
orientation and our gender identity are
separate, distinct parts of our overall
identity. Although a child may not yet
be aware of their sexual orientation,
they usually have a strong sense of
their gender identity.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

10. Basic Definitions: Cisgender
Refers to people whose sex
assignment at birth corresponds
to their gender identity and
expression.
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11. Basic Definitions: Gender Fluidity
Gender fluidity conveys a wider, more
flexible range of gender expression, with
interests and behaviors that may even
change from day to day. Gender fluid
children do not feel confined by restrictive
boundaries of stereotypical expectations of
girls or boys. In other words, a child may
feel they are a girl some days and a boy
on others, or possibly feel that neither term
describes them accurately.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

12. What Many of Us Were Taught
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Born with Male Parts
Calls Himself a Man
Displays Masculinity
Is Attracted to
Women
Man Woman
Born with Female
Parts
Calls Herself a
Woman
Displays Femininity
Is Attracted to Men
Boys Will Be Boys
A Man’s Man
Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
Macho Men
Girls Will Be Girls
Woman’s Domain
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
The Feminine Mystique
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

13. Gender and Sexuality Paradigm
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

14. Our School’s Story
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15. Seattle Girls’ School
Mission, Passions, and Beliefs
Our Mission is to inspire and develop courageous leaders
who think independently, work collaboratively, learn
joyfully, and champion change.
Our Passion is empowering each girl to live her potential.
Our Beliefs:
• Empowering a girl changes the world.
• It is fundamental to understand and address issues of
difference and oppression.
• An integrated, collaborative curriculum challenges and
engages students.
• Middle school should be joyful, curiosity-filled, and safe
and open to all voices.
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16. Timeline of Processes
• Education
• Examination
• Planning
• Implementation
• Adaptation
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17. Some Changes
• Admissions
• Forms
• Introductions
• Bathrooms
• Curriculum
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18. Undoing Gender and
Sexuality Bias
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19. Discussions, Questions, Comments
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20. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

21. Resources
• Joshua M. Aronson, Ph.D., “Improving Achievement &
Narrowing the Gap,” Learning and the Brain
Conference, Cambridge, MA, November 2003
• Allan G. Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Difference.
• Miss Representation, documentary film on media and
women
• United Nations Population Fund Statistics on Gender
Equality as of 2005
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/presskit/factsheets/facts
_gender.htm
• Learning to be critically literate of mass media
http://www.medialit.org/
• Media Guide for Parents and Educators
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

22. Gender Resources
• JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., Girls Will Be Girls: Raising
Confident and Courageous Daughters, How Girls
Thrive
• Jackson Katz, Tough Guise, Wrestling with Manhood,
The Macho Paradox
• John Medina, Talaris Research Institute, various
studies on early gender differences in competition and
play
• Mary Pipher, Ph.D., Reviving Ophelia: Saving the
Selves of Adolescent Girls
• Rachel Simmons, Odd Girl Out, Odd Girl Speaks Out,
Curse of the Good Girl
• Michael Thompson, Raising Cain, Speaking of Boys,
It’s a Boy!
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

23. Gender and Sexuality Diversity Resources
• Jennifer Bryan
• Gender Odyssey
• Gender Spectrum
• GLSEN
• Northwest Network
• Put This On the Map
• Safe Schools Coalition
• Social Justice Handbook Guide to Gender
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)