Gender Identity, Sexuality Identity and YOU

This can be a sticky subject for some.  Everyone is a bit confused about the difference.  Let me start at the beginning.

When a baby develops in the uterus of a woman, the cells develop around the belly button to create the heart, brain, spinal cord, and limbs.  Around 4-5 weeks in utero, the sex organs develop as indifferent structures.  Sex organs develop as a result of  "chromosomes."  The mother provides X chromosomes and the father provides Y chromosomes.  Whichever chromosomes are most prevalent (boys have XY and girls have XX) suppress the development of the male or female organ development and grow the other.  By 12 weeks in utero, the sex organs are developed but not mature.

Meanwhile, hormones have a huge impact on the development of sex organs and can influence life after birth.  Hormones are a factor in the development of sexual identity and orientation as well.

Some babies are born with hermaphroditism (both male and female), either having both male and female sexual organs, or sexual organs that change throughout their lives. 

Sexual orientation is a matter of who you are ATTRACTED to sexually (heterosexual, homosexual (gay or lesbian), bisexual, asexual, queer (and umbrella term for those not identifying as heterosexual), for example).

Rather than thinking of these situations as "out of the norm," "weird," or "not normal," we could think of them as a normal occurrence in the Life and Development of homo sapiens as they changes have been observed since the beginning of time.

So, when asked what my gender preference is, I say FLUID.  I am a female physically, I am oriented toward the opposite sex which is called heterosexual, I have many masculine characteristics in my body and my mind (large bones, dark hard growing on my face, aggressive, loud and task oriented with linear thinking processes). 

It is possible that all of us has an affinity toward both Masculine and Feminine characteristics in defining our Gender identity.  They used to call us "Tom Boys."

It is not out of the question that lack of fear in experimenting with Sexual orientation rather that just settling for a "role" you are supposed to adopt because you are born a man or woman, is a way of finding out how you identify in terms of sexual orientation.  These experiments are usually done in late teen and early adulthood.  

Religious influence seems to have an agenda about how we decide.  It dictates we stay in the role we were born in no matter what our experiences and tendencies have been.  

Since my goal is to be the best, most loving and most kind human being I can possibly be considering my life experiences, the religious solution doesn't make good sense to me.  I have no doubt I am not in control over anything, proven time and time again in my life.  However, I was born a chooser.  It is up to me to know enough about myself to make good sound choices that do not harm others.  

How do you define your gender and sexual orientation?