Sedgwick defines and picks apart the many holes and well known knowledge of the words sex, gender and sexuality. Sex, or “chromosomal sex” as she likes to refer to it as, refers to the more scientific term and associations with the word ‘sex’. Meaning the actual chromosomal and physical attributes of the human body and it’s make up. Gender is a more societal construction to Sedgwick, seeing as the many ways we identify a girl or boy is by appearances and behaviors that we take in and process under our own well known and groomed in ideas of what a man or woman is or would be. Sexuality would be the actions and expectations of each gender that coincide with their gender in a sexual way.

With these definitions set in place by Sedgwick, she then poses the question of whether or not feminism is a gender or sexuality problem. She goes on to say that gender and sexuality are one in the same, both laced within each other and therefore stand hand in hand. I agree with this idea because of how mixed and how stretched every form of the words sex, gender and sexuality can become.

In these current times, sex, gender and sexuality can be bent in many different ways to accommodate different perspectives. Many people believe a definite term for these words can be met but this to me seems too concrete for these words that could have so many different meanings. Sexuality, gender and sex have so many different ideas, spaces and definitions. Gender and sexuality an idea of the self that a person finds for themselves. It cannot be pigeonholed into one specific field or definition. While this may be the same type of argument that many people have heard, in 2015 it’s ridiculous to think that a person could try to grasp the idea of gender or sexuality into a single sentence. Gender and sexuality shouldn’t be a social construct, but a personal individual experience for every person.

I think that the individual should be able to define themselves, or not define themselves at all. A lot of prejudices seem to stem from ignorance, or the reaction of people going or being outside of someone else’s range of ‘normalcy’ or what they know. This type of ignorance or discrimination is used against transgendered individuals and homosexuals (as well as countless other ‘groups’). The problem stems from people’s inability to understand gender or sex outside of the actual ‘physical’ or anatomical make up of an individual at the present time or at birth. As well as many masculine females or feminine males are ‘picked on’ by others.

Then comes the issues of feminism. Not the movement or point of feminism itself, but the backlash or understanding of feminism. Sedgwick bridges the issues of racism and classism to feminism, saying that these oppressions are all similar in a more complex way because even though they are all different, they are all processed in a similar way. Sedgwick explains how any versions or references to sex are oppressed or picked apart by society. This comes from a feeling of discomfort, which I believe stems from the ‘taboo’ or negativity that seems to wind itself around any word, idea or feeling that is sexually charged.

Going back to the beginning of history, sex was a primal instinct, and gender was meant to decide who would procreate and pass on a bloodline. As societies grew and became civilized, they became more ‘modest’. The human body was scandalous, and sex was expected but never spoken about. Even more so, sexual acts were forbidden and never spoken about. These negative connotations to sexuality, sex and gender were conceived way before feminism was ever given a name. More so, women were always shed in a bad light, expected to be pretty, not ugly, seen, but not heard. Feminism acts or qualities were given a weaker connotation, a sad truth that still holds (mostly) true today.

Thus, feminism and feminist movements are misconstrued and receive a negative backlash because of centuries of outdated, ridiculous and what should be dead ideas and connotations. Sedgwick’s piece not only investigates these ideas, but also attempts to define sex, sexuality and gender, whereas I personally believe those three terms are too loosely used and perceived to fully grasp.