What do you think determines your sex?

[Dryad]

A she-male is... Well, a person with both breasts and male genitalia. (Penis and scrotum.) Generally feminine.
As opposed to hermaphrodites, people who are born with two physical genders, she-males recieve surgery to become she-male. That basically sums it up.

Just a question, concerning other people and your gender:
If your neighbour thinks you're an ->-bleeped-<-, does that make you an ->-bleeped-<-? If the government thinks you're a number; is that what you are? A number? If your senile parents mix you up with their other children; are you your siblings?

If a loony would be convinced you are a rock, then does that make you a rock?

Why, then, does it make any difference what gender the world thinks you are?

[tinkerbell]

I am not sure what is a she-male.

Oh wow, there's a term from the past! 

Perhaps you would be interested in reading this thread or maybe this one.

shhhh you didn't hear them from me though! 

*Tink hides quickly*

tink

[Wendy]

Tink and Dryad thank you very much for your responses. 

Tink I am not an effeminate gay male or a Hollywood porn star so that I do not fit that definition.  However I still have male parts.

Dryad your comments are very thought provoking and I had to read them several things to understand them.

I have learned that we are part male and part female.  I am very sensitive and can cry at a Wedding and probably have more empathy for people than many females.  On the flip side I am right brain dominant (3 of 4 lefties are male) and can write poetry, cook fantastic meals, and see the results of a complex project in my head before the project is started.

I have not dismissed your arguments on a person being a girl even if that person has the anatomy of a boy and is viewed by others as being a boy.

I can tell you I do care what people think.  I am also scared what people can do to you (i.e. a boss can fire you for being different).  I do on many occasions come to the support of other people but I have trouble defending myself.

I am not a trend setter and do try to fit in.   I think I have blocked out all my cross-gender events from my mind.  Many of them are very extreme. 

I have tried so hard to be a boy.  (That is making me cry! Maybe too many females hormones.)

Dryad I am not sure of your comment and will continue to think about it.  I have convinced many people that I am male and I may have been able to fool me. Perception is reality.

Thanks again.

   

[KarenLyn]

i believe you're talking about [physical sex] since you didn't use the word [gender], correct?
physical sex is determined by gametes.  gametes are sex cells from the parents which determine the [physical sex] of the child]. [the male] is the actual parent who's gametes [determine the sex]. the female produces gametes with only X sex chromosomes. the male produces gametes with either an X or a Y sex chromosome. when the male and female gametes join, the cell formed will have a [full set] of chromosomes. it will get and X from the female and either X or Y from the male. [XX] makes a [female] child, [XY] makes a [male] child.

Unless of course you have an anomalous genetic make up. There are cases of XXY, XXXY(Klinefelter's Syndrome), XXY and XXX(Turner's syndrome).  Mosaicism also manifests in other combinations each responsible for different birth defects not the least of which may be IS.

Karen Lyn

[Wendy]

Kiera you made me laugh and Karen Lyn I loved the story about your speeding ticket.

...........
I removed my gender from my profile because I confused people with a male gender and a female picture.

I remain am confused of my own gender but I am a genetic XY. 

My argument is if you look like a male, act like a male, are a genetic male,  society perceives you as a male but you think you are a female then you are a male.  Dryad made some strong arguments to the contrary concluding that you would be a female.  Dryad raised the following question:

Why, then, does it make any difference what gender the world thinks you are?

My answer would be, "Because I said so!"   This argument is used by all women when I am winning a debate and it automatically means I go directly to jail and do not pass go.  However if I win the argument with this answer then I prove Dryad correct since only females can use this answer.

Maybe this is the answer:
If I get SRS then I probably will lose many individuals that are important to me, any means of earning a living, and involvement in the church.  (God understands but most people do not.)

However Melissa and Tink also made good points:

I think the answer depends on the context in which one's gender is viewed.  In a forum like this, people's sex is generally determined with how they identify, but like tinkerbell said, in day to day lives, it has to do with how we look and act.

I close with a little satire and irony which will strengthen Dylan's argument.

A teenage girl said: "You have less eyebrows than me!" Truly this is embarrassing when said to an xy.  For now this xy will not dress with a dress but with a loose button down shirt.  A tight button down shirt would have the teenage girl asking more embarrassing questions.