Part I Experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex in the Asia Pacific When a man has a feminine gender expression he is often assumed to be gay and the word ‘effeminate’ is frequently used as a negative term. Similarly, a woman with a masculine gender expression is often assumed to be lesbian. However sexual orientation and gender expression are separate and distinct. For example, there are also many masculine gay men and feminine lesbians. 32 In a comparable way, someone’s outward gender expression does not indicate whether the person is transgender or not. Many transgender women are very feminine but others may prefer more genderneutral or masculine clothes or hairstyles. Similarly, not all transgender men want to be hyper-masculine. Biological sex is one of many uses of the term ‘sex’, employed when referring to a person’s biological characteristics. These may be genetic, hormonal or anatomical and typically are used to categorise people into two distinct categories as either male or female. The term ‘sex characteristics’ is an alternative, more precise way of framing biological sex. Sex characteristics refers to the chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical features of a person, which include primary characteristics, such as reproductive organs and genitalia and/or in chromosomal structures and hormones, and secondary characteristics, such as muscle mass, hair distribution, breasts and/or structure.32 The terms male and female and the phrase ‘opposite sex’ imply that male and female are the only two (binary) options. Yet all biological sex characteristics occur naturally in different combinations and to various degrees. Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people born with sex characteristics (including genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. ‘Intersex’ is an umbrella term that covers a broad range of congenital physical variations. People with intersex variations are born with bodies, chromosomes or hormones that do not match a stereotypical ideal of what it means to be male or female. Preferred terms that NHRIs may wish to use include ‘intersex people’ or ‘people born with intersex variations/traits’. When talking about the relevant ground of discrimination, the terms most commonly used are ‘intersex status’ or ‘sex characteristics’.33 32 Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act 2015 (Malta); see http://justiceservices.gov.mt/Download Document.aspx?app=lp&itemid=26805&l=1. 33 Chapter 4 provides more details about recent use of the term ‘sex characteristics’. Chapter 1: Understanding sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics | 13