Intersections Between Sex, Gender, and Sexual Identity

People are commonly viewed as having discrete identities. These identity categories are often seen as or used in isolation from other categories. Therefore, identity comparisons are often made in dichotomous ways. For instance, a construct such as life expectancy may be distinguished along gender lines (i.e., between males and females). In some instances, the description of such constructs may take into consideration another identity marker. Therefore, academics and policy makers may consider the difference in life expectancy among Black men and women compared with White men and women, thereby creating a 2x2[Page 602] matrix (gender along one axis and race along the other). Rarer still are the instances where yet another identity marker is added to the mix—for example, considering how social class relates to ...