Chapter 10 -- Gender: Expectations and Roles and Behaviors

Prompt:

Now imagine that you are of the opposite sex, but yourmind is still of the same gender that you are now.  Ifyou're male, then you will continue to think as a male. Same ifyou're female. However, you just got up and realize that your bodyis very different. Males: you're got breasts, hips, and adistinctly female face. Females: you're growing hair on your face,your jaw is more square, you've put on muscles and lost all yourcurves. You step outside and people treat youbased on what you look like. But you don't seem to be able tobehave according to what you look like. You want to actaccording to what you feel like. You're confused. Youdon't feel like the opposite sex, but you lookexactly like the opposite sex. You will spendthe rest of your life like this.

Questions:

What do you do about it? What are your options? How do youreconcile the way you feel with the way you look? Are you mad? Howdo you visualize the rest of your life? Does this change in yoursex mean that you are now homosexual? What is the differencebetween problems in gender identity and sexual orientation? Dohomosexuals wish they could be the opposite sex, or do they feel athome just the way they are? So many questions, you say? I need fullparagraphs here that contribute as much as you have learned aboutthese topics. Be sensitive about these issues. Do not writewhatever comes to mind. Be kind. Be informative. Be objective.