Sex and gender are separate.

A transsexual can be a lesbian.

All gender is performance.

Issues like these were explained and discussed at Tuesday night’s Transgender Presentation in Buzzard Hall.

The presentation was part of EIU Pride’s observance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month.

Aiden Ethington, a senior political science major who identifies as genderqueer, gave a half-hour presentation about the sometimes-tricky terms that fall under the transgender umbrella. The presentation was followed by more than half an hour of question-and answer time with the audience.

Ethington began the presentation with an explanation of the terms.

“Sex and gender are two different things,” she said.

Sex refers to a person’s physical sex – born physical characteristics and genitals.

Ethington explained that “gender identity” refers to a person’s own personal sense of gender, and a person’s “assigned gender” refers to that person’s physical sex.

When a person’s gender identity and assigned gender do not match, the individual falls under the term “transgender.”

She said transgender can include varying sexual orientations or characteristics in a person and does not always refer to someone who has undergone or who desires a sex change operation or gender reassignment.

Transexuals, cross-dressers, intersex individuals, performers and genderqueers were the main groups of individuals discussed that fall under the transgender term.

Ethington used herself as an example during the talk.

“People called me ‘sir’ a lot, and I hated that, but when they called me ‘ma’am,’ I really didn’t like that, either,” she said. “I did some research my sophomore year and found the term transgender.”

She said she thought it fit.

Ethington was born “Heather.” Her sex is female, and she has a girlfriend of two years; however, she does not feel feminine or masculine.

Ethington has not legally changed her name to Aiden but said she would probably in the future.

She said she would never have a sex reassignment surgery because it is of the expense – approximately $50,000 – and it does not yield physical results she thinks she would be satisfied with.

“I feel like a little bit of both, but not all (genderqueers) feel that way. Some feel like neither,” Ethington said. “Not all genderqueers and androgynes change physically, and not always completely; it might be a male with facial hair and breasts, or a female with facial hair and breasts.”

She did say she would consider top surgery someday, which would remove her breasts.

Although Ethington gave her presentation with her chest bound nearly flat and a strip of facial hair glued to her chin, she told the audience that was not the way she normally dressed.

Ethington, president of Pride, was dressed in drag because she had participated in Pride’s Hug a Queen fundraiser earlier that day in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The audience of approximately 20 students listened attentively during Ethington’s presentation.

Attendants included a handful of fellow Pride members and approximately 15 members of Kathy Rodems’ Women, Men and Gender course.

“We’ve talked quite a bit about transgender and intersex, and I’ve had quite a few students with questions, so I suggested that they come to this speaker for extra credit,” Rodems said.

Before the presentation, Rodems’ students waited outside the room, not quite sure what to expect.

Audrey Iverson, sophomore Spanish major, said the class had been talking about transgender issues and expected to learn a lot.

After the formal presentation concluded, Ethington took questions for more than half an hour.

Pride members in the back room of the classroom were excited about the respectful curiosity of the audience and the turnout.

The questions ranged from details about sex change operations and legality of name changes to more personal inquiries about Ethington’s family’s reaction to her orientation.

Ethington’s light-hearted responses to the sometimes-awkward questions often drew laughter.

“My red-neck family accepts me and my girlfriend,” she said, explaining her family’s reaction.

On transgender lesbians, Ethington said, “They are women on the inside and they like women, so they just need a little help.”

After the presentation, Rodems’ class members asked their professor if they could have a class discussion to further discuss the issues.

“I really enjoyed it and learned a lot,” said Jamie Muller, junior nursing major. “I was afraid it would be just a boring PowerPoint, and I thought it was going to be an older person.”

Muller said she enjoyed how Ethington could give a personal perspective and answer questions at the end.