Learning Objectives Deciphering Gender and Orientation

  1. Address fears and misinformation that lead to adverse outcomes for youth and adults impacted by the topics of gender and orientation.
  2. Recognize how the pervasive female/male binary construct affects perceptions, interactions, and equitable treatment for all people.
  3. Review the latest knowledge on intersex bodies which brings new questions to our paradigm of how we define and assign biological sex.
  4. Examine the concept of transgender and assess the challenges faced by people who wish to pursue a gender transition.
  5. Critically analyze social and legal complexities resulting from the growing recognition of intersex and transgender human experiences.
  6. Engage in reflective conversation on sexual orientation that analyzes popular concepts, real life experiences, and the gap between the two.
  7. Investigate the rapid changes in terminology used to label identities based on concepts of orientation. 
  8. Examine the function of gender attribution and the psychological and social assumptions underpinning this concept.
  9. Distinguish between sexual orientation and gender expression.
  10. Learn about and explore developmental systems theory, a new theoretical perspective on biological development which takes into account the continuum of genetics and environment.
  11. Identify actions to create caring environments that accommodate all young people’s experiences around gender and orientation.