What would life be like if there was a third gender?

Hmmm, where'd you come up with this? They sound like different descriptions for what we call transgender or gender confused (not separate genders). What about a male who believes he's really female (transgender) but who also thinks she is a lesbian? Excluding gender used in language (definition #1), Webster defines gender as "#2 a : SEX b : the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex".

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by Little Miss Dangerous on January 18th, 2007

exactly, based on behavior, culture, or psychology(no genetalia)...I get my facts on the research papers and books I have read, I major in sociology, so needless to say, that comes along with several classes and readings on gender, gender identities, gender theories, gender norms and so on...also when did I mention transgender, I named "different" genders...it is the idea behind it that makes a gender

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by BobSaccamano-is-back on January 18th, 2007

here ya go :)
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/gendermed/sexandgender.html

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by BobSaccamano-is-back on January 18th, 2007

Well, your concept is easier understood from this link, but you're ignoring that Websters defines gender as primarily SEX (male or female) and THEN the behavioral... associated with ONE SEX (either male or female). Webster not only uses sex to define gender, but it puts this definition before the more abstract characteristic based explanation. Only trying to defend the sex based answers to this question as equally relevant.

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by Little Miss Dangerous on January 19th, 2007

Oh, and sorry, I never meant to imply that you mentioned transgender-- I did. After reading the site you mentioned on Hijras, I said they sound more like the definition of transgender used in the USA. Summarizing from Wikipedia:
Transgender is an overarching term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man), as well as the role traditionally held by society. Transgender is the state of one's "gender identity" (self-identification as male, female, both or neither) not matching one's "assigned gender" (identification by others as male or female based on sex).
Sounds like the Hijras to me. It's just more accepted there. Besides, I don't think it's any coincidence that Hijras (what they call themselves) is also the Hindi Urdu word for 'hermaphrodites', which as we know, is all about the organs, baby (:

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by Little Miss Dangerous on January 19th, 2007

well, according to all my readings, webster's is wrong, which doesn't really surprise me...I am sure sex is used as a defintion for simplicity, sociologists alwasys tend to over analyze, but in my humble opinion with many others...there is a difference. In response to your third gender comments, the term is all encompassing, but to fall back on my answer, in the cultures mentioned, they are very much their own gender, the wikipedia definition sounds correct to me, I do not see how it disproves my answer though

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by BobSaccamano-is-back on January 19th, 2007

also, this is not "my concept," it is what I have read and it has been consistent in all of my readings, I do agree with them...but I wouldn't call it "my concept" really...the difference between the two is qutie subtle just like a the difference between race and ethnicity is subtle and not well known...I could name a hundred of these little tiny differences from common opinion

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by BobSaccamano-is-back on January 19th, 2007

Bob, Bob, Bob, I didn't say Wiki proved you wrong. You misunderstood me again! I only mentioned Wiki because it supported my comparison of the term transgender to the Hijras. The description of how they operate in their society is how we define transgender, AND they use a Hindi Urdu word for hermaphrodite, like bigkado69 suggested from the start. That's all. Your free to disagree with Webster's. I'm totally cool with that sweetie! You'll get no argument from me...just inspired discussion.

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by Little Miss Dangerous on January 20th, 2007

sorry, I misunderstood

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by BobSaccamano-is-back on January 21st, 2007

Thats what i was gonna say.Points to ya.

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by janacide on January 18th, 2007

lol..thanks.

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by bigkado69 on January 18th, 2007