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Yes gender and sex are two distinct things, your sex being the chromosomal designation and gender being a range of characteristics relating to masculinity and femininity. Your gender is derived from your biological sex. Gender identity is a whole different thing. However you personally identify is your gender identity - but this does not change your gender. There are not "infinite genders". There are two: male and female. While it's true that not every single individual will fall into these discrete categories due to chromosomal aberrations in which they are born hermaphroditic, any third gender designation will indubitably be governed by varying degrees of masculinity and femininity. And frankly transgenderism has no effect on this -- whether you believe male-to-female transgendered people to be women or men that's still two discrete genders. The reverse obviously follows too. The idea of someone being gender-neutral or genderless or -- even more dubiously -- some abstract third gender doesn't make sense. Instead of shattering traditional roles, these individuals would rather flag themselves as mentally ill to their peers.
I do find it interesting that you brought up the APA, Psychic, for they are the ones that describe gender identity disorder as a psychological disorder in the DSM-V. Of course as you mention homosexuality was also listed as a disorder in the DSM-III. I agree with its removal, but you should keep in mind the history behind its removal. It was not as if psychologists who served the APA came together, considered opposing viewpoints, and presented evidence regarding the manifestation of homosexuality as a form of mental illness. Rather it was social pressure from activists groups which had it removed. Suddenly millions of Americans that had been mentally ill became well. Of course I'm sure we can both agree these people were not mentally ill to begin with. But gender dysphoria -- with or without social stigma -- certainly presents severe psychological dysfunction and impairment which are easily identifiable. If the APA continues to take pressure from activists groups to override their own psychological research in informing the content of the DSM, the legitimacy of the whole field will be called into question.
I do find it interesting that you brought up the APA, Psychic, for they are the ones that describe gender identity disorder as a psychological disorder in the DSM-V. Of course as you mention homosexuality was also listed as a disorder in the DSM-III. I agree with its removal, but you should keep in mind the history behind its removal. It was not as if psychologists who served the APA came together, considered opposing viewpoints, and presented evidence regarding the manifestation of homosexuality as a form of mental illness. Rather it was social pressure from activists groups which had it removed. Suddenly millions of Americans that had been mentally ill became well. Of course I'm sure we can both agree these people were not mentally ill to begin with. But gender dysphoria -- with or without social stigma -- certainly presents severe psychological dysfunction and impairment which are easily identifiable. If the APA continues to take pressure from activists groups to override their own psychological research in informing the content of the DSM, the legitimacy of the whole field will be called into question.
