Steven Pinker on "Gender": "a grammatical distinction among categories of nouns ... grammatical term was co-opted to refer to the conceptual distinction between M & F because the English word "sex" also refers to copulation, and writers & speakers wanted to be clear they weren't referring to *that*"

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[–]According-Junket-885 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

From what I've heard, gender has referred to sex for several hundred years.

Then feminists adopted it.

Then transsexuals adopted it.

Separately.

[–]Vaporade 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

From what I've heard, gender has referred to sex for several hundred years.

But still for the aforementioned reason, I assume.

[–]According-Junket-885 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Because sex also refers to copulation? I should think so.