Have you ever been flustered  by someone’s appearance? Does a confliction of gender roles make you feel uncomfortable? Does a sense of apprehension come over when forced to refer to someone in the 3rd person? You’re not alone. In the U.S. the topic of gender is one clouded by more than a few misconceptions. In 2019 the Pew Research Center published data that showed that 47% of Americans would be somewhat or very uncomfortable with using someone’s pronouns if they were alternative to the binary “he” and “she.” While discomfort over a foreign topic is understandable, it’s no excuse, in the fine age of information in which we find ourselves, to remain ignorant. The root of homophobia and transphobia is, above all, fear of the unknown. Luckily there is a simple antidote to misinformation: education. When we take the time to learn about the subjects and, more importantly, people we can settle our stomach on topics which lie in our intellectual dark blind spots. Here’s a jumping off point to understand the basics of gender.