[sittnick]

Actually, I am most disturbed that the author is employing the current use of the word "gender" when the appropriate word is "sex." There are but two sexes: male and female. "Gender" should be reserved for language use (e.g. French, where La is feminine gender, Le is masculine gender)

As H.W. Fowler wrote in his "Modern English Usage":

"gender...is a grammatical term only. To talk of persons...of the masculine or feminine g[ender], meaning of the male or female sex, is either a jocularity (permissible or not according to context) or a blunder."

Even the Microsoft dictionary admits that other uses are non-standard.

[mista science]

As H.W. Fowler wrote in his "Modern English Usage":

"gender...is a grammatical term only. To talk of persons...of the masculine or feminine g[ender], meaning of the male or female sex, is either a jocularity (permissible or not according to context) or a blunder."

What edition would that have been? See sex and gender

OTOH, see Humpty Dumpty. "When I use a word, it means exactly what I want it to mean—nothing more and nothing less."