The Many Ways of Being: A Conversation on Sex and Gender with Pierre Brouard at St Clements: Monday 2nd March 2026 — 18h00
When we talk about sex and gender, are we actually talking about biology, identity, behaviour or expectations — or all of them at once? And why do these ideas feel so confusing, or threatening, to some people? “When people hear ‘sex’ and ‘gender’, they often think they mean the same thing,” says Pierre Brouard, who has worked in the field of sex and gender for more than 30 years, as an academic, on boards, in an advisory capacity, as a therapist, in a personal capacity and more.
St Clements’ Mondays at 6 programme invites audiences to bring their curiosity, questions and observations. We (the royal 🥰) will be in conversation with Pierre Brouard about sex, gender and the spaces in-between.
Sex refers to biological, anatomical and physiological characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, genitalia) usually categorised as male, female or intersex at birth. Gender is a social, cultural and psychological construct relating to roles, behaviours and identity (how one feels and acts). While sex is often binary, gender is a spectrum.
“But talking honestly about sex and gender is not always so simple,” says Pierre Brouard.
“What we get wrong (about sex and gender) matters. Why? you might ask. Just one of the topics we'll address...
“Narrow ideas and intolerance around femininity and masculinity abound. Terminology can be confusing. Mistaken beliefs and assumptions can cause prejudice, misconceptions, fear, hurt, bias, judgment …”
Pierre Brouard is the Research associate (former acting director) of the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) at the University of Pretoria (where he worked for 25 years).
Extraordinary Lecturer, Centre for Human Rights, University
of Pretoria. (He regularly presents short courses.)
Registered Clinical Psychologist.
On the board of the Professional Association for Transgender
Health South Africa.
On the executive of the Sexuality and Gender Division of the
Psychological Society of South Africa.
Interests include sexualities, gender, human rights, stigma,
governance, leadership, accountability, transformation and social justice. He
is also a regular contributor to publications on these subjects.
The following four TED talks you
might like to watch / listen to / think about / ahead of the upcoming soiree.
1) 1. I’ve lived as a man and as a woman — here's what
I've learned. (Today Paula Stone Williams is a pastoral counsellor and woman — but
for the first 60 years of her life, Williams identified as male.)
2) 2. Why I must come out (When fashion model Geena
Rocero first saw a photo of herself in a bikini, "I thought ... you have
arrived!" As she reveals, that's because she was born with the gender
assignment "boy." In this moving talk, Rocero tells the story of
becoming who she always knew she was.)
3) 3. The biology of gender, from DNA to the brain (How
exactly does gender work? It's not just about our chromosomes, says biologist
Karissa Sanbonmatsu. In a visionary talk, she shares new discoveries from
epigenetics... Learn how life experiences shape the way genes are expressed and
what that means for our understanding of gender.)
4) 4. A short history of trans people's long fight
for equality (Transgender activist and TED Resident Samy Nour Younes shares the
remarkable, centuries-old history of the trans community, filled with
courageous stories, inspiring triumphs and a fight for civil rights that's been
raging for a long time.)
When the donation box is passed around, St Clements requests
generosity and a minimum of R50 per person.
Weather permitting, the function will be outdoors.
Bookings limited to diners in support of St Clements
restaurant and staff.
Single folk are welcome to book for one person and join a
table.
Be there in time to open your tab, order at the counter and
settle in before the scheduled 18h00 start. Please cancel if you book then
can’t make it.
Table Bookings Essential: RSVP ST Clements +27 62 582 0980
St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road in Durban
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