Sexes

"I hope this isn't about boys.''" "''You know there's only one boy, Mother."

- Jessa and Merei Spanjaf, discussing Merei's relationship with Zare Leonis

Most beings in the galaxy belonged to one of two sexes, or genders (namely male or female), which determined sexual and physiological traits. However, more than four genders existed throughout the galaxy.

Biological and cultural significance
Many sentient and non-sentient species had male and female sexes, with many biological and childbearing similarities between the two. Humans and other humanoid lifeforms generally reproduced by the coupling of a male and female, from which the female would give birth to male or female children. A female could have multiple children over her lifetime and some were capable of giving birth to several at once. Complications during pregnancy could be disastrous for a female, resulting in permanent disability or death. The children inherited the genetic traits of both their parents, and could also inherit Force-sensitivity.

In most traditional societies, males were expected to provide for a family, while females were expected to act as a caregiver for children, and expected to care for their male partner in his efforts to protect the family. As such, a female would be responsible for providing early education and teaching children the ways of the galaxy. In modern, developed societies, nanny droids or other supervisors could care for children if their parents were unable to spend enough time with them.

Not all species exhibited typical mammalian breeding and childbearing patterns. Some species, such as the Neimoidians, were born as grubs and forced to compete over a limited food supply. Others hatched from eggs, such as the Geonosians, who all came from a single hive queen.

Most societies maintained cultural expectations of what it meant to be a "man" or a "woman." Typically, such expectations revolved around the misconception that men were physically and intellectually stronger than women, or at least more capable in the arts of warfare and more capable of maintaining political power within the galaxy. As such, women were generally expected to be submissive, subservient, and loyal. Ferric Obdur, chief informational officer of the OIP, affectionately called women "dolls" and treated them as sexual objects, much like the Hutt gangster Jabba Desilijic Tiure. Likewise, Rebel General Jan Dodonna once chastised Princess Leia Organa for wishing to rescue survivors of Alderaan following the planet's destruction at the hands of the Galactic Empire. Such misogynistic prejudice, as well as human ethnocentrism and xenophobia, dominated the Galactic Empire's political and military policies. Yet despite prejudice, females such as Leia Organa, Mon Mothma, Padmé Amidala and Rae Sloane rose to positions of considerable power and influence within their respective societies.

While most individuals exhibited male-to-female attraction, a significant minority of the galactic population exhibited male-to-male, female-to-female, or male-to-male/female attraction. Some planets, such as Chandrila, were home to unprejudiced cultures, allowing such individuals to make public displays of affection free from the threat of physical violence. However, most still felt awkward and embarrassed when openly conveying such affection.

Some individuals viewed sexual encounters as nonbinding, participating in them recreationally. However, many throughout the galaxy considered such lifestyles unusual, and looked down upon those who practiced them. Despite this, several such individuals existed within high society, such as Moff Delian Mors.

Galactic impact
Throughout galactic history, the human species' ability to rapidly reproduce resulted in its dominance as one of the most populous races in the galaxy.

During the Clone Wars, male humans were cloned from the bounty hunter Jango Fett to form the Grand Army of the Republic. These clones were grown in hatcheries on the planet Kamino, and were genetically altered to accelerate their growth rate and to be more compliant to orders.

Owing to geopolitical or economic hardship, many male and female members of a variety of species sold themselves as prostitutes or "mistresses" to a variety of clientele. Largely looked down upon, such activities often occurred in areas of ill repute, and could result in exploitation, rape, and slavery. Many who frequented such venues were gamblers, spacers, or spice addicts who lacked stable relationships, or were rich and otherwise influential persons, normally in positions of considerable political power. The Twi'lek species was largely regarded as one of the most beautiful species in the galaxy, resulting in numerous slavers capturing females from the Twi'lek homeworld of Ryloth.

Among the Galactic Empire's military personnel, the euphemism "off-base recreation" referred to soliciting cantinas or visiting various "mistresses." Popular locations for these activities included the Octagon in Ryloth's capital city, Lessu, or the Coruscant underworld. During the Empire's reign, the Imperial Loyalty Officer Sinjir Rath Velus, in order to more effectively interrogate a subject, often sought to discover the subject's sexual companion.

Droids, being machines, lacked a biological sex. However, in order to appear more lifelike, many droids were programmed with a "masculine" or "feminine" personality. Thus, even mechanical beings were designated either he or she.