people most certainly can have gender, according to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: 1gen·der Pronunciation: 'jen-d&r Function: noun Etymology: Middle English gendre, from Middle French genre, gendre, from Latin gener-, genus birth, race, kind, gender -- more at KIN Date: 14th century 1 a : a subclass within a grammatical class (as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics (as shape, social rank, manner of existence, or sex) and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms b : membership of a word or a grammatical form in such a subclass c : an inflectional form showing membership in such a subclass 2 a : SEX b : the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex
(no subject)