Is the Gnome Hireling a Male or Female?

[Aisnator]

I know that for the purpose of sex restricted items, the gender that the hireling appears is controlling. However, the Gnome hireling artwork does not depict a gender. It simply depicts a little gnome holding a giant tuba, which obstructs his/her entire little gnome body. All that is visible are the gnomes little legs.

Rule: “Hireling is of the sex, if any, shown on its card. It should be pretty obvious, even to your munchkin players, which are male, which are female, and which have no sex at all.”

I understand that some hirelings don’t have a sex, but it seems that this was intended more to deal with hirelings like the example provided in the rules, i.e. “robots never have a gender,” not gnomes.

Does the “no sex” rule apply to the gnome hireling? And does that mean it cannot use any male or female specific items? Or do you have a persuasive belief that the gnome DOES have a gender but that it is obscured from our view.