getting ClassCastException on passing string array in java

When you call third party libraries and you get this type of errors, you always have to wonder if you are not using the API improperly. In your case it's easy to see from the JavaDoc that the correct method is setParameterList instead of setParameter . Remember, the JavaDoc is your bible.

I am taking a copy-paste of Hibernate 3.3 Javadoc for the class Query :

 Query  setParameter(int position, Object val) 
          Bind a value to a JDBC-style query parameter.
 Query  setParameter(int position, Object val, Type type) 
          Bind a value to a JDBC-style query parameter.
 Query  setParameter(String name, Object val) 
          Bind a value to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameter(String name, Object val, Type type) 
          Bind a value to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameterList(String name, Collection vals) 
          Bind multiple values to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameterList(String name, Collection vals, Type type) 
          Bind multiple values to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameterList(String name, Object[] vals) 
          Bind multiple values to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameterList(String name, Object[] vals, Type type) 
          Bind multiple values to a named query parameter.
 Query  setParameters(Object[] values, Type[] types) 
          Bind values and types to positional parameters.

1、You're getting an exception because you're trying to cast an array String[] to an object String,

//modify
getCurrentSession().createQuery(myQueryBuilder.toString()).setParameter("gender", Gender.MALE);
or
getCurrentSession().createQuery(myQueryBuilder.toString()).setParameter("gender", Gender.FEMALE);