what is your gender expression essay

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What Is Gender Expression?

Gender expression refers to the ways that people present their gender identity to the world. This may be through clothing, haircuts, behaviors, and other choices. For many people, there is a "mismatch" between what society expects from their gender and how they choose to present.

Buzz cuts, for example, are seen as masculine hairstyles, while wearing dresses is seen as feminine. This expression may vary from what might be expected of one's gender identity. For example, a cisgender woman may have a very masculine expression but still identify as a woman.

This article looks at how gender expression differs from identity, orientation, and other ways of describing sex and gender. It also looks at discrimination on the basis of gender expression.

The Meaning of Gender Expression

Gender is a concept with many dimensions. When talking about whether people are cisgender or transgender, what is meant is whether a person's gender identity does or does not match their sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression, though, is something else. It refers to how people present themselves, in ways that a wider society may think of as being aligned with one gender or the other. For most people, gender expression affirms their gender identity.

Gender expression usually aligns with a person's gender identity. But it may be different from what the wider culture defines as masculine or feminine behavior.

In other words, people with masculine identities speak, dress, move, or wear their hair in generally "masculine" ways. People with feminine identities make these style and behavior choices in "feminine" ways.

Gender expression is very much a cultural construct. That means there may be a shared social expectation about gender. But it also may mean that the same feminine style of hair or clothing in one setting might be thought masculine in another time or place.

Society will sometimes regulate expression by making women wear certain kinds of clothes, and men other kinds, in order to participate in school, work, and public life. Rules about hair may reflect beliefs about gender too. When cultures enforce gender norms it is known as gender policing, which can range from dress codes to physical and emotional violence. Creating a safe space for all genders requires being aware of these explicit or implicit gender norms so gender policing can be prevented.

Gay men and bisexual cisgender women may be more likely than their straight or lesbian cisgender counterparts to have expression that departs from the expectations about their gender identity.

Research suggests that there are higher rates of discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people compared with the bias against those who are LGBTQ.

Some transgender people use a highly feminine or masculine expression to address their gender dysphoria . This may also lower their chances of being misgendered by others, meaning they are called by a gender or pronoun that does not match their identity.

Gender Expression and Health Care

Gender expression itself does not always need to be addressed by healthcare workers. But it can affect access to and quality of health care. People with an expression that differs from what is expected for their assigned sex at birth may see greater levels of bias and harassment from providers.

This is true for transgender people, but also for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. It's also true for people with a gender expression that is not what their provider expects.

Gender Expression, Pronouns, and Health Care

Gender expression is often what causes a doctor to ask for a patient's pronouns and/or affirmed name, but it is not best practice. In an ideal world, health workers should ask everyone what name they prefer to be called and what pronouns they use.

One approach that may be more affirming is for the doctor to introduce themselves first, using their own pronouns. This simple act invites the patient to share their own without putting anyone on the spot.

In 2020, Lambda Legal released a report about discrimination in health care, called "When Healthcare Isn't Caring." It included those with different gender expressions. Some 30% of respondents feared health workers would treat them differently because of their expression.

The report called for better training for health workers. It also called for broad policies to prohibit discrimination—not just on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, but also gender expression.

Blatant discrimination is not the only threat to some patients' gender expression. When doctors and other providers allow their own perceptions and biases around gender to guide their practice, it can create trauma for those in their care. Because medical professionals have authority over their patients, it is especially important that they acknowledge the nuances of gender expression.

Keep in mind that doctors do need to know a person's sex that was assigned at birth. They need to be able to do proper screening tests, such as screening for prostate cancer or cervical cancer.

Discrimination

Minority stress has been shown to play an important role in health disparities. Research suggests that gender expression is a part of the minority stress described by cisgender sexual minorities and gender minorities. This may reflect both a person's expectation that discrimination will happen, as well as the actual bias directed at them.

The effects of gender expression are different depending on a person's sex, gender identity, and the setting they are in. For example, some communities may accept a broader range of gender expressions from people who are seen as female than from those who are viewed as male.

It's a relatively new concept to use human rights law to protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender expression. In 2012, however, Ontario, Canada, passed legislation that forbids discrimination because of it.

A similar law was passed in New York in 2019, and other places have also passed protections. U.S. federal law does not explicitly protect people on the grounds of gender expression, but it does protect against discrimination in health care on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Resources like The National Center for Transgender Equality and the Movement Advancement Project equip people with information about their state's laws and initiatives so they can advocate for themselves and others.

Everyone has a gender expression. If a person's gender expression is what would be expected for their gender identity and/or recorded sex, it would be unusual for anyone to comment on it. But each person chooses how to present themselves to the world, and society views those choices as gendered. Despite growing awareness about gender expression, this still may lead to discrimination in public settings, including health care.

A Word From Verywell

Gender expression is not always static. It can change with time. While some people's gender expression is consistent with society's connotations of masculinity or femininity, others' is more nuanced. This is known as gender fluidity . Some may present as highly masculine one day and highly feminine another. This may or may not have anything to do with their gender identity.

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Sandfort TGM, Bos HMW, Fu T-C (Jane), Herbenick D, Dodge B. Gender expression and its correlates in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. adult population: Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior . The Journal of Sex Research . 2020:1-13. doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1818178

Kiebel E, Bosson JK, Caswell TA. Essentialist beliefs and sexual prejudice toward feminine gay men . Journal of Homosexuality . 2020;67(8):1097-1117. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1603492

Human Rights Watch. "You Don't Want Second Best"—Anti-LGBT Discrimination in US Health Care .

Lambda Legal. When health care isn’t caring: Lambda Legal’s survey of discrimination against LGBT people and people with HIV .

Puckett JA, Maroney MR, Levitt HM, Horne SG. Relations between gender expression, minority stress, and mental health in cisgender sexual minority women and men . Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity . 2016;3(4):489-498. doi:10.1037/sgd0000201

Horn SS. Adolescents’ acceptance of same-sex peers based on sexual orientation and gender expression . J Youth Adolescence . 2007;36(3):363-371 doi:10.1007/s10964-006-9111-0

Ross MW, Kashiha J, Mgopa LR. Stigmatization of men who have sex with men in health care settings in East Africa is based more on perceived gender role-inappropriate mannerisms than having sex with men . Global Health Action . 2020;13(1):1816526. doi:10.1080/16549716.2020.1816526

By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Boskey has a doctorate in biophysics and master's degrees in public health and social work, with expertise in transgender and sexual health.

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What Is Your Gender Identity?

Tell us how you’ve come to understand your gender identity, and what it means to you.

By Katherine Schulten

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

Note to teachers and students: To prepare to answer these questions, you might visit our recent lesson plan on transgender athletes that began with the definitions of some relevant terms as well as a “temperature check” exercise with questions about talking about gender in general.

Have you ever considered your gender identity? How comfortable do you feel talking about it? What does that identity mean to you? How do you express it?

Do you, like a growing number of teenagers, identify with a nontraditional gender label, or do you know someone who does? A 2019 article about nonbinary teenage fashion explained:

The word “nonbinary” became something people asked the internet about around 2014, making a steady upward climb to present day. Gender identity has become an international conversation, especially among teenagers. In 2017, a University of California, Los Angeles study found that 27 percent (796,000) of California youth between the ages of 12-17 believed they were seen by others as gender nonconforming. More teenagers overall are identifying with nontraditional gender labels, according to a March 2018 study published in the journal Pediatrics . Some progressive synagogues and Jewish communities are holding nonbinary mitzvahs . Nonbinary teenagers are choosing non-gendered for driver’s licenses . “When we’re looking at trends that we might see in the community of youth who are identifying as nonbinary, what we really are seeing is a community of people who are just accepting the diversity of gender expression,” said Jeremy Wernick, a clinical assistant professor in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at N.Y.U. Langone. Mr. Wernick’s work focuses on gender-expansive children and adolescents. “Yes, nonbinary kiddos are sort of leading the way in pushing the boundaries of those binary stereotypes,” Mr. Wernick said. “But what they’re really doing is modeling for other young people and adults the reality that gender expression can inevitably have an impact on the rest of the world if things are accepted and celebrated.”

This week, the Times Opinion section published an essay about gender exploration during the pandemic, in which a transgender-nonbinary writer, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich writer, asks, “ How Do I Define My Gender if No One Is Watching Me? ”:

When the world went into lockdown five months after I started taking testosterone, I thought it would be easier not to see people for a while. Maybe they wouldn’t hear my voice go scratchy or see up close the hormonal acne splattered across my face. Alone in my apartment, I imagined that all my difficulties in being seen and recognized as transgender-nonbinary would evaporate. No one would gender me except myself; my pronouns would be right there in the text box on my Zoom screen. So I was surprised by how much my gender instead seemed to almost evaporate. No longer on the alert for how to signal a restaurant’s waitstaff that neither “he” nor “she” applied to me, or for whether colleagues and neighbors would use the right language — devoid of anyone to signal my gender to — I felt, suddenly, amorphous and undefined. It was as though when I had swapped my Oxford shoes and neckties for fuzzy slippers and soft sweatpants, I, too, had lost my sharply tailored definition. After I podded with two trans friends, the only people I saw from closer than six feet were also nonbinary, neither men nor women. Among us, not only the once ubiquitous binary, but also any gender expectations, had vanished. Where did my own gender reside, then, if not in sending signals of difference? My friends and I had long joked, “Gender is a social construct!” every time one of us needed shoring up after a messy encounter with the expectations of the gender-conforming heterosexual world. But without that world, we now added a rueful punchline: “Too bad there’s no more ‘social’!”

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Sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics: a primer

This primer on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) serves as an introduction to the SOGIESC framework. It also includes a guide to gender-affirmative terminology detailing biased or anti-LGBTQI words to avoid and to use instead of them, as well as a glossary of terms related to being LGBTQI and SOGIESC. 

Authors and Editors: James Montilla Doble, Bryon Neil Senga (Ed.), Marie Aubrey Villaceran (Ed.)

Primer: UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies

Citation (APA): Montilla Doble, J. (2022). Sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics: A primer. UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. https://cws.up.edu.ph/?p=2441

• In your own words, define sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics.
• What does queer mean?
• What does questioning mean?
• What does the plus (+) sign mean in the initialism “LGBTQIA+”?
• What is heterosexism (or homophobia)?
• What is cisgenderism or cissexism (or transphobia)?
• What is monosexism (or biphobia)?

[ Individual/group activity ]

Answer the following questions:

• Other than queer, why are people who are questioning also included under Q in the LGBTQI initialism?
• Why is the phrase “people/persons of diverse SOGIESC” sometimes used instead of the initialism “LGBTQI”? When is using “people/persons of diverse SOGIESC” more appropriate? When is using “LGBTQI” more appropriate? Who are included and excluded when we use one term over another?
• What are the limitations of the SOGIESC framework in the Philippine context more generally? What are its advantages and disadvantages when conducting LGBTQI research in the Philippines specifically? 
• Why is knowing the SOGIESC framework important for LGBTQI people? Is it important for non-LGBTQI people as well?

[ Group activity ]

Create any learning material (article, infographic, short video essay, etc.) on the SOGIESC framework or other important points raised in the book. The goal of the learning material is to make LGBTQI and SOGIESC concepts more accessible. 

• SOGIESC 101: Introduction to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (in Filipino, Taglish, or other Philippine languages)
• Using the SOGIESC framework in conducting LGBTQI research in the Philippines (advantages, disadvantages/limitations)
• SOGIESC 102: Other terms related to sex, gender, and sexuality (in Filipino, Taglish, or other Philippine languages)

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9 questions about gender identity and being transgender you were too embarrassed to ask

by German Lopez

Transgender people are now at the forefront of LGBTQ issues in America.

Across the country, conservative lawmakers are pushing policies that prohibit transgender people, who identify with a gender different than the one assigned to them at birth, from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. State officials say these laws are necessary for public safety — despite no evidence that letting trans people use the bathroom for their gender identity causes public safety problems.

And recently, Trump administration revoked a guidance , originally written by the Obama administration, that told federally funded schools to not discriminate against trans students and, most controversially, let trans students use the bathroom and locker room that correspond with their gender identity. The Trump administration effectively argued that whether trans people are protected under the law should be decided at the state, not federal, level.

At the heart of the issue seems to be a widespread lack of understanding of trans issues and gender identity. After all, until a few years ago, concepts like gender identity and expression — and how they affect the hundreds of thousands of Americans who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary — hardly scratched the surface of mainstream news and entertainment in any meaningful way.

Now, the issue is at the forefront of public attention. The stories of Caitlyn Jenner ; Laverne Cox, a trans woman who plays Sophia on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black ; and Maura, a fictional trans character in the series Transparent, have all drawn greater attention to the many aspects of trans lives and what it means to identify with a gender different than the one a person was assigned at birth. And state lawmakers, notably in North Carolina , are now passing anti-LGBTQ laws that specifically target trans people — in large part as a response to the progress we’ve seen with LGBTQ rights.

But the increasing coverage of gender identity issues has in many ways outpaced public understanding. What does it mean to be transgender? And what would compel not just a rich and famous person like Jenner but the thousands of other less-privileged trans people across the country who face discrimination, family abandonment, and even violence to publicly come out?

The answer is both simple and complicated, and challenges some of society’s deeply held — but evolving — ideas about gender.

1) Why do some people identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary?

Some people don’t identify their gender as the sex they were assigned at birth. Some people, for example, may have been born with a penis, and designated male at birth as a result, but later realize that they identify as women and typical social standards of masculinity or femininity don’t apply to them. These people are adopting forms of gender identity and expression that aren’t related to their body parts or what sex a doctor decided they are at birth.

And to understand what transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary mean, you have to understand what gender identity and expression are, and how both concepts differ.

Gender identity is someone’s personal identification as man, woman, or a gender outside of societal norms. Gender expression refers to characteristics and behaviors a person identifies with that can be viewed as masculine, feminine, a mix of both, or neither.

The vast majority of Americans are cisgender, meaning they identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Perhaps because of this — and because people who are not cisgender have been visible in the mainstream media only relatively recently — there’s an exposure gap for many Americans. For them, it can be difficult to understand how, for instance, a person born with a vagina and raised as a woman might identify as a man.

A common misconception is that gender identity and expression are linked to sexual or romantic attraction

Lily Carollo, a trans woman in North Carolina, said she helps cisgender people expand their views on gender identity through a thought exercise that, if successful, conveys the feeling of being identified by others as the wrong gender.

She begins by asking people if a huge sum of money would get them to physically transition to the opposite gender. Most people say no, she said, because they’d rather continue presenting themselves as the gender they were born as and identify with. “If you go into why they’re answering no, they’ll usually say that it wouldn’t feel right,” Carollo said. “That’s what you lock into. Take that sense and imagine if you had been born in the opposite body.”

A common misconception is that gender identity and expression are linked to sexual or romantic attraction. But a trans person can identify as a man, even though he was assigned female at birth, and be gay (attracted to other men), straight (attracted to women), bisexual, asexual (sexually attracted to no one), or attracted to a traditionally undefined gender. Trans women, gender nonconforming people, genderqueer people, and nonbinary people can also be sexually attracted to men, women, both, no one, or another preference.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality , acknowledged that this concept can be difficult to explain. “If somebody was living as a man dating women, and now they’re living as a woman dating women, what does that mean? They were straight; now they’re gay,” Keisling, a trans woman in Washington, DC, said. “But did their sexual orientation change, or were they always attracted to women?”

This infographic, put together by Trans Student Educational Resources , helps break through some of that confusion by showing how a person’s gender identity and expression fall outside characteristics like sexual orientation and sex assigned at birth:

The idea behind these different forms of identity and expression is that traditional gender roles — how people are expected by society to act based on the gender assigned to them at birth — are a social construct, not a biological one. This is a concept that causes a great deal of debate in religious and conservative circles, but it’s largely uncontroversial for many anthropologists who indicate that gender is flexible enough that different societies and people can construct and interpret it differently.

So transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary are terms people use to describe their gender identity and expression, and how they differ from traditional societal standards and expectations.

2) Okay, so what does it mean for a person to be transgender?

Transgender — or trans — is an umbrella term, so it applies to at least 700,000 Americans who feel their internal gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Although some research suggests people can identify as trans as children, it can take years of pain and social stigma for people to begin living their lives as the gender they identify with.

Keisling, of the National Center for Transgender Equality, knows what it’s like to embrace an identity that is suppressed for a long time.

“People say things like, ‘You’re pretending to be a man,’ or, ‘You’re pretending to be a woman,’” she said. “What they don’t understand is I was actually pretending before.”

She explained that a widespread — and “baffling” — myth is that trans people are somehow confused or misleading others. “We’re among the few people who are really approaching things with full integrity and full transparency,” she said. “We’re saying, ‘This is who I really am.’”

Going from presenting as one gender to another is called transitioning, but not all people take the same path. Some trans people are satisfied with only coming out to their friends or social circles, in what’s called social transitioning. Others will medically transition, which can involve hormone therapy and multiple surgeries, to change their physical characteristics to match the gender they identify with. Even after medically transitioning, a few will keep their gender identity secret from people they encounter — sometimes to feel like they have a fresh start, to avoid discrimination, or for their own personal privacy.

"We're saying, 'This is who I really am'"

Kortney Ziegler, a trans man in Oakland, California, described his social and medical transitions as “a journey.”

“I use that word — journey — because it contrasts from a definitive time stamp,” he told me. “It’s not that simple for a lot of people.”

Keisling and Ziegler explained that not all trans people undergo medical treatments to change their physical traits, perhaps because they are comfortable with their bodies, don’t want to go through what can be a very complicated, invasive medical procedures, or can’t afford the hormone therapies and surgeries involved.

Still, medically transitioning can be a health necessity. Some — but not all — trans people experience severe gender dysphoria, a state of emotional distress caused by how someone’s body or the gender they were assigned at birth conflicts with their gender identity. Dysphoria can lead to severe depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. But this is a temporary condition that can be treated by allowing the people it affects to socially and medically transition.

Transitioning can be made much more difficult by persistent misconceptions, including the myth that trans people belong to a third gender. Emily Prince, a trans woman in Virginia, previously struggled with this while signing up for a therapy program. “The first line of the form asked for sex with three options: male, female, and transgender,” she said. “Right there, we already have an issue. I’m a woman. I’m not some third sex. There are some non-binary people who don’t fit into male or female, but you don’t describe all trans people in that way.”

Another pervasive point of misunderstanding is that trans people are all cross-dressers, drag queens, and drag kings. The LGBTQ group GLAAD helped clear this up in its organization’s handy reference guide on trans issues: “Transgender women are not cross-dressers or drag queens. Drag queens are men, typically gay men, who dress like women for the purpose of entertainment. Be aware of the differences between transgender women, cross-dressers, and drag queens. Use the term preferred by the individual.”

There’s no denying that gender identity is an important part of everyone’s life, but — just like with race, sex, and sexual orientation — no one wants to be stereotyped.

3) How about gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary people?

Although genderqueer, nonbinary, and gender nonconformity are expressions often associated with sexual orientation — think stereotypes of flamboyant gay men or butch lesbians — they’re not intertwined.

Gender nonconforming people don’t express their genders in a way society expects them to. Some gender nonconforming people might be androgynous, meaning they don’t readily exhibit traits that can easily identify them as men or women. Men who exhibit feminine traits and women who express masculine characteristics may also identify as gender nonconforming.

"Some people just don't think the term 'male' or 'female' fits for them"

Genderqueer and nonbinary people generally don’t identify or express as men or women, sometimes adopting gender roles and traits outside society’s typical expectations and other times taking elements from both masculinity and femininity. Androgynous people can also fall into this category if they identify their gender as neither male nor female. (There are some nuanced differences between the terms genderqueer and nonbinary, although they are frequently used interchangeably. For more on that, check out Nonbinary.org .)

“Some people just don’t think the term ‘male’ or ‘female’ fits for them,” Keisling said.

Sometimes there is an overlap between transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary communities. People might identify with all, some, or none of these concepts, even if they exhibit traits attributed to these three forms of identity and expression. There are dozens of ways people identify and express themselves, so these three concepts fall far short of the full realm of possibilities.

4) How do people realize they’re trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, or nonbinary?

Some people know and fully understand their identities when they are children.

“I always knew,” said Jordan Geddes, a trans man in Maryland. “But I grew up and had the whole world telling me I’m wrong. At that point [as a child in the 1990s], there was no visibility whatsoever about trans issues. My parents just assumed I’m a very butch lesbian.”

A study from the TransYouth Project found that trans children as young as 5 years old respond to psychological gender-association tests, which evaluate how people view themselves within gender roles, as quickly and consistently as those who don’t identify as trans.

What can lead people at such a young age to know their gender identity? Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine conducted a review of the current scientific research, and concluded that the available data suggests there’s a biological link to a person’s gender identity, indicating that trans people are essentially assigned genders at birth that don’t match their inherent, biologically set identity.

Many obstacles can make it difficult for people to come out until later in life

The scientific community has increasingly come around to the evidence that it’s very much possible for some people to identify with a gender different than the one assigned to them at birth without major problems.

The American Psychiatric Association , for example, now recognizes that gender identity isn’t inherently linked to other mental health problems: “Many transgender people do not experience their gender as distressing or disabling, which implies that identifying as transgender does not constitute a mental disorder. For these individuals, the significant problem is finding affordable resources, such as counseling, hormone therapy, medical procedures, and the social support necessary to freely express their gender identity and minimize discrimination. Many other obstacles may lead to distress, including a lack of acceptance within society, direct or indirect experiences with discrimination, or assault.”

A similar shift occurred in the medical community with gays and lesbians in the 1970s, when experts stopped considering homosexuality a mental illness.

As APA suggests, many obstacles — particularly discrimination and lack of knowledge about gender identity and expression — can make it difficult for trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary people to come out until later in life.

Ziegler of California, realized what it means to be FTM, a term for a trans man that stands for “female to male,” early in adulthood. “When I was in college, maybe about 18 years old, I saw a book at the LGBT center called FTM ,” he said. “I had no idea what that meant. I was like, what’s FTM? I opened the book, and it changed my world. It blew my mind. Ever since, I knew it was a possibility.”

Ziegler’s story demonstrates that trans people sometimes don’t know how to identify when they’re young, because they’re never educated on gender identity or expression.

“I didn’t realize what was going on with me in clear terms for a long time,” Carollo of North Carolina said. “I knew something was up. But if I understood what was going on earlier on in my life — for example, if schools taught about sexuality and gender identity — I would have transitioned so much sooner. It took me a while to really think about myself in that manner and be sure enough I was going to transition.”

While these stories provide a small glimpse into people’s experiences, they show it’s impossible to assume how and when people came to terms with their gender identity and expression. Everyone’s experience can vary.

5) This is a lot to take in. Can we take a break?

Yes, if only to show some of the more accurate and perhaps illustrative examples of trans people in media. In the past few years, shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black have put a spotlight on trans characters and raised awareness about some of the issues people in these communities often go through.

Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black , in 2014 became the first trans person to be featured on the cover of Time:

Here is one funny clip introducing the Sophia character, who has an acute sense of fashion:

While Cox has a supporting role in Orange Is the New Black , Amazon’s Transparent stars Jeffrey Tambor as Maura, a divorced trans woman who is transitioning late in life. The show, which won two Golden Globes , is perhaps the most nuanced look at a trans person on television. Here is a trailer for the first season:

These shows, while phenomenal in their own right, have also played a big role in pulling back the curtains on trans issues in mainstream media. By focusing so much on trans people, the shows have introduced many Americans to a concept they may not have been familiar with in the past — much in the same way shows like Will and Grace , Queer as Folk , and Six Feet Under exposed Americans to gay and lesbian people.

6) I want to know someone’s gender identity, but I don’t want to be offensive. Is there a polite way to ask?

If there’s any reasonable uncertainty, GLAAD says the best thing to do is directly ask what someone’s gender identity is. Although it can be awkward for both parties, it’s much better than the problems that can arise from not asking and making an assumption. And there’s a good chance trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary people may be used to the question — and might even appreciate it, because it shows you don’t want to misgender them.

Misgendering is seen as an insult within LGBTQ communities because it characterizes people in a way they don’t relate to. What’s worse, some opponents of LGBTQ rights purposely misgender people to show their disapproval of identifying or expressing gender in a way that doesn’t heed traditional social standards. These subtle acts are viewed by many LGBTQ people as microaggressions , which, while not always overtly or purposely insulting, can act as a constant reminder to people that large segments of the population don’t understand or approve of their personal identity.

"Imagine going through life every day and having so many of your interactions involve somebody trying to give you a hug and stepping on your foot"

“Imagine going through life every day and having so many of your interactions involve somebody trying to give you a hug and stepping on your foot while doing it,” Prince of Virginia, said. “And then when you ask them to step off your foot, no matter how polite you are about it, they respond with, ‘Oh, excuse me, I was just trying to give you a hug.’”

Sometimes the problem is magnified by limitations in the English language, which relies heavily on gendered pronouns. LGBTQ communities have tried to propose various gender-neutral pronouns , but none have caught on. Some people and organizations, including Vox, might use “they” instead of “he” or “she” as a gender-neutral singular pronoun.

The lack of a widely accepted gender-neutral pronoun makes it difficult for even the most well-meaning person to correctly address someone without running the risk of misgendering them. That’s one of the reasons it’s typically better to directly ask about a person’s gender identity if there’s any reasonable uncertainty.

7) What kind of hardships do trans people face?

It might be difficult for most people to fully understand the many hurdles that trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary people deal with on a daily basis. But they face huge disparities in nearly every aspect of society.

Families shun and even disown children over their gender identity and expression. Employers and landlords may deny people jobs and homes because they don’t conform to gender norms, which is legal to do under most states’ laws . In social settings and media, trans people are commonly portrayed as purposely deceptive individuals and even sexual predators who want to trick or trap others into sleeping with them.

Here are a few more examples:

• The 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS) found trans and gender nonconforming people are nearly four times as likely to live in extreme poverty as the general population.
• NTDS found 57 percent of trans and gender nonconforming people report family rejection. This rejection had precipitous effects: Trans and gender nonconforming people who are rejected by their families are nearly three times as likely to experience homelessness, 73 percent more likely to be incarcerated, and 59 percent more likely to attempt suicide, according to NTDS.
• A 2013 report by the New York City Anti-Violence Project found trans people, particularly trans women of color, face some of the highest rates of hate violence and murder in the country.
• A 2014 study by the Williams Institute and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention found that 46 percent of trans men and 42 percent of trans women have attempted suicide at some point in their lives, compared with 4.6 percent of the general population.

The surveys and studies above found these disparities are more pronounced among trans women of color, who can live within the convergence of transphobia, racism, and misogyny in the US. “The bodies of trans women of color are the site of multiple forms of deeply historical oppression,” said Chase Strangio, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT and AIDS Project. “That’s a critical part of understanding the violence against trans people.”

In 2015, multiple transgender women, most of whom were racial minorities, were murdered. For a segment that makes up less than 1 percent of the US population, the number of deaths reached what activists referred to as “a horrifying litany” and “an epidemic.“

8) Why does society give people who don’t follow gender norms such a hard time?

As with many other issues of discrimination, the root of the problem is prejudice: the idea that people who are not cisgender are somehow inferior or wrong about how they identify.

The biggest issue, voiced by Keisling and many other trans people to me, is the mischaracterization that people who don’t conform to society’s expectations of gender are always trying to deceive others. It is perhaps the stereotype that underpins so many of the issues these people face in their everyday lives, making it so they have a difficult time even entering the bathroom that corresponds to their gender — much less getting a job or gaining family acceptance.

“It’s creating a phobia,” Angelica Ross, CEO of TransTech Social, a company that actively trains and hires trans people to provide them with job opportunities, said.

Some of the prejudice shows itself in state policies. Bathroom bills , for example, try to stop trans people from using the restroom that matches their gender identity. The worry is that if trans people are allowed to use the bathroom for their gender identity, whether through inclusive policies or laws that ban discrimination against LGBTQ people in certain settings , men will somehow take advantage of these measures to sneak into women’s bathrooms and sexually assault women.

But even if states allow trans people to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, rape and sexual assault remain completely illegal.

Moreover, there are no reports of any sexual assaults happening as a result of states or facilities letting trans people use the bathroom for their gender identity. In two investigations, Media Matters confirmed with experts and officials in 12 states and 17 school districts with protections for LGBTQ people that they had no increases in sex crimes after they enacted LGBTQ protections.

Trans people say they just want to use the correct bathroom, previously taking up the Twitter hashtag #wejustneedtopee to show their discontent with the state bills:

#transawareness #occupotty #translivesmatter #wejustneedtopee pic.twitter.com/b0f1znAYRh — Michael C. Hughes (@_michaelhughes1) March 11, 2015

At a more basic level, many people don’t believe that expressing or identifying with a gender different from the one designated at birth is a healthy possibility. It wasn’t until 2012 that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classified gender dysphoria as a treatable state of emotional distress instead of a permanent condition called “gender identity disorder.” If some of the world’s leading medical experts and academics didn’t come to this conclusion until recently, it’s not surprising the rest of the population is in many ways catching up.

LGBTQ advocates say conversations have to start at the individual level to drive broader cultural changes and understanding, similar to the effect gay, lesbian, and bisexual people had on society by coming out and showing others that their love and marriages are largely no different than those of heterosexual couples.

“People try to find these direct solutions,” Ross said. “But it’s more so a conversation about how we accept everyone’s expression. … We have to focus on creating a society that fosters uniqueness and diversity, not that kills them.”

9) Is there any sign that things will get better?

Although polling data on trans issues is scarce, there are multiple signs of a cultural shift on gender identity and expression in the US.

The fact that trans people are now major characters in award-winning shows demonstrates that times are changing. Laverne Cox’s rising fame and the popularity of shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black indicate that many parts of society are ready for a broader conversation about gender identity and expression.

On social media, Facebook now allows users to write in their own gender identity on profiles and also provides more than 50 predetermined options , after users and LGBTQ allies clamored for more choices.

LGBTQ advocates are also making gains in the political arena. President Barack Obama became the first president to mention trans people in a State of the Union speech this year. Many states — most recently, the very conservative and religious Utah — have passed or are considering laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in the workplace and housing.

Still, there are many areas where advocates say society continues to lag behind. Some states, like North Carolina , have passed or considered anti-LGBTQ laws that ban trans people from using the bathroom for their gender identity. The federal government, which now bans several forms of health care discrimination through Obamacare , doesn’t require health insurers to provide full trans-inclusive coverage. Despite some progress at the state level, most states don’t ban workplace discrimination based on gender identity.

The nation appears to be at a transitional point on gender identity issues: While there’s been some progress, there’s a long way to go before trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary people have equality.

Watch: How most states still discriminate against LGBT people

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Understanding Gender, Sex, and Gender Identity

It's more important than ever to use this terminology correctly..

Posted February 27, 2021 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

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Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene hung a sign outside her Capitol office door that said “There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE. ‘Trust the Science!’” There are many reasons to question hanging such a sign, but given that Rep. Taylor Greene invoked science in making her assertion, I thought it might be helpful to clarify by citing some actual science. Put simply, from a scientific standpoint, Rep. Taylor Greene’s statement is patently wrong. It perpetuates a common error by conflating gender with sex . Allow me to explain how psychologists scientifically operationalize these terms.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2012), sex is rooted in biology. A person’s sex is determined using observable biological criteria such as sex chromosomes, gonads, internal reproductive organs, and external genitalia (APA, 2012). Most people are classified as being either biologically male or female, although the term intersex is reserved for those with atypical combinations of biological features (APA, 2012).

Gender is related to but distinctly different from sex; it is rooted in culture, not biology. The APA (2012) defines gender as “the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex” (p. 11). Gender conformity occurs when people abide by culturally-derived gender roles (APA, 2012). Resisting gender roles (i.e., gender nonconformity ) can have significant social consequences—pro and con, depending on circumstances.

Gender identity refers to how one understands and experiences one’s own gender. It involves a person’s psychological sense of being male, female, or neither (APA, 2012). Those who identify as transgender feel that their gender identity doesn’t match their biological sex or the gender they were assigned at birth; in some cases they don’t feel they fit into into either the male or female gender categories (APA, 2012; Moleiro & Pinto, 2015). How people live out their gender identities in everyday life (in terms of how they dress, behave, and express themselves) constitutes their gender expression (APA, 2012; Drescher, 2014).

“Male” and “female” are the most common gender identities in Western culture; they form a dualistic way of thinking about gender that often informs the identity options that people feel are available to them (Prentice & Carranza, 2002). Anyone, regardless of biological sex, can closely adhere to culturally-constructed notions of “maleness” or “femaleness” by dressing, talking, and taking interest in activities stereotypically associated with traditional male or female gender identities. However, many people think “outside the box” when it comes to gender, constructing identities for themselves that move beyond the male-female binary. For examples, explore lists of famous “gender benders” from Oxygen , Vogue , More , and The Cut (not to mention Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head , whose evolving gender identities made headlines this week).

Whether society approves of these identities or not, the science on whether there are more than two genders is clear; there are as many possible gender identities as there are people psychologically forming identities. Rep. Taylor Greene’s insistence that there are just two genders merely reflects Western culture’s longstanding tradition of only recognizing “male” and “female” gender identities as “normal.” However, if we are to “trust the science” (as Rep. Taylor Greene’s recommends), then the first thing we need to do is stop mixing up biological sex and gender identity. The former may be constrained by biology, but the latter is only constrained by our imaginations.

American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. American Psychologist , 67 (1), 10-42. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024659

Drescher, J. (2014). Treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients. In R. E. Hales, S. C. Yudofsky, & L. W. Roberts (Eds.), The American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of psychiatry (6th ed., pp. 1293-1318). American Psychiatric Publishing.

Moleiro, C., & Pinto, N. (2015). Sexual orientation and gender identity: Review of concepts, controversies and their relation to psychopathology classification systems. Frontiers in Psychology , 6 .

Prentice, D. A., & Carranza, E. (2002). What women should be, shouldn't be, are allowed to be, and don't have to be: The contents of prescriptive gender stereotypes. Psychology of Women Quarterly , 26 (4), 269-281. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-6402.t01-1-00066

Jonathan D. Raskin, Ph.D. , is a professor of psychology and counselor education at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

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Pride Month

A guide to gender identity terms.

Laurel Wamsley

"Pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It's how someone refers to you in conversation," says Mary Emily O'Hara, a communications officer at GLAAD. "And when you're speaking to people, it's a really simple way to affirm their identity." Kaz Fantone for NPR hide caption

"Pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It's how someone refers to you in conversation," says Mary Emily O'Hara, a communications officer at GLAAD. "And when you're speaking to people, it's a really simple way to affirm their identity."

Issues of equality and acceptance of transgender and nonbinary people — along with challenges to their rights — have become a major topic in the headlines. These issues can involve words and ideas and identities that are new to some.

That's why we've put together a glossary of terms relating to gender identity. Our goal is to help people communicate accurately and respectfully with one another.

Proper use of gender identity terms, including pronouns, is a crucial way to signal courtesy and acceptance. Alex Schmider , associate director of transgender representation at GLAAD, compares using someone's correct pronouns to pronouncing their name correctly – "a way of respecting them and referring to them in a way that's consistent and true to who they are."

Glossary of gender identity terms

This guide was created with help from GLAAD . We also referenced resources from the National Center for Transgender Equality , the Trans Journalists Association , NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists , Human Rights Campaign , InterAct and the American Psychological Association . This guide is not exhaustive, and is Western and U.S.-centric. Other cultures may use different labels and have other conceptions of gender.

One thing to note: Language changes. Some of the terms now in common usage are different from those used in the past to describe similar ideas, identities and experiences. Some people may continue to use terms that are less commonly used now to describe themselves, and some people may use different terms entirely. What's important is recognizing and respecting people as individuals.

Jump to a term: Sex, gender , gender identity , gender expression , cisgender , transgender , nonbinary , agender , gender-expansive , gender transition , gender dysphoria , sexual orientation , intersex

Jump to Pronouns : questions and answers

Sex refers to a person's biological status and is typically assigned at birth, usually on the basis of external anatomy. Sex is typically categorized as male, female or intersex.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviors and roles that varies between societies and over time. Gender is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

Gender identity is one's own internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not outwardly visible to others.

For most people, gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth, the American Psychological Association notes. For transgender people, gender identity differs in varying degrees from the sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression is how a person presents gender outwardly, through behavior, clothing, voice or other perceived characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine or feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture.

Cisgender, or simply cis , is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender, or simply trans, is an adjective used to describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. A transgender man, for example, is someone who was listed as female at birth but whose gender identity is male.

Cisgender and transgender have their origins in Latin-derived prefixes of "cis" and "trans" — cis, meaning "on this side of" and trans, meaning "across from" or "on the other side of." Both adjectives are used to describe experiences of someone's gender identity.

Nonbinary is a term that can be used by people who do not describe themselves or their genders as fitting into the categories of man or woman. A range of terms are used to refer to these experiences; nonbinary and genderqueer are among the terms that are sometimes used.

Agender is an adjective that can describe a person who does not identify as any gender.

Gender-expansive is an adjective that can describe someone with a more flexible gender identity than might be associated with a typical gender binary.

Gender transition is a process a person may take to bring themselves and/or their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. It's not just one step. Transitioning can include any, none or all of the following: telling one's friends, family and co-workers; changing one's name and pronouns; updating legal documents; medical interventions such as hormone therapy; or surgical intervention, often called gender confirmation surgery.

Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one's sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity. Not all trans people experience dysphoria, and those who do may experience it at varying levels of intensity.

Gender dysphoria is a diagnosis listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some argue that such a diagnosis inappropriately pathologizes gender incongruence, while others contend that a diagnosis makes it easier for transgender people to access necessary medical treatment.

Sexual orientation refers to the enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or other genders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight orientations.

People don't need to have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation. They need not have had any sexual experience at all. They need not be in a relationship, dating or partnered with anyone for their sexual orientation to be validated. For example, if a bisexual woman is partnered with a man, that does not mean she is not still bisexual.

Sexual orientation is separate from gender identity. As GLAAD notes , "Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. A person who transitions from female to male and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a gay man."

Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don't fit typical definitions of male and female.

Intersex can refer to a number of natural variations, some of them laid out by InterAct . Being intersex is not the same as being nonbinary or transgender, which are terms typically related to gender identity.

The Picture Show

Nonbinary photographer documents gender dysphoria through a queer lens, pronouns: questions and answers.

What is the role of pronouns in acknowledging someone's gender identity?

Everyone has pronouns that are used when referring to them – and getting those pronouns right is not exclusively a transgender issue.

"Pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It's how someone refers to you in conversation," says Mary Emily O'Hara , a communications officer at GLAAD. "And when you're speaking to people, it's a really simple way to affirm their identity."

"So, for example, using the correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary youth is a way to let them know that you see them, you affirm them, you accept them and to let them know that they're loved during a time when they're really being targeted by so many discriminatory anti-trans state laws and policies," O'Hara says.

"It's really just about letting someone know that you accept their identity. And it's as simple as that."

Getting the words right is about respect and accuracy, says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Kaz Fantone for NPR hide caption

Getting the words right is about respect and accuracy, says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

What's the right way to find out a person's pronouns?

Start by giving your own – for example, "My pronouns are she/her."

"If I was introducing myself to someone, I would say, 'I'm Rodrigo. I use him pronouns. What about you?' " says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen , deputy executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

O'Hara says, "It may feel awkward at first, but eventually it just becomes another one of those get-to-know-you questions."

Should people be asking everyone their pronouns? Or does it depend on the setting?

Knowing each other's pronouns helps you be sure you have accurate information about another person.

How a person appears in terms of gender expression "doesn't indicate anything about what their gender identity is," GLAAD's Schmider says. By sharing pronouns, "you're going to get to know someone a little better."

And while it can be awkward at first, it can quickly become routine.

Heng-Lehtinen notes that the practice of stating one's pronouns at the bottom of an email or during introductions at a meeting can also relieve some headaches for people whose first names are less common or gender ambiguous.

"Sometimes Americans look at a name and are like, 'I have no idea if I'm supposed to say he or she for this name' — not because the person's trans, but just because the name is of a culture that you don't recognize and you genuinely do not know. So having the pronouns listed saves everyone the headache," Heng-Lehtinen says. "It can be really, really quick once you make a habit of it. And I think it saves a lot of embarrassment for everybody."

Might some people be uncomfortable sharing their pronouns in a public setting?

Schmider says for cisgender people, sharing their pronouns is generally pretty easy – so long as they recognize that they have pronouns and know what they are. For others, it could be more difficult to share their pronouns in places where they don't know people.

But there are still benefits in sharing pronouns, he says. "It's an indication that they understand that gender expression does not equal gender identity, that you're not judging people just based on the way they look and making assumptions about their gender beyond what you actually know about them."

How is "they" used as a singular pronoun?

"They" is already commonly used as a singular pronoun when we are talking about someone, and we don't know who they are, O'Hara notes. Using they/them pronouns for someone you do know simply represents "just a little bit of a switch."

"You're just asking someone to not act as if they don't know you, but to remove gendered language from their vocabulary when they're talking about you," O'Hara says.

"I identify as nonbinary myself and I appear feminine. People often assume that my pronouns are she/her. So they will use those. And I'll just gently correct them and say, hey, you know what, my pronouns are they/them just FYI, for future reference or something like that," they say.

O'Hara says their family and friends still struggle with getting the pronouns right — and sometimes O'Hara struggles to remember others' pronouns, too.

"In my community, in the queer community, with a lot of trans and nonbinary people, we all frequently remind each other or remind ourselves. It's a sort of constant mindfulness where you are always catching up a little bit," they say.

"You might know someone for 10 years, and then they let you know their pronouns have changed. It's going to take you a little while to adjust, and that's fine. It's OK to make those mistakes and correct yourself, and it's OK to gently correct someone else."

What if I make a mistake and misgender someone, or use the wrong words?

Simply apologize and move on.

"I think it's perfectly natural to not know the right words to use at first. We're only human. It takes any of us some time to get to know a new concept," Heng-Lehtinen says. "The important thing is to just be interested in continuing to learn. So if you mess up some language, you just say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry,' correct yourself and move forward. No need to make it any more complicated than that. Doing that really simple gesture of apologizing quickly and moving on shows the other person that you care. And that makes a really big difference."

Why are pronouns typically given in the format "she/her" or "they/them" rather than just "she" or "they"?

The different iterations reflect that pronouns change based on how they're used in a sentence. And the "he/him" format is actually shorter than the previously common "he/him/his" format.

"People used to say all three and then it got down to two," Heng-Lehtinen laughs. He says staff at his organization was recently wondering if the custom will eventually shorten to just one pronoun. "There's no real rule about it. It's absolutely just been habit," he says.

Amid Wave Of Anti-Trans Bills, Trans Reporters Say 'Telling Our Own Stories' Is Vital

But he notes a benefit of using he/him and she/her: He and she rhyme. "If somebody just says he or she, I could very easily mishear that and then still get it wrong."

What does it mean if a person uses the pronouns "he/they" or "she/they"?

"That means that the person uses both pronouns, and you can alternate between those when referring to them. So either pronoun would be fine — and ideally mix it up, use both. It just means that they use both pronouns that they're listing," Heng-Lehtinen says.

Schmider says it depends on the person: "For some people, they don't mind those pronouns being interchanged for them. And for some people, they are using one specific pronoun in one context and another set of pronouns in another, dependent on maybe safety or comfortability."

The best approach, Schmider says, is to listen to how people refer to themselves.

Why might someone's name be different than what's listed on their ID?

Heng-Lehtinen notes that there's a perception when a person comes out as transgender, they change their name and that's that. But the reality is a lot more complicated and expensive when it comes to updating your name on government documents.

"It is not the same process as changing your last name when you get married. There is bizarrely a separate set of rules for when you are changing your name in marriage versus changing your name for any other reason. And it's more difficult in the latter," he says.

"When you're transgender, you might not be able to update all of your government IDs, even though you want to," he says. "I've been out for over a decade. I still have not been able to update all of my documents because the policies are so onerous. I've been able to update my driver's license, Social Security card and passport, but I cannot update my birth certificate."

"Just because a transgender person doesn't have their authentic name on their ID doesn't mean it's not the name that they really use every day," he advises. "So just be mindful to refer to people by the name they really use regardless of their driver's license."

NPR's Danielle Nett contributed to this report.

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What to Know About Gender Identity

Unpacking sex, gender, pronouns and more

Getty / Drew Angerer

• What Is Gender Identity?

List of Gender Identities

History of gender identity, gender identity and mental health, resources and support.

Gender is separate from sex. Although genetic factors usually define a person's biological sex, people determine their own gender identity.

Explore what gender identity is and find out the definitions of several unique gender identities. Discover where individuals can find support if they experience gender dysphoria.

What Is Gender Identity? 

Because a person's sex and gender identity are separate, it's essential to know the difference between them. 

A person’s sex is often based on biological factors, such as their sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, and hormones.

Sex is determined by more than Xs and Ys

• chromosomal pattern (XX vs. XY)
• nature of gonads (ovary vs. testes)
• predominance of circulating sex hormones (estrogen vs. androgen)
• anatomy of genitalia and secondary sexual characters

Sex is typically assigned at birth depending on the appearance of external genitalia. However, it isn't always black and white, and the sex assigned at birth may need to be changed.

Someone can have the XX or XY chromosomes that people associate with typical males and females, but their reproductive organs, genitals, or both can look and function differently.

Others do not have the standard XX or XY, and can be missing an X or have an extra X or extra Y. All of these are known as "differences of sex development (DSD)." People may also refer to this as intersex, ambiguous sex, or hermaphrodite .

Typically, people will identify with the terms “male,” “female,” or “intersex” regarding a person’s sex. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) perceives gender as a social construct that people typically describe as femininity and masculinity. This includes stereotypical gender norms, behaviors, roles, and expectations.

In many Western cultures, people have binary categories for gender and associate femininity with women and masculinity with men, but this social construct varies from society to society.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is someone's internal experience of gender and how they choose to express themselves externally. We cannot assume someone's gender identity based on their chromosomes, genitalia, clothing, roles, or otherwise. Gender identity may evolve and change over time.

There are two overarching categories of gender identity:

• Cisgender: Someone who is cisgender identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a cisgender woman identifies with being a female, the sex assigned at birth.  
• Transgender: An umbrella term encompassing everyone who experiences and identifies with a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth. The word also encompasses those who identify as a gender other than man or woman, including nonbinary and genderfluid.  

Gender expression has two overarching categories as well:

• Conforming: the individual's behavior, clothing, and appearance are consistent with what is expected by society.
• Non-conforming: the individual veers away from the norms of society when it comes to the way they express their gender. Both cis- and transgender people can be gender non-conforming. For example, cisgender women do not necessarily conform to all feminine constructs in terms of roles, activities, domestic responsibilities, clothing preferences, hairstyles, etc.

People can use different pronouns, and modify their name, their appearance, clothing style, and behaviors in accordance to the gender(s) they identify with, and with the ways they choose to express their gender.

For those who have an incongruent experience between their sex assigned at birth and their experience of gender, there are many different gender identities that may resonate better, including gender neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender, and all, none, or a combination of these.

The following list explains a few of them:

• Agender: Someone who doesn't identify with one particular gender and may consider themselves to be gender neutral or doesn't have a dominant gender at all. They may be flexible, open, and not worried about gender norms and labels.
• Androgyne: Sometimes referred to as androgynous, this is someone whose gender is blended with both feminine and masculine characteristics. 
• Bigender : Someone who identifies as bigender has the experience of two genders, but not strictly male and female genders. They often display some degree of both culturally feminine and masculine roles. 
• Butch: Women, particularly lesbians, tend to use this term to describe how they express masculinity or what society defines as masculinity. However, the LGBTQIA Resource Center notes that "butch" can also be used as a gender identity in itself.
• Demigender: This term is used to describe someone who partially identifies with a particular gender, but not necessarily the sex they were assigned at birth. They may label themselves as demiboy or demigirl.
• Gender expansive: The LGBTQIA Resource Center defines this as an umbrella term used for those who expand their culture's commonly held interpretations of gender. This includes expectations for the way gender is expressed, identities, roles, and perceived gender norms. Gender-expansive people include those who are trans, non-binary, and those whose gender broadens society's notion of what gender is.  
• Genderfluid: Someone who identifies as gender-fluid has a presentation and gender identity that shifts between genders, and may shift and evolve over time. They may also experience gender in a way that is outside of society's expectations of gender. 
• Gender outlaw: Someone who refuses to allow society's definition of "female" or "male" to define what they are. 
• Genderqueer : Somebody who identifies as genderqueer has a gender identity that does not fit neatly into male or female gender identity, or masculine versus feminine expressions. They may feel they are neither, or both, or a combination of various gender identities including male, female, and non-binary.
• Masculine of center: This term is typically used by lesbians and trans people, who lean more towards masculine expressions and experiences of gender.   One can also be feminine of center, which would be the opposite.
• Nonbinary : Someone who is nonbinary doesn't experience gender within the gender binary of male and female. They may also experience overlap with a variety of gender expressions, such as being gender non-conforming. 
• Omnigender: Someone who experiences and possesses all genders.  
• Polygender and pangender: Someone who experiences and displays aspects of multiple genders. 
• Trans: This term is more inclusive because it includes those who identify as nonbinary and genderless, according to the LGBTQIA Resource Center.  
• Two-Spirit : An umbrella term that encompasses a variety of sexualities and genders in Indigenous Native American communities. There are various definitions of Two-Spirit, and Indigenous Native American people may or may not use it to describe their experiences and feelings of masculinity and femininity. It's a cultural term that's reserved for those who identify as Indigenous Native Americans.  

Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same things, but there can be some overlap. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual identities have been present in various ways throughout history. All cultures have included, with different degrees of acceptance, those who practice same-sex relations and those whose gender identity, and gender expression test current norms. 

And more recently, issues of sexuality and gender have been highly politicized. The last fifty years have witnessed a rise in political activism surrounding the concept of sexual orientation and gender identity, largely influenced by opposing political parties and religious communities. There is a constant push-pull toward laws and policies that either move toward or away from acceptance, equality, affirmation, and support.   In some societies, this can be a matter of life and death.

People who are gender diverse or those who don't identify with the gender they were assigned at birth may have a variety of stressful experiences that contribute to an increased risk of mental health issues, such as: 

• Gender Dysphoria
• Suicidal thoughts and ideations

However, it’s essential to note that gender diversity, on its own, is not a mental health disorder. The diagnosis of "gender identity disorder" was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 2013. It has been replaced by "gender dysphoria" which describes the distress that someone may experience when their gender identity does not match their sex.

Society's Perception of Various Genders

Some everyday experiences that can increase someone's vulnerability to developing mental health difficulties are: 

• Feelings of distress because your gender identity does not match your assigned sex at birth.
• Feeling uncomfortable with your primary and secondary sex characteristics that do not match your identity, and desiring to have the opposite sex characteristics or no sex characteristics at all
• Feeling "different" or separate from people around you
• Being bullied because of your gender identity and expression
• Feeling pressured to dismiss your feelings concerning your gender identity
• Fear or worry about your gender identity being accepted by your loved ones, alongside the chance of being rejected or isolated
• Feeling unsupported or misunderstood by loved ones
• Feeling stressed and concerned about the pressure to conform to your biological sex.

These pressures can be very stressful, especially when combined with other issues in your life, such as managing school, finding a job, forming relationships, and making sense of who you are and your place in the world.

If you're struggling to come to terms with your gender identity or are being bullied or feeling isolated or depressed, there are many resources available that can provide the support and care that you deserve:

• The Trevor Project, which is an LGBTQ+ organization that provides resources, education, and support
• The National Center for Transgender Equality , an organization that provides support for transgender people
• PFLAG, an organization that provides assistance, education, and aid throughout the United States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
• Trans Youth Family Allies, a website that offers resources and education to family members, friends, and allies of gender variant, gender questioning, and transgender people
• Gender Spectrum , a resource and education site.
• World Professional Association for Transgender Health,  a website with a directory of healthcare providers for transgender people.

A Word From Verywell

Not everyone accepts people with diverse gender identities, which can harm a person's mental health. However, there are multiple organizations that people can turn to for support. No matter your gender, you are deserving of love, equality, support, and care.

World Health Organization. Gender .

LGBTQIA Resource Center. LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary .

American Psychological Association. History of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social movements .

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Free Gender Identity Essay Examples & Topics

Everyone has their own unique gender identity. Whether a person identifies as female, male, or outside the binary, everyone has ways of expressing themselves. This gender expression is then measured against socially established gender roles. If the two concepts clash, this can become a source of internal and external conflict.

In recent years, the definition of gender is beginning to change. We now consider it as a social construct. It is dictated by our behavior, presentation, and cultural norms. The language surrounding this concept is also evolving. Here our experts have explored some terms that will help you understand gender identity.

Cisgender applies to a person whose identity aligns with the sex that they were assigned at birth. In contrast, transgender refers to a person whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex.

Non-binary describes people whose gender identity lies outside the established man/woman dichotomy. This umbrella term covers a broad number of identities, such as genderfluid, genderqueer, agender, etc.

We have collected advice that will help you in writing your gender identity essay. After all, even when writing about a personal experience, you need to approach the subject thoughtfully. We have also created a list of topics. They will help you compose different types of essays about gender identity.

Doesn’t matter whether you are writing a gender expression essay or a paper about identity. You still have to follow a defined structure. Here we have summarized how to organize your work process best and create an effective outline.

You can start with the following tips:

1. Brainstorm. The most critical step in writing a successful essay is to establish what ideas you already have. Perhaps you are thinking about focusing on gender equality? Or maybe about the differences between masculinity and femininity? Jot down your thoughts on paper and see where that takes you.

2. Get a topic. As soon as you have an idea of the direction you’re heading, start thinking about wording. Keep in mind that you have to narrow down from a broad list of potential subjects. The matter of gender identity is infinitely complex, so choose a single aspect to focus on. Try our topic generator so that it can come up with an idea for you.

3. Research your idea. This is perhaps the step that will take you the longest. To successfully write a compelling essay, you should have a large number of credible sources. Most of the information you need will be available online. Yet, try referring to books and journal articles too. Check for the availability of your resources before you settle on a topic.

4. Come up with a thesis. Here is where you might want to look over all the information you have compiled so far. Refer to your chosen topic and create a thesis statement. It is the main argument that you are trying to make in your essay. So, be concise and precise.

5. Outline your paper. From writing down the title to forming your conclusions, everything in your essay should be pre-planned. Start with writing down your introduction using your thesis statement. Afterward, you may want to note down what you will talk about in the body paragraphs. Don’t forget that using statistics, examples, and quotes can make your essay sound more solid. Finally, summarize your findings and restate your thesis in your conclusion. For this, you can use our online summarizer . Now that you have a rough draft, writing will be much easier.

6. Revise & proofread. When you are done writing, it is time for editing. Many students choose to skip over revising and proofreading, believing that it is not necessary. This is not the case. Your true potential opens up only after you edit your paper and compare it to the writing criteria. Make sure to read through your work at least once.

After reading our tips, you may still have a vital question. What should be the topic of my essay on gender identity? We are here to help.

Feel free to make use of these 15 gender identity topics:

• What is gender expression, and how does it feed into gender stereotypes?
• The intersection between race and gender identity.
• Why are feminine traits frowned upon while masculine ones are uplifted?
• Gender identity in society today.
• The history of nonbinary gender identities in the West.
• Gender identity development – a psychological study.
• The third gender – a study of nonbinary gender identities of the past.
• Presentation of gender identity in modern media.
• What is gender performativity, and how does it help shape gender identities?
• The contrast between gender identity and gender role.
• Gender as a spectrum: what lies between masculinity and femininity.
• Dysphoria – a gender identity disorder.
• Breaking down the concept of heteronormativity concerning gender.
• The historical evolution of the female gender identity.
• Understanding equality in terms of gender identity.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you found these tips useful, and we wish you the best in your academic work. If you still find yourself at a loss, read through our sample essays on gender identity below.

153 Best Essay Examples on Gender Identity

Role of men in society essay, gender issues: femininity and masculinity, social issues affecting women.

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LGBTQ Co-Culture: The Key Aspects

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“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” by Steve Jobs

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Protecting Queer People (LGBTQ+) in San Antonio

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Homophobic Name-Calling and Gender Identity

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What Is Identity and Stereotypical Roles of Gender?

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Why LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Is Becoming Popular

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Students Exploring Gender Identity

This information is designed to help teachers respond to students who may need support. It is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool or to replace the use of formal assessments employed by mental health professionals. Additionally, it is important to consider the context of the situation, individual differences, and cultural and linguistic factors.

Teachers play an important role in establishing and maintaining healthy environments for students to learn and grow. As leaders and guides in setting and maintaining the culture of their classrooms and school communities, teachers are critical in establishing welcoming, respectful, and safe environments, explaining expectations for student interactions, and modeling inclusive language, which continues to evolve over time.

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What is Gender Identity?

• Gender identity is an individual’s sense of their own gender (e.g., as a male, female, transgender, nonbinary).
• Gender expression is how an individual presents their gender to others through physical appearance and behavior—this may include, but is not limited to, dress, voice, or movement.
• Gender diverse is a term that addresses the spectrum of gender identities and expressions, including but not limited to: Transgender—a person whose identity differs from the sex and gender assigned to them at birth. Non-binary—a person who does not identify exclusively as a male and female. A non-binary person may identify as being both male and female, or not a part of either of these categories.
• Cisgender refers to a person whose identity does not differ from the sex and gender assigned to them at birth.

How Might Gender Diversity Impact the School Experience?

• 80% of transgender adults report knowing they were “different” as early as elementary school. 96% report realizing they were transgender before adulthood.
• On average, gender diverse individuals were 15 years old before they had the vocabulary to understand and communicate their gender identity.
• Gender diverse students often report feeling unsafe at school, avoiding gender specific spaces (e.g., restrooms), and experiencing harassment at school.
• Students indicate that they rarely report discriminatory incidents, and those who do feel unprotected.
• Gender diverse students experiencing gender-related stressors at school are more likely be absent, have lower GPAs, report higher levels of depression, engage in substance use and risky behaviors, and be at an elevated risk for suicide.
• Some students may live in their affirmed gender identity with peers at school, but not at home, or vice versa.

What Can Teachers Do?

Do : Model gender inclusive language and behavior.

Don’t categorize students by binary gender (e.g., line up by boys/girls).

Do : Implement policies for non-discrimination and anti-harassment for gender diverse students.

Don’t wait for issues to arise before addressing harassment and discrimination against gender diverse students.

Do : Maintain an open mind that gender identity is complex and each student’s identity is unique.

Don’t attempt to categorize students or draw conclusions about other qualities based on their gender expression.

Do : Respect students’ stories and allow them to inform people (peers, teachers, parents) in their own time and in their own way.

Don’t share information about gender identity without students’ permission. In particular, be aware that in a virtual learning environment (VLE) some students may have other people in the same learning space who are not aware of their gender identity.

Do : Recognize that, depending on home situations, in a VLE, some youth may feel limited in their ability to express their gender identity.

Don’t assume that students are equally comfortable expressing their gender identity at home and at school (whether in person or in VLE).

Do : Be aware of your own biases or assumptions that might send mixed messages to students.

Don’t assume students should behave or express their gender identities in certain ways.

Do : In the VLE, use your pronouns in your email signature and on your video screen. This communicates to students that you don’t make assumptions about pronouns and gender identity based on appearance alone, and that they can report the pronouns that they use.

Don’t require that every student use their preferred pronouns in their email or on screen, as they may not be ready to share these yet. 

Do : In the VLE, invite students to change the name on their video screen to reflect the name that they would like to use during your class.

Don’t require that they use the name with which they are registered for school.

Refer Students to Further Help if Needed

• Review your school policy for seeking student supports.
• Contact your school counselor, psychologist, social worker, or other personnel.

Additional Resources

• The Genderbread Person
• Understanding and Supporting Gender Diversity
• The Respect Online Course
• The Trevor Project
• How to Make Your School Safer for LGBTQ Students
• Schools in Transition
• Model School District Policy on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

Empirical Research

Birnkrant, J. M., & Przeworski, A. (2017). Communication, advocacy, and acceptance among support-seeking parents of transgender youth. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health , 21 (2), 132–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2016.1277173

Bowskill, nee H. T. (2017). How educational professionals can improve the outcomes for transgender children and young people. Educational and Child Psychology , 34 (3), 96–108. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-08632-006&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Chong, E. S. K., Poteat, V. P., Yoshikawa, H., & Calzo, J. P. (2019). Fostering youth self-efficacy to address transgender and racial diversity issues: The role of gay–straight alliances. School Psychology , 34 (1), 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000258.supp

Moe, J. L., Perera-Diltz, D., Sepulveda, V., & Finnerty, P. (2014). Salience, valence, context, and integration: Conceptualizing the needs of sexually and gender diverse youth in P–12 schools. Journal of Homosexuality , 61 (3), 435–451. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2013.842437

Olson, K. R., & Gülgöz, S. (2018). Early findings from the transyouth project: Gender development in transgender children. Child Development Perspectives , 12 (2), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12268

Turban, J., Ferraiolo, T., Martin, A., & Olezeski, C. (2017). Ten things transgender and gender nonconforming youth want their doctors to know. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry , 56 (4), 275–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.12.015

The Mental Health Primers are developed by the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education . This resource was updated in October 2021 with support from cooperative agreement NU87PS004366 funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views or endorsement of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Teaching and Learning Evidence-based Resources
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Gender Matters

• Exploring gender and gender identity

However, it often appears that gender in its truest sense is absent from our social relations, because the way in which most people perceive gender tends to be internalised so deeply that it appears ‘normal’ and natural .

Understanding how we live together means being able to question the things we take for granted in our everyday lives. This includes a key part of our identity: our gender.

This website is a resource for working with others , but it is also a resource that underlines the need constantly to work with oneself . It could even be said that one is not really possible without the other .

In some ways, the reasoning behind this can be expressed easily: each of us is a person with our own subjectivity and experience of living with others in society – so everyone is personally involved in discussions of gender . It is easy to test this out: most people have had experiences where someone’s appearance does not immediately signal ‘male’ or ‘female’.

Perhaps fewer people then go on to ask themselves what this indicates about gender, or about how they perceive gender stereotypes. In fact, on a daily basis, it is common for people to organise their perceptions according to gendered assumptions that have never been questioned.  

The concept of ‘gender awareness’ reminds us that we all need to be aware of issues such as the following:

• We are likely to see ourselves within such categories as male/female or man/woman, but these categories do not in fact do justice to the complexity of gender and sexual identities ;
• We consciously and unconsciously express our gendered selves in numerous ways, including in our relations with others;
• We interpret and evaluate other people’s gender and this affects the ways that we interact with them ;
• We use images, associations, assumptions and normative standards to interpret the gender(s) and sexualities of others, and are often unaware of the way this happens or how these influences originate;
• Gender is of key importance in defining the power, privilege and possibilities that some people have and some people do not have in a given society. It affects progress towards equality and freedom from discrimination.

Gender awareness is necessary as an end goal for everyone, but deliberate work on this issue is particularly important for youth workers and young people who want to address issues of gender and violence with their peers. Gender awareness is necessary because no one is ever completely able to ‘step outside’ of the social and cultural processes that partly shape our identities , values and perceptions , but we can still develop ways of reflecting and ways of interrogating ourselves, and this is very important for group work and group interaction. Gender awareness should also be seen as a process , because our ways of thinking about ourselves and others as gendered, sexual beings shift over time and in different contexts.

Sex and gender

Facilitating discussion

Gender mainstreaming

• What is gender-based violence?
• What causes gender-based violence?
• Types of gender-based violence
• Gender-based violence and human rights
• Youth work and youth policy responses

Chapter 1: Gender identity, gender-based violence and human rights

Gender Matters, a manual on addressing gender-based violence affecting young people

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Expressing Myself. My Way.

• Award Winning
• Gender Roles
• nonconforming
• School Ready

Express yourself, your way! Learn about the difference between gender identity and gender expression, and why it’s important to respect everyone.  [AMZ-006]

Gender Expression

This is how people choose to express their gender identity, usually through appearance and behaviors.

Gender Identity

This is a person’s internal sense of their gender. This can include:

• Transgender
• Gender-Fluid

Everyone has a gender identity—a feeling or sense of being male, female or somewhere in between. Sometimes people’s gender identity matches their bodies, and sometimes it does not. A person may be born with a penis and identify as a boy or born with a vagina and identify as a girl. This person may have a gender identity that is called “cisgender.” Or someone may be born with a penis and identify as a girl or born with a vagina and identify as a boy. This person may have a gender identity that is called “transgender.”

When you share your gender identity with the world through clothing, makeup, how you talk, act and more, this is called “gender expression.” A person’s gender identity and gender expression can be different. Who someone is attracted to—their sexual orientation—is not related to gender identity and expression. Everyone has both a gender identity and a sexual orientation.

Gender roles are the unspoken rules in our society that say how girls and women as well as boys and men are supposed to behave. Sometimes gender roles can be harmful if they keep people from being who they truly are. For example, gender roles that say boys are only supposed to be tough and like sports may keep boys from expressing feelings like kindness or doing things they might enjoy, like knitting. What’s important to remember is that people deserve to express themselves in ways that feels right for them and to be respected no matter how they identify, look or dress

Yes, there are totally more than two genders! Some people identify as a gender that is not male or female, some identify as more than one gender, and some people don’t identify as any gender.

It’s okay if you can’t identify a person’s gender when you first meet. It’s more important not to judge someone based on the gender that person uses to identify themselves.

We usually assume people’s gender identity based on how they look or dress, but some people’s gender identity may not match how they look or dress. In some situations, when you’re not sure how someone identifies, it’s okay to say, “I want to be respectful of how you identify, so could you tell me which pronoun you prefer I use?” This gives the person an opportunity to tell you their pronoun (he, she or another word).

Lots of people have qualities that are associated with a different gender. If you feel like your gender identity does not fit neatly into a boy or girl category, that’s okay. You may choose to dress or style your hair in a way that matches how you feel. As you figure out what feels right for you, seeking the support of a trusted adult can be extremely helpful!

If you feel like your body does not match how you feel inside, then you should definitely talk to an adult you can trust. People who feel like their bodies do not match how they feel inside may identify as transgender or trans. You can get help figuring out how to have what you feel inside reflected on the outside with the help of trusted adults, like parents, counselors and doctors.

Related Videos

Being female, male, transgender or fluid, gender identity: gender roles and stereotypes, my friend is transgender, puberty and transgender youth, range of gender identities, additional resources.

Gender identity is the feeling someone has inside about being male, female or something in between. Everyone has a gender identity. Sometimes people’s gender identity matches their bodies, and sometimes it does not. A person may be born with a penis and identify as a boy or born with a vagina and identify as a girl. This person may have a gender identity that is called “cisgender.” Or someone may be born with a penis and identify as a girl or born with a vagina and identify as a boy. This person may have a gender identity that is called “transgender.”

The term “genderqueer” is used to refer to anyone who identifies as neither male nor female, both male and female or a combination of different genders. “Genderfluid” is another identity that is similar to genderqueer. Some people experience their gender as fluid. This means they may feel like a mix of masculine and feminine qualities or feel more feminine sometimes and more masculine at other times. This is called gender fluidity, and it is not related to a person’s biological sex.

People express a sense of masculinity, femininity or something in between through their daily choices about appearance. This is called “gender expression,” and it can be influenced by how someone feels inside, family expectations, society’s expectations and other influences. Sometimes people’s gender expression matches their gender identity, and sometimes it does not. Gender expression can also change throughout people’s lives as they learn more about themselves and what masculinity and femininity mean to them and how they choose to express themselves on any given day.

Gender identity and expression don’t tell us anything about who a person is attracted to. “Sexual orientation” refers to what genders we are attracted to.

Gender roles are the societal norms that dictate the types of behaviors that are generally considered appropriate for people based on their actual or perceived gender. As parents, guardians and other trusted adults, it is important that we recognize how harmful gender roles can be if we force them on young people. For example, insisting that a boy not cry when he is hurt or sad limits his ability to express a full range of human emotions and empathize with others. Gender roles can limit young people’s ability to be who they truly are when, for example, a girl who wants to play sports is instead encouraged to be “ladylike.” When children are encouraged in subtle—and not-so subtle—ways to adhere to strict gender roles, it can cause significant anxiety, insecurity, stress and low self-esteem for both boys and girls.  

With all this in mind, we can support children in shaping attitudes about gender that encourage respect for the many ways that people choose to identify and express themselves.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

There are lots of terms for gender identity, and it’s not important that you or your child memorize definitions. It is more important for children to understand that gender identity and expression are spectrums, and they don’t need to be afraid if they see someone different or if they feel different in terms of how they identify or express their gender. These conversation starters are a way to make sure your child feels comfortable asking questions and talking with you about these topics.

You can also talk with your children about cultural differences in terms of gender. A great way to start talking about these issues is learning about gender expression and how masculinity and femininity are defined in different cultures (e.g., Scottish kilts).

You could also start a conversation with your child using some of the following:

It seems like it’s not easy when someone expresses their gender in a way that people don’t understand. What do you think?

Have you ever seen someone teased for being too much like a girl or too much like a boy? How did that make you feel? What did you do?

The Gender Tag: Authentic Gender Expression

The term “genderqueer” can be used to refer to anyone who identifies as neither male nor female, both male and female or a combination of different genders. Genderfluid is another identity that is similar to genderqueer. Some people experience their gender as fluid. This means they may feel like a mix of masculine and feminine qualities or feel more feminine sometimes and more masculine at other times. This is called gender fluidity, and it is not related to a person’s biological sex.

Through actions and daily choices about appearance, people express a sense of masculinity, femininity or something in between. This is called “gender expression,” and it can be influenced by how someone feels inside, family expectations, society’s expectations and other influences. Sometimes people’s gender identity matches their gender expression, and sometimes it does not. Gender expression can also change throughout people’s lives as they learn more about themselves and what masculinity and femininity mean to them.

National Sex Education Standards

Discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior

View all GI.2.CC.1 Videos

View all GI.2.CC.2 Videos

Demonstrate ways to treat people of all genders, gender expressions, and gender identities with dignity and respect

View all GI.2.IC.1 Videos

Define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive, and gender identity

View all GI.5.CC.2 Videos

Demonstrate ways to promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender expressions, and gender identities, including other students, their family members, and members of the school community

View all GI.5.ADV.1 Videos

Differentiate between sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression

View all GI.10.CC.1 Videos

International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education

The Social Construction of Gender and Gender Norms

View videos for 3.1 (ages 9-12)

Discussion Questions

• What are some traditional gender roles shown in the video?
• How might people express their gender in ways that don’t match traditional gender roles?
• How do you think it would feel to be able to express your gender in a way that doesn’t match traditional gender roles? Why?
• What are some things you can do if you see a person being bullied for expressing their gender in a way that does not match traditional gender roles?

Lesson Plans (some are zip)

Educator toolkits.

An honest and reassuring guide to puberty for elementary school children

A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies

A Book About Bodies, Feelings, and YOU

Changing the Way We Talk to Kids About Sexuality, Values, and Health

Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids’ "Go-To" Person About Sex

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Sex vs. Gender: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?

Julia Simkus

Editor at Simply Psychology

BA (Hons) Psychology, Princeton University

Julia Simkus is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently studying for a Master's Degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness in September 2023. Julia's research has been published in peer reviewed journals.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

We tend to use the words “sex” and “gender” interchangeably, but they are in fact two different concepts. For many, their sex and gender are aligned, but for others, they are not.

Sex refers to biological differences (chromosomal, hormonal, reproductive), whereas gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and expectations associated with femininity and masculinity.

Sex refers to the physical and biological aspects of an individual, which make someone biologically male or female, such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive anatomy. Sex is typically assigned at birth. We can be assigned as either male, female, or intersex.

Intersex refers to those individuals who cannot be categorized as male or female across all traits. This could include people with ambiguous genitalia, people whose chromosomes are not XX or XY, or people whose external genitalia and internal reproductive organs do not align.

Males and females have distinct sex chromosomes, hormones, external genitlia, internal reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. Sex assignment typically happens at birth based on these markers.

A person whose sex is female typically has two X chromosomes, the hormones estrogen and progesterone, a vulva, a uterus, a vagina, and ovaries.

They also tend to display secondary sex characteristics such as breast development, body fat, oily skin, acne, a higher-pitched voice, and widened hips.

Male-assigned individuals typically have one X and one Y sex chromosome, higher levels of testosterone, a penis, a scrotum, and testes.

They also tend to display secondary sex characteristics such as hair growth, oily skin, acne, body odor, a deepened voice, wider shoulders, and more lean muscle mass.

Intersex refers to those individuals who cannot be categorized as male or female across all traits. This could include variations in sex chromosomes, external genitalia, or reproductive organs.

While intersex babies are usually assigned as male or female at birth, they might identity themselves as another gender identity or non-binary later in life.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, expectations, and behaviors that are often ascribed to the different sexes. Gender identity is a personal, internal perception of oneself and is based on socially constructed roles, behaviors, and customs.

Gender is not made up of binary forms, but rather gender is a broad spectrum and can change over time.

The gender category someone identifies may not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender identities can include cisgender, nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, or transgender.

There are many ways outside of these identities which a person may define as their own gender.

Cisgender refers to someone whose sex assigned at birth matches their gender identity.

Nonbinary refers to someone who identifies beyond man or woman or as neither a male nor female. Agender refers to someone who does not have a gender.

Genderfluid refers to someone whose gender fluctuates over time.

Transgender refers to someone whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned at birth. Some nonbinary people consider themselves transgender but some do not.

Gender non-conforming is when an individual’s appearance, behaviour, interests, and self-concept vary, either from the norms attributed to their biological sex, or from masculine or feminine general norms in general.

Gender Expression, Identity and, Roles

People identify and express their gender in a variety of ways. Your gender identity is how you feel inside and  your own personal understanding of your gender. Gender expression refers to how a person chooses to present themselves to the outside world.

This could include one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, voice, or mannerisms. Gender can also refer to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men.

This could include norms, roles, and relationships with others. Gender roles are largely based on society and culture. Gender identity and expression originate from ideas about which traits and roles are perceived as masculine or feminine in a particular culture.‌

For example, in Western cultures, stereotypically feminine traits include nurturance, sensitivity, and emotional vulnerability, and stereotypically masculine traits include self-confidence, aggressiveness, and competitiveness.

What is gender conformity?

Gender influences the way people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact. Gender being socially constructed means that gender roles often appear when humans live in groups together and thus, they can vary from culture to culture.

In a lot of Western cultures for instance, there are two widely recognised genders: men and women. In these cultures, are gender ‘norms’, which are ideas about how women and men are expected to be and act.

For instance, women in certain cultures are thought to be caring and maternal, whereas men are thought to be stronger and more assertive.

The concept of gender conformity is based on these gender norms. If someone is gender conforming, it means they prescribe to the gender norms that are expected of their biological sex.

The term gender conformity is rarely used as it is not common that someone is 100% gender conforming. The majority of people may conform to gender norms in some ways but subvert it in other ways.

For instance, a gender norm in many cultures is that women do not work and should stay at home to raise their children. In today’s society, it is more common that women will work, so these women would be considered as not conforming to their gender roles.

Historically, gender roles have been attributed to the biological differences in men and women. They are the product of interactions between individuals and their environmental and what sort of behavior is expected to be appropriate based on a person’s sex.

Appropriate gender roles are defined according to the beliefs that society has about the differences between the sexes.

Below are some ways in which men, women, girls, and boys are often described as in many cultures:

• ‘Men are the leaders’
• ‘Women are nurturing’
• ‘Men are more aggressive’
• ‘Women are emotional’
• ‘Girls like pink’
• ‘Boys like blue’
• ‘Girls wear dresses’
• ‘Boys don’t cry’

Issues with gender roles

Once a child is born and their sex is revealed as either ‘boy’ or ‘girl’, often they are then figuratively put into a box of either one of two genders. These boxes are their society’s gender norms for what is expected from them according to their sex.

Boys may often be dressed in blue and encouraged to play with toys which are stereotypically made for boys such as toy cars; girls may often be dressed in pink and encouraged to play with toys which are stereotypically made for girls such as dolls.

As a society, people may put children into these gender role boxes as a way to make sense of gender and because it is what is considered ‘normal’ according to their culture.

There are many ways in which gender roles can be harmful to individuals. Gender roles often force people to perform what is expected of them according to their biological sex rather than living the way that they may choose to.

For instance, as stated previously, there is a gender norm in many cultures which states that men are meant to be more assertive than women.

Therefore, if a woman is seen as being assertive, they may often be criticised or viewed negatively to others because she is not conforming to what is expected of her gender.

Likewise, a man may wish to dress more typically feminine such as wearing makeup or a dress, however he may be ridiculed for dressing like this and may feel restricted in what he can wear.

Gender roles can limit what a person can or cannot do, reducing a person’s life to what they should do according to society’s rules. When someone breaks out of their norms, they may be at a risk of bullying or even violence in the most extreme cases.

Often, gender roles are so ingrained in a culture that anyone who doesn’t conform is viewed as strange and a target for abuse. Sometimes, people who do not conform to gender roles are forced back into their roles to avoid this abuse from others, which can cause a lot of unhappiness.

Because of gender roles, women may feel unable to put themselves forward for a job or promotion they are qualified for if that position is usually occupied by men.

They may fear being in a leadership role for fear of being labelled bossy or being undermined by others. When women and girls assert themselves, they may get told ‘girls shouldn’t talk that loud’ or ‘girls should be quiet and polite’.

Women and girls may therefore have less opportunities for success in life if they are being told these things. On the other hand, men may feel unable to express their emotions for fear of appearing too feminine and being criticised by others.

Often, men and boys are told that ‘boys shouldn’t cry’ and that they should ‘man up’ instead of discussing their emotions.

This can be very damaging for men’s mental health if they cannot express talk about their problems. They may also be less likely to seek help for a mental health problem and there is also a risk of suicide for these men.

Clements, K. C. (2019, January 24). What’s the difference between sex and gender? Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/sex-vs-gender

Newman, T. I. (2021, May 11). Sex and gender: Meanings, definition, identity, and expression. Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363

Stoller, R. J. (1964). A contribution to the study of gender identity. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, volume 45 issues 2 to 3, pages 220 to 226.

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Gender Identity

There’s more to gender identity than being male or female. Learn more about gender identity and the different ways people can identify themselves.

This article was written and reviewed by people in the LGBTIQA+ communities.

What is Gender Identity?

Gender identity means how you experience your own gender. It may seem simple, but it is a lot more complex than you might think!

• Sex  can mean lots of different things. It can be about biological features our bodies have, like our genitals and chromosomes. It can be the assigned sex a doctor gives us at birth, depending on what our genitals and chromosomes look like. It can also be a legal status that we’re given at birth or that we change over our lives. We usually assume a person’s assigned sex decides their gender, but it’s more complex than that!
• Most societies think there are only two genders that people identify with, either male or female. This belief is called the gender binary .
• Most societies also have expectations and stereotypes about gender based on someone’s assigned sex. Like expecting males to be “tough” and females to be “gentle”. These gender expectations can affect a person’s social, work and legal rights.
• From a young age, most children know what their gender identity is and find it really hard to think about themselves in another way. People who don’t fit the gender binary, but feel pressure to follow it, can experience an extreme form of distress called gender dysphoria .
• But gender identity is about how you experience your own gender, despite what society expects. Your gender can be shown through your identity (eg. labels, pronouns), body (eg. appearance) and expression (eg. how you act, how you dress).
• Feeling able to show your true gender identity is important to your emotional and mental health.
• There are lots of possible gender identities out there! People can identify as one of the binary genders, as moving between genders, as no gender or as another gender altogether.

What is the difference between Gender Identity and Sexual Identity?

Gender identity and sexual identity are often confused, but it’s important to understand how they are different.

Gender identity is about how we see ourselves in terms of gender. Whereas sexuality is about who we’re emotionally, physically and romantically attracted to.

Confusion about gender identity and sexuality can also make it harder for people to understand themselves. Like trans or gender diverse people who think they must be gay, lesbian or bisexual - until better understanding their gender identity.

Confusing gender identity and sexuality can lead to people making the wrong assumptions about others, which affects how well we understand and communicate with them.

Trans and gender diverse people may at any given time change their sexuality to be affirming of their gender identity. Like a straight male who transitions to female and continues to want sexual and emotional relationships with women might redefine their sexuality as lesbian.

For example, when someone’s gender expression is different to what people expect, they are often assumed to be gay or lesbian. Like boys who take Home Economics at school or girls who play Rugby for sport.

Bodies are different to both gender identity and sexuality. Our identities are informed by our bodies and the experiences we have, but our bodies don’t define everything about us.

I’m questioning my gender identity. Is it normal to feel…?

Understanding yourself takes time, so it’s normal for some people to feel unsure about their gender identity. but keep in mind:.

• It’s not “just a phase” and you’re not “just confused”. From a young age, children generally know their gender identity and find it really hard to think of themselves in any other way.
• Even if you start feeling comfortable expressing your gender identity, people may try to fit you into boxes. But remember, gender is about much more than the gender binary.
• Gender identity isn’t set in stone. Understanding yourself takes time and it’s normal to change your mind many times about how you define and express your gender identity before things ‘feel right’ for you.

Realising that your gender identity doesn’t fit the roles, expectations and stereotypes people have of your assigned sex and gender can be confusing and upsetting. As a result, you may feel pressured or scared about expressing your gender identity.

People who feel pressured or scared to express their gender identity may choose to conceal this to feel safer. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be upsetting too. Even if you express your gender identity openly, you might face challenges like: stress about “not fitting in”, feeling invalidated when your gender doesn’t fit stereotypes or discrimination.

In both cases, when people don’t feel free to express their gender identity it can increase their gender dysphoria and increase the risk of mental and physical health problems.

On the positive side, feeling able to express your gender identity around supportive people who accept you for who you are can feel validating and freeing!

"I know that I can live as me."

What can I DO to help me feel more comfortable expressing my gender identity?

If you want to start expressing your gender identity, but are unsure what steps you can take, here are a few ideas that may help:

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Home » Home » Essay » Essay on gender equality (100, 200, 300, & 500 Words)

Essay on gender equality (100, 200, 300, & 500 Words)

Gender equality is a fundamental human right that promotes fairness and equal opportunities for individuals regardless of their gender. It encompasses the belief that everyone should have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, regardless of their gender identity or expression. While significant strides have been made towards achieving gender equality, there is still a long way to go. This essay aims to address the importance of gender equality, its challenges, and strategies to promote it.

Essay on Gender Equality (100 Words)

Gender equality means treating everyone the same, no matter if they are a boy or a girl. It’s important because sometimes girls and boys are treated differently, and that’s not fair. For example, everyone should have the same chances to go to school, get a good job, and be happy. It’s wrong to think that boys are better at some things and girls are better at others. We should all be given the same chances to show what we can do. When everyone is treated equally, it’s good for the whole world.

Essay on Gender Equality (200 Words)

Gender equality is the idea that all people, whether they are boys or girls, should be treated the same. This is important because many times, girls and women are not given the same chances as boys and men. This is not fair and it needs to change. In many places, girls are not allowed to go to school or get good jobs. They are also paid less money for doing the same work.

But gender equality is not just a problem for girls and women. Boys and men are also hurt when we don’t have gender equality. Sometimes they are told they can’t do certain things because it’s not “manly.”

People can do many things to help make gender equality happen. Schools can teach kids that all people are equal and should be treated the same. Employers can make sure they give the same chances to everybody, no matter if they are male or female. Everyone can help by speaking up when they see something that is not fair.

Essay on Gender Equality (300 Words)

Gender equality is the idea that everyone should have the same rights, opportunities, and treatment, no matter if they are a man or a woman. It’s a basic human right, but it’s not the reality for many people around the world. Women often face more challenges and discrimination just because they are women. This includes less pay for the same job, less access to education, and less representation in government.

But gender equality is also good for men. Sometimes men are pressured to act tough or hide their feelings because that’s what society expects from them. This can be hard and unhealthy.

Changing this problem starts with education. Schools should teach children that all genders are equal and deserve the same chances in life. This education should continue into adulthood, in the workplace and the community.

Governments can also help by making laws that protect equal rights for everyone, no matter their gender. This can include things like equal pay for equal work, and making sure that both men and women have the same opportunities for education and jobs.

Even everyday actions can make a difference. If you see someone being treated unfairly because of their gender, speak up. Support companies that treat all employees fairly, and avoid those that don’t. Listen to people who have different experiences than you, and learn from them.

The fight for gender equality is a fight for basic human rights. It benefits everyone, not just women. And it’s a fight that involves all of us. By working together, we can create a world where everyone is treated fairly, no matter their gender.

Understanding Gender Equality

Defining gender.

Gender refers to the social roles, behaviors, and expectations associated with being male or female, as determined by society. It is distinct from biological sex, which is determined by physical attributes such as reproductive organs and chromosomes. Gender is a societal construct that perpetuates stereotypes, discrimination, and unequal power dynamics between sexes.

The Significance of Gender Equality

Gender equality is crucial for the overall development and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and nations. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender, has equal access to opportunities in education, employment, healthcare, and political participation. Gender equality fosters social justice, reduces poverty, and enhances economic growth. It empowers individuals to reach their full potential, contributing to a more inclusive and prosperous society.

Challenges to Gender Equality

Despite the increasing awareness and efforts towards achieving gender equality, several challenges persist. Understanding these challenges is essential to formulate effective strategies to address them.

Gender Stereotypes and Discrimination

Societal norms often perpetuate gender stereotypes, ascribing certain qualities, roles, and behaviors to males and females. These stereotypes limit individual choices and opportunities, reinforcing gender discrimination. For example, the notion that women are primarily responsible for childcare and housework often hinders their career advancement. Similarly, men may face discrimination when pursuing careers traditionally associated with women, such as nursing or teaching.

Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, and assault, remains a significant barrier to gender equality. Such violence affects individuals across all gender identities but disproportionately affects women and girls. It creates a climate of fear and insecurity, limiting their freedom, mobility, and access to education and employment opportunities.

Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap is another critical issue hindering gender equality. Women, on average, earn less than men for performing the same work. This pay disparity stems from various factors, including occupational segregation, bias in hiring and promotion practices, and the undervaluation of female-dominated professions. The gender pay gap perpetuates economic inequality and limits women’s financial independence and decision-making power.

Strategies to Promote Gender Equality

Addressing the challenges to gender equality requires a multi-faceted approach involving individuals, communities, governments, and organizations. The following strategies can help promote gender equality:

Education and Awareness

Promoting gender equality begins with education and awareness. Educational institutions should include gender equality in their curricula to challenge stereotypes and promote understanding. Providing comprehensive sex education can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their bodies and relationships. Furthermore, awareness campaigns can challenge societal norms and attitudes that perpetuate gender discrimination.

Legal Reforms

Legislation plays a crucial role in promoting gender equality. Governments should enact and enforce laws that protect individuals from gender-based violence, ensure equal pay for equal work, and promote women’s political representation. Legal reforms can create an enabling environment for gender equality and hold accountable those who perpetuate discrimination.

Empowering Women

Empowering women is a key component of achieving gender equality. This can be achieved through initiatives that provide equal access to education, skill-building opportunities, and support for entrepreneurship. Encouraging women’s leadership and participation in decision-making processes is essential to challenge existing power imbalances.

Engaging Men and Boys

Promoting gender equality requires engaging men and boys as allies. Men can contribute to dismantling patriarchal norms by challenging traditional gender roles, promoting equality within their families and communities, and speaking out against gender-based violence. By involving men and boys in gender equality initiatives, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all genders.

Corporate Responsibility

Companies and organizations should demonstrate a commitment to gender equality through their policies and practices. This includes promoting diversity and inclusion, implementing fair hiring and promotion processes, and providing family-friendly workplace policies such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements. By addressing gender biases within the workplace, organizations can foster a more equitable and inclusive environment.

Gender equality is a fundamental human right that benefits individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. Achieving gender equality requires collective efforts to challenge stereotypes, address discrimination, and promote equal opportunities. By implementing comprehensive strategies that encompass education, legal reforms, empowerment, and engagement of all genders, we can create a more just and inclusive world. It is our responsibility to work towards a society where everyone, regardless of their gender, can enjoy equal rights and opportunities.

1. What is gender equality?

Gender equality refers to the belief that everyone should have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, regardless of their gender identity or expression.

2. Why is gender equality important?

Gender equality is important because it promotes fairness and equal opportunities for individuals, contributing to their overall development and well-being. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender, has equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and political participation, fostering social justice and reducing poverty.

3. What are the challenges to gender equality?

Some of the challenges to gender equality include gender stereotypes and discrimination, which limit individual choices and opportunities. Additionally, gender-based violence, such as domestic violence and sexual harassment, remains a significant barrier to achieving gender equality.

4. Who does gender-based violence disproportionately affect?

Gender-based violence disproportionately affects women and girls, although it can affect individuals across all gender identities.

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The  Code  does not define the grounds of gender identity, gender expression or sex. Instead, the understanding of these and other related terms, and the implications for the  Code  and OHRC policies, is evolving from tribunal and court decisions, social science research as well as self identity and common everyday use.

Sex  is the anatomical classification of people as male, female or intersex, usually assigned at birth.

Gender identity  is each person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is a person’s sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from their birth-assigned sex.

Gender expression  is how a person publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender. Others perceive a person’s gender through these attributes.

A person’s gender identity is fundamentally different from and not related to their sexual orientation.

Trans  or  transgender  is an umbrella term referring to people with diverse gender identities and expressions that differ from stereotypical gender norms. It includes but is not limited to people who identify as transgender, trans woman (male-to-female MTF), trans man (female-to-male FTM), transsexual, cross-dressers, or gender non-conforming, gender variant or gender queer.

Gender non-conforming  individuals do not follow gender stereotypes based on the sex they were assigned at birth and may or may not identify as trans.

“Lived” gender identity  is the gender a person feels internally (“gender identity” along the gender spectrum) and expresses publicly (“gender expression”) in their daily life including at work, while shopping or accessing other services, in their housing environment or in the broader community. See section 13.3.3 of this policy: Recognizing lived gender identity.

For more information on these and other related terms see Appendix B: Glossary for understanding gender identity and expression .

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