Gender Identity.
The term on its own is confusing enough, so when you add our thoughts and feelings, about our inner identity and our outward display, into the mix it becomes a different level of confusion. At least it was for me. What am I? Why do I feel this way? Why does my body look like this when I feel like that?
Some of these questions are really difficult to answer, they are difficult enough to ask the first time around. So, with that in mind I thought a whistle-stop tour of Gender Identity would be a good place to start. Though this may well be a long post, so get yourself a brew and pull up a chair.
Introduction.
From the very beginning of our lives, we are identified by our gender and sex. When we are born, we are given a sex on our birth certificate, generally male or female. The terms “gender” and “sex” are often, and incorrectly I might add, used interchangeably. When discussing sexuality, it is important to distinguish between sex, gender identity, and gender expression. Although these terms seem very similar, they describe three very different things.
A person’s biological and physical attributes comprise their sex. Generally, we are one of three sexes: male, female, or intersex. Some characteristics of sex include external genitals, internal reproductive organs, sex chromosomes, and sex hormones. Gender identity, sometimes simply referred to as gender, is a person’s perception of who they are as male, female, neither, or both. Gender expression is an extension of gender identity; it is how a person behaves and presents themselves to the world – including how they dress, speak, act, and move.
Much of what constitutes gender is socially constructed, and is imposed on us from childhood. For example, labelling certain toys and games as for boys or for girls – like racing cars for boys and dolls for girls. Many children, and adults, do not know why they feel they must act a certain way; like girls avoiding participating in sports, or boys masking their emotions, they just assume that it is what they are “supposed to do." Gender roles are the set of ideas of what constitutes masculinity and femininity, and with them come certain social expectations. The pressure to fit into these idealistic moulds can have devastating consequences on individuals, such as anxiety, stress, insecurity, and low self-esteem that may follow a person for their entire life.
These aspects of gender are so deep-rooted in our culture, and people who neatly fit these roles never question them simply because they don’t have to. However, for people who do not fit this mould, the pressure to be something that they are not can cause significant distress and mental health issues. Luckily, as society progresses, more and more it becomes acceptable for people to challenge the gender norms imposed by our culture. It is becoming clear that gender is not simply based on a person’s genitalia.
The following list of genders, is not an exhaustive list, but it covers some of the more widespread gender identities.
Cisgender.
Cisgender, also sometimes referred to as gender normative, and often shortened to “cis,” is used to describe people whose gender identity is matches their biological sex as assigned at birth.
The term was created to allow us to differentiate between cisgender and transgender people without normalising one over the other. It originates from the Latin prefix “cis” meaning “on the same side of.” It is estimated that 99% of people identify as cisgender.
Transgender.
Transgender describes people whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Traditionally, transgender has referred to someone who identifies as female but is biologically male or vice versa, but nowadays it’s used as an umbrella term to encompass all people who do not identify with their assigned sex; regardless of whether they identify as male, female, genderqueer, or something else entirely.
Used in this manner, it is often shortened to “trans*” in order to be more inclusive of all gender identities. The asterisk is used when referring to all alternative gender identities; “trans” (without the asterisk) would be used to refer specifically to transmen and transwomen.
It is very important to note that a person’s gender identity is completely separate from their sexual orientation; which indicates to whom they are attracted. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation, nor does it imply that a person desires hormonal treatment or sex-reassignment surgery. While some transgender individuals do undergo treatment to make their biological sex match with their identity, not all trans* people do. It is possible to identify as transgender without wanting to change one’s body.
Genderqueer/Genderfluid.
Genderqueer, also referred to as genderfluid, falls under the trans* umbrella. It describes people who do not feel restricted by the gender binary or typical gender roles or stereotypes. Genderqueer people often have a wide range of gender expression, and some of their mannerisms and preferences can even vary from day-to-day. Although some choose to identify simply as genderqueer, others who consider themselves to be genderqueer may identify as male, female, somewhere in the middle, or may not identify with a gender at all.
Agender.
A person who is agender feels that they are neither male nor female. Some people identify as agender simply as a way to reject the gender binary.
Bigender.
The term bigender can be used to describe a variety of identities involving two genders, which can include male, female, or nonbinary genders. Some people who consider themselves bigender may identify with both the male and female genders, while others will move between masculine and feminine expression. Others will feel like they have distinct male and female personas, or that they are two separate genders in one person.
Intergender.
Intergender is another nonbinary and trans* identity. Someone who is intergender identifies as in between two genders, and may be a combination of both. These two genders could be male, female, or another nonbinary gender identity.
Pangender.
Pangender is an identity comprised of many gender identities and expressions. A pangender person’s identity could be fixed, so that they feel that they are multiple genders at once. It could also be fluid, meaning that they move between genders. Pangender very often includes nonbinary genders. People who identify with only two genders, most commonly male and female, are generally considered to be bigender or genderqueer rather than pangender.
So, that’s a brief outline of the various Gender Identities that we, as a culture, now embrace. No doubt the list will grow over time, but for now I boldly make the assumption that I, and our community members, can identify with one of the above terms. More detailed, and hopefully interactive, discussion will take place later on …