It’s International Pride Month! In previous weeks we’ve explored sexual orientation so now let’s move onto gender.
Gender: Gender isn’t physical, and isn’t defined by genitalia or what clothes you dress in. It’s all about how you feel and identify within your own self. Gender binarism – having only two opposing masculine and feminine forms – is a very traditional and limiting view and can make it extremely difficult for those who fall outside of its definition.
AFAB/AMAB: Assigned female at birth/assigned male at birth based on gendering someone based on their genitalia.
Cisgender/cis: Individuals who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth.
Transgender/Trans: This is an overarching term used for those whose gender doesn’t reflect the one that they were assigned at birth. Trans doesn’t mean transitioning. A trans man doesn’t need to modify his body or have hormone treatment to identify as a male. It’s all about how people identify within themselves, not how they present to society.
Gender fluid: a person whose gender shifts or changes. Their gender identify may change over the course of a lifetime or they may express aspects of different genders at the same time.
Non-binary: this is someone who doesn’t identify with any gender. This doesn’t mean that they’re confused about their gender, nor does it mean someone who is intersex (someone who is born with genitalia that doesn’t fit within the binary conforms). These people simply do not feel an innate sense of gender.
Next week we’ll take a look at a few things that you can do to help members of the community feel safe, comfortable, and respected.
