Historically, this term has been used by lesbian women who express more masculine characteristics. This term is often reserved for those who identify strongly with masculine cultural traits physically, sexually, mentally and/or emotionally. Some may see this as a derogatory label, while others may claim this term to define how they identify in an affirming way. “If you’re bigender, you don’t want to label yourself as just one or the other, but you don’t want to reject either one, so you identify with both,” explains Dr.
Though this typically means the male/female gender binary, you could experience aspects of other genders, too. People who are bigender experience characteristics of two genders at the same time. How they express themselves may vary day to day, but they don’t generally appear dramatically male or female. They may express varying aspects of masculinity and femininity. This term describes someone who feels comfortable expressing themselves in a more gender-neutral way.
They also don’t feel comfortable with other gender-variant terms. They may not ascribe to (identify with) the gender binary of males and females (someone who doesn’t identify with the polar opposites of male or female). This term describes someone who feels like they don’t fit any gender. This list, though not all-inclusive, is a good first step in understanding the various ways we and those around us identify gender, keeping in mind that not everyone agrees on the definition of each label and that they’re continually changing. And that includes external and internal aspects of ourselves.”Īs language continues to evolve, we’re coming up with new ways to explain how we feel about who we are every day. “This is about more than just our bodies. “For a lot of people, these things happen very organically and naturally,” says Dr. You are valid, no matter how you arrive at understanding your gender identity. Some of us might take a more scenic route with a few stops along the way until we arrive at our final destination. Some of us arrive at and understand our gender identity quickly - some of us know on Day One where we’re going, and some of us take the most direct path to get there. Gender identity is typically expressed in the way you label yourself, how you physically present yourself to others and how you feel about your own body.ĭiscovering your gender identity is a journey we all take. Gender identity and how we talk about who we are Jensen helps us walk through several common terms used to describe gender identity and gender expression. That’s true for many people, but it’s especially true in our teen and young adult journeys.” Having a label can give us a place to be in our own head, and at times, in our social lives and what we do day-to-day. “Having a group you can identify with can be very comforting. “It’s so much easier when you have a path in almost anything,” says Dr. However you arrive at your identity, it’s important that you do so safely and you check in with yourself often along the way. There’s no right answer for determining how you identify related to gender and sexuality, but discovery usually begins with internal awareness and may include exploring how you can express your gender identity and sexual orientation with others. That’s part of what teenage years are meant to be, exploring your identity as a person,” says pediatric psychologist Vanessa K. “Most teens struggle with figuring out who they are as a person.
Sometimes, this search for understanding how we identify can happen later in life, but often, this journey begins when we’re young. One example of gender inclusivity might be, rather than refer to someone of Latin American descent as Latina or Latino, a more gender-inclusive term we use now is Latinx. Over time, as language has evolved and we’ve learned more about gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, healthcare providers and organizations like the American Counseling Association have determined multiple ways someone can identify in terms of how they feel about themselves and how they feel about others. Everyone is built differently, and many of us come to realize aspects of our own gender in ways that can be challenging, exciting and complex. The relationship we have with our own bodies as it relates to gender and sexual orientation can also be a complicated one. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.