Gender Identity (T+)
What is Gender?
Figuring Out Your Gender Identity
From the moment we are born, most of us are treated like (and told) we are either a girl or a boy. This is called gender assignment. This can make things difficult to figure out when our gender identity doesn’t match the gender we were assigned or given.
The only person who knows how it feels to be you, is you. You could ask yourself questions like, “Do I feel comfortable with the gender I was assigned at birth? Would I be happier if people referred to me as a different gender? Does being a boy/girl feel right to me?”
For some people, the answer seems clear and obvious from an early age; for others, the answer takes much longer to arrive at. Don’t worry if you don’t have clear answers to these questions. There is nothing wrong with questioning or being unsure about your gender, and you can take all the time you need to figure out what feels right for you.
That’s fine! It’s ok to change your mind. Sometimes it takes some exploring before you discover what fits best for you.
You’re never too young to be yourself. We usually become aware of our gender around the age of three or four years old. Remember, if you think you are trans, there is no checklist of things that you must do. You might want to do simple things like change the clothes you wear or ask people to use different pronouns such as he, she or they. There is no age limit for doing these things.
Some people are trans. Some people are non-binary. Some people are cis. All are part of beautiful human variation and diversity. People differ from each other in all kinds of ways and gender is no exception.
Approximately 1% of the population is trans. In the UK that would make over 600,000 trans and non-binary people. That’s about the same percentage as people who have red hair – it might not be all that common, but it’s totally natural!
Being trans is not an illness. Trans people can live happy and healthy lives just like anyone else. Some trans people might experience gender dysphoria. This is a feeling of discomfort associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. Some trans people will transition (make certain changes to their lives, such as changing their name or parts of their body) to make themselves feel more comfortable. This is not an illness, but just part of becoming who we are.
Words people may use to describe their gender identity
We have put together some of the words people may use to describe their gender identity. You should not feel under any pressure to assign yourself a “label”.
There are other ways people describe their gender identity that are not on the list, and the language we have to describe gender continues to grow and evolve.
Let us know via the form below if your identity is missing or you can’t find a word to describe your feelings.