Gender

A set of cultural identities, expressions, and roles—typically attached to a person’s sex assigned at birth and codified as feminine or masculine—that are assigned to people based upon the interpretation of their bodies and, more specifically, their sexual and reproductive anatomy. Gender is socially constructed, and it is possible to reject or modify the assignment made and develop something that feels truer to oneself. Examples of gender include but are not limited to a male, female, transgender woman, transgender man, agender, gender expansive, genderqueer, and nonbinary.”

“A social construct. But it has managed to include all individuals and give safety to all individuals. It gives them a start on how to continue their journey. A person who identifies with a particular gender means that they have come up with a particular concept they feel comfortable with. That I as a non-binary, after years of exploring concepts, have concluded that it is a term that represents me, defines me, and I am comfortable with it. And I feel it is close to what I feel and want to express outwardly. The key questions around this issue are “What am I?” and “What do I want to be?” It’s a personal thing. And how I want others to see me. Sometimes it’s not enough for you to figure it out, but we have to make it clear to others by our appearance, for example.”