Gender identity: Difference between revisions

    From Nonbinary Wiki
    No edit summary
    No edit summary
    Line 1: Line 1:
    {{stub}}
    {{stub}}
    '''Gender identity''' is the experience of one's own gender, regardless of physical characteristics ([[sex]]), intentional appearance and behavior ([[gender expression]]), or [[sexual orientation]]. Most people identify as the gender that they were [[Sex#gender assigned at birth|assigned at birth]], which is called being [[cisgender]]. [[Transgender]] people don't identify as the genders they were assigned at birth.
    '''Gender identity''' is the experience of one's own gender, regardless of physical characteristics ([[sex]]), intentional appearance and behavior ([[gender expression]]), or [[sexual orientation]]. Most people identify as the gender that they were [[Sex#gender assigned at birth|assigned at birth]], which is called being [[cisgender]]. [[Transgender]] people don't identify as the genders they were assigned at birth.
    All societies and cultures have certain categories that people use to express their gender. In the western culture (i.e. Europe, America, Australia...) these categories are typically [[male]] and [[female]] ([[Binarism]]).  There are, however, other societies that have more than two recognized gender identities.


    == Binary genders ==
    == Binary genders ==
    Line 11: Line 13:


    [[Nonbinary gender]] is any gender that exists outside of the gender binary. That is, any gender not described by just "male" or "female". Even in societies that recognize only two genders, there are still people who find that they don't fit into those two. Despite the lack of recognition of nonbinary genders in Western [[Binarism|binarist]] society, nonbinary genders are still valid identities.
    [[Nonbinary gender]] is any gender that exists outside of the gender binary. That is, any gender not described by just "male" or "female". Even in societies that recognize only two genders, there are still people who find that they don't fit into those two. Despite the lack of recognition of nonbinary genders in Western [[Binarism|binarist]] society, nonbinary genders are still valid identities.
    Nonbinary gender identities are not recognised by most people in the western society, but there are societies where a third (or even more) gender is recognised: for example, [[Two-spirit]] (native Americans), [[Hijra]] (India) or the [[Gender in Bugis society|five genders of the Bugis people]] in Indonesia (''makkunrai'', ''oroané'', ''bissu'', ''calabai'', and ''calalai'').


    == Fluidity ==
    == Fluidity ==

    Revision as of 19:32, 7 March 2017

    Text lines white icon.svg This article is a stub. You can help the Nonbinary wiki by expanding it!
    Note to editors: remember to always support the information you proved with external references!

    Gender identity is the experience of one's own gender, regardless of physical characteristics (sex), intentional appearance and behavior (gender expression), or sexual orientation. Most people identify as the gender that they were assigned at birth, which is called being cisgenderTransgender people don't identify as the genders they were assigned at birth.

    All societies and cultures have certain categories that people use to express their gender. In the western culture (i.e. Europe, America, Australia...) these categories are typically male and female (Binarism). There are, however, other societies that have more than two recognized gender identities.

    Binary genders

    See main article: binary genders

    Western society uses the gender binary system of categorizing all people into only one of the binary genders: female (woman) and male (man). The gender binary system is coercive and limiting, but the binary genders themselves are valid identities.

    Nonbinary genders

    See main article: nonbinary gender

    Nonbinary gender is any gender that exists outside of the gender binary. That is, any gender not described by just "male" or "female". Even in societies that recognize only two genders, there are still people who find that they don't fit into those two. Despite the lack of recognition of nonbinary genders in Western binarist society, nonbinary genders are still valid identities.

    Nonbinary gender identities are not recognised by most people in the western society, but there are societies where a third (or even more) gender is recognised: for example, Two-spirit (native Americans), Hijra (India) or the five genders of the Bugis people in Indonesia (makkunrai, oroané, bissu, calabai, and calalai).

    Fluidity

    Gender identity can remain the same or change over the course of an individual's life.

    Genderfluid people experience frequent changes in their gender identity, as often as monthly, weekly, or even several times a day. Genderfluid is a broad category of gender identities that share the characteristic of frequent change. This category can include multigender identities, such as bigender, depending on how an individual defines themself under those terms.

    However, other people have the same gender identity throughout their entire life, with little to no change. It depends on the individual.