{"id":971,"date":"2023-03-20T18:19:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T18:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=971"},"modified":"2026-01-15T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T18:11:59","slug":"12-4-3-learn-it-gender-identity","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/12-4-3-learn-it-gender-identity\/","title":{"raw":"Sexual Behavior: Learn It 4\u2014Gender Identity","rendered":"Sexual Behavior: Learn It 4\u2014Gender Identity"},"content":{"raw":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Gender Identity<\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">People often confuse <span class=\"s1\">sexual orientation<\/span> with <span class=\"s1\">gender identity<\/span>, largely due to stereotypes about gender roles and non-heterosexual behavior. In psychology, however, these are related but <span class=\"s1\">distinct<\/span> concepts. Sexual orientation refers to patterns of attraction, while gender identity refers to one\u2019s internal sense of gender.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>gender identity and gender dysphoria<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Gender identity<\/b><\/span> is a person\u2019s deeply felt sense of being male, female, nonbinary, or another gender. For many people, gender identity aligns with their <span class=\"s1\"><b>sex assigned at birth<\/b><\/span>, but this is not true for everyone.<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">When a person experiences distress because their gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth\u2014or with how others perceive their gender\u2014this distress is referred to as <span class=\"s1\"><b>gender dysphoria<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><br \/>\r\nGender dysphoria<\/b><\/span> is a diagnostic category in the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)<\/i>. To meet diagnostic criteria:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">The incongruence between experienced gender and assigned sex must persist for <span class=\"s1\"><b>at least six months<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">The experience must cause <span class=\"s1\"><b>clinically significant distress or impairment<\/b><\/span> in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>cisgender and transgender<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>C<\/strong><strong>isgender\u00a0<\/strong>is an umbrella term used to describe\u00a0people whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their sex assigned at birth, while\u00a0<strong>transgender\u00a0<\/strong>is a term used to describe people whose sense of personal identity does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Approximately 1.4 million U.S. adults or .6 percent of the population are transgender according to a 2016 report.[footnote]Flores, A., J. Herman, G. Gates, and T. N.T. Brown. \"How many adults identify as transgender.\" The Williams Institute. <a href=\"http:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Many-Adults-Identify-as-Transgender-in-the-United-States.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Many-Adults-Identify-as-Transgender-in-the-United-States.pdf<\/a>.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>Many people who are classified as gender dysphoric seek to live their lives in ways that are consistent with their gender identity. This may involve dressing and presenting themselves in accordance with a gender identity that differs from the sex assigned at birth. These individuals may also undertake <strong>gender-affirming hormone therapy<\/strong> to make their bodies better align with their gender identity, and in rare cases, they may even elect to have surgeries to alter the appearance of their external genitalia to resemble that of their gender identity.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and not all pursue medical transition.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Estimates suggest that approximately <span class=\"s1\"><b>0.5\u20131% of U.S. adults<\/b><\/span> identify as transgender, with higher identification rates among younger generations\u2014likely reflecting increased social visibility and acceptance rather than a true increase in prevalence.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Changing Gender Norms<\/h3>\r\n<p>Our scientific knowledge and general understanding of gender identity continue to evolve, and young people today have more opportunities to explore and openly express different ideas about what gender means than in previous generations. Studies indicate that the majority of Millennials (born between 1981 \u2013 1996) regard gender as a spectrum instead of a strict male\/female binary, and that 12% identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. Additionally, over half of people ages 13\u201320 know people who use gender-neutral pronouns (such as they\/them) (Kennedy, 2017).<\/p>\r\n<p>This change in language may mean that Millennials and Generation Z (born between 1997-2012) people understand the experience of gender itself differently. As young people lead this change, other changes are emerging in a range of spheres, from public bathroom policies to retail organizations. For example, some retailers are starting to change traditional gender-based marketing of products, such as removing \u201cpink and blue\u201d clothing and toy aisles. Even with these changes, those who exist outside of traditional gender norms face difficult challenges. Even people who vary slightly from traditional norms can be the target of discrimination and sometimes even violence.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox linkToLearning\">Hear firsthand about the transgender experience and the disconnect that occurs when one\u2019s self-identity is betrayed by one\u2019s body. Watch this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TG-lR3uF6Ag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brief interview with Carmen Carrera and Laverne Cox on Katie Couric's talk show<\/a> to learn more.\u00a0\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6901\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"351\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2016\/11\/03211448\/70e2acb857432ccc9ecddf2a3fce5e466bc0c065.jpeg\"><img class=\"wp-image-6901 \" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2016\/11\/03211448\/70e2acb857432ccc9ecddf2a3fce5e466bc0c065.jpeg\" alt=\"Laverne Cox delivers a speech.\" width=\"351\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Actress Laverne Cox, who is openly transgender, is the first transgender actress to portray a transgender character on a regular television series. She is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ issues outside of her career, such as in this \"Ain't I a Woman?\" speaking tour.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qN78g2MpboE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video about transgender immigrants' experiences<\/a> explains more struggles faced globally by those in the transgender community.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Cultural Factors in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity<\/h2>\r\n<p>Gender is deeply cultural. Like race, it is a social construction with real consequences, particularly for those who do not conform to gender binaries. To fully understand gender as a concept, it is necessary to expand the language we use to describe gender beyond \u201cmasculine\u201d or \u201cfeminine.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>gender expression<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Gender<\/strong><strong>\u00a0expression<\/strong>, or how one demonstrates gender (based on traditional gender role norms related to clothing, behavior, and interactions) can be feminine, masculine, androgynous, or somewhere along a spectrum. Although gender has traditionally been considered in binary terms (male or female), increasingly gender is being seen as a spectrum; however, our vocabulary is still limited in terms of how we describe gender identity.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>Issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity are very much influenced by sociocultural factors. Even how we define sexual orientation and gender vary from one culture to the next. While in the United States exclusive heterosexuality is viewed as the norm, there are societies that have different attitudes regarding variations in cisgender or heterosexual behavior.<\/p>\r\n<p>In fact, in some instances, periods of exclusively homosexual behavior are socially prescribed as a part of normal development and maturation. For example, in parts of New Guinea, young boys are expected to engage in sexual behavior with other boys for a given period of time because it is believed that doing so is necessary for these boys to become men (Baldwin &amp; Baldwin, 1989).<\/p>\r\n<h3>Gender Systems<\/h3>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">While the United States largely operates within a <span class=\"s1\"><b>two-gender system<\/b><\/span>, other cultures recognize additional gender categories. For example:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">In Thailand, <i>kathoey<\/i> refers to people who may be described as transgender or gender-diverse in Western contexts.<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Many Indigenous cultures historically recognized third-gender or Two-Spirit identities.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><b>Intersex variations<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intersex<\/b><\/span> is an umbrella term for people born with sex characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy) that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. While most newborns tend to display XX or XY sexual characteristics, in rare cases a child may be born with components of male and female genitals (Creighton, 2001; Hughes, et al. 2006). Intersex traits are a natural part of human biological variation and are <span class=\"s1\"><b>not inherently disorders<\/b><\/span>. Intersex characteristics may be apparent at birth, emerge at puberty, or be identified later in life.<\/p>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<div data-type=\"note\" data-label=\"Dig Deeper\">\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"200\"]4413[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Gender Identity<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">People often confuse <span class=\"s1\">sexual orientation<\/span> with <span class=\"s1\">gender identity<\/span>, largely due to stereotypes about gender roles and non-heterosexual behavior. In psychology, however, these are related but <span class=\"s1\">distinct<\/span> concepts. Sexual orientation refers to patterns of attraction, while gender identity refers to one\u2019s internal sense of gender.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>gender identity and gender dysphoria<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Gender identity<\/b><\/span> is a person\u2019s deeply felt sense of being male, female, nonbinary, or another gender. For many people, gender identity aligns with their <span class=\"s1\"><b>sex assigned at birth<\/b><\/span>, but this is not true for everyone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">When a person experiences distress because their gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth\u2014or with how others perceive their gender\u2014this distress is referred to as <span class=\"s1\"><b>gender dysphoria<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><br \/>\nGender dysphoria<\/b><\/span> is a diagnostic category in the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)<\/i>. To meet diagnostic criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"p1\">The incongruence between experienced gender and assigned sex must persist for <span class=\"s1\"><b>at least six months<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"p1\">The experience must cause <span class=\"s1\"><b>clinically significant distress or impairment<\/b><\/span> in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>cisgender and transgender<\/h3>\n<p><strong>C<\/strong><strong>isgender\u00a0<\/strong>is an umbrella term used to describe\u00a0people whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their sex assigned at birth, while\u00a0<strong>transgender\u00a0<\/strong>is a term used to describe people whose sense of personal identity does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 1.4 million U.S. adults or .6 percent of the population are transgender according to a 2016 report.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Flores, A., J. Herman, G. Gates, and T. N.T. Brown. &quot;How many adults identify as transgender.&quot; The Williams Institute. http:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Many-Adults-Identify-as-Transgender-in-the-United-States.pdf.\" id=\"return-footnote-971-1\" href=\"#footnote-971-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Many people who are classified as gender dysphoric seek to live their lives in ways that are consistent with their gender identity. This may involve dressing and presenting themselves in accordance with a gender identity that differs from the sex assigned at birth. These individuals may also undertake <strong>gender-affirming hormone therapy<\/strong> to make their bodies better align with their gender identity, and in rare cases, they may even elect to have surgeries to alter the appearance of their external genitalia to resemble that of their gender identity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and not all pursue medical transition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Estimates suggest that approximately <span class=\"s1\"><b>0.5\u20131% of U.S. adults<\/b><\/span> identify as transgender, with higher identification rates among younger generations\u2014likely reflecting increased social visibility and acceptance rather than a true increase in prevalence.<\/p>\n<h3>Changing Gender Norms<\/h3>\n<p>Our scientific knowledge and general understanding of gender identity continue to evolve, and young people today have more opportunities to explore and openly express different ideas about what gender means than in previous generations. Studies indicate that the majority of Millennials (born between 1981 \u2013 1996) regard gender as a spectrum instead of a strict male\/female binary, and that 12% identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. Additionally, over half of people ages 13\u201320 know people who use gender-neutral pronouns (such as they\/them) (Kennedy, 2017).<\/p>\n<p>This change in language may mean that Millennials and Generation Z (born between 1997-2012) people understand the experience of gender itself differently. As young people lead this change, other changes are emerging in a range of spheres, from public bathroom policies to retail organizations. For example, some retailers are starting to change traditional gender-based marketing of products, such as removing \u201cpink and blue\u201d clothing and toy aisles. Even with these changes, those who exist outside of traditional gender norms face difficult challenges. Even people who vary slightly from traditional norms can be the target of discrimination and sometimes even violence.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox linkToLearning\">Hear firsthand about the transgender experience and the disconnect that occurs when one\u2019s self-identity is betrayed by one\u2019s body. Watch this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TG-lR3uF6Ag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brief interview with Carmen Carrera and Laverne Cox on Katie Couric&#8217;s talk show<\/a> to learn more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6901\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6901\" style=\"width: 351px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2016\/11\/03211448\/70e2acb857432ccc9ecddf2a3fce5e466bc0c065.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6901\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2016\/11\/03211448\/70e2acb857432ccc9ecddf2a3fce5e466bc0c065.jpeg\" alt=\"Laverne Cox delivers a speech.\" width=\"351\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6901\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Actress Laverne Cox, who is openly transgender, is the first transgender actress to portray a transgender character on a regular television series. She is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ issues outside of her career, such as in this &#8220;Ain&#8217;t I a Woman?&#8221; speaking tour.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qN78g2MpboE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video about transgender immigrants&#8217; experiences<\/a> explains more struggles faced globally by those in the transgender community.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Cultural Factors in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity<\/h2>\n<p>Gender is deeply cultural. Like race, it is a social construction with real consequences, particularly for those who do not conform to gender binaries. To fully understand gender as a concept, it is necessary to expand the language we use to describe gender beyond \u201cmasculine\u201d or \u201cfeminine.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>gender expression<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Gender<\/strong><strong>\u00a0expression<\/strong>, or how one demonstrates gender (based on traditional gender role norms related to clothing, behavior, and interactions) can be feminine, masculine, androgynous, or somewhere along a spectrum. Although gender has traditionally been considered in binary terms (male or female), increasingly gender is being seen as a spectrum; however, our vocabulary is still limited in terms of how we describe gender identity.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity are very much influenced by sociocultural factors. Even how we define sexual orientation and gender vary from one culture to the next. While in the United States exclusive heterosexuality is viewed as the norm, there are societies that have different attitudes regarding variations in cisgender or heterosexual behavior.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, in some instances, periods of exclusively homosexual behavior are socially prescribed as a part of normal development and maturation. For example, in parts of New Guinea, young boys are expected to engage in sexual behavior with other boys for a given period of time because it is believed that doing so is necessary for these boys to become men (Baldwin &amp; Baldwin, 1989).<\/p>\n<h3>Gender Systems<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"p1\">While the United States largely operates within a <span class=\"s1\"><b>two-gender system<\/b><\/span>, other cultures recognize additional gender categories. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">In Thailand, <i>kathoey<\/i> refers to people who may be described as transgender or gender-diverse in Western contexts.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Many Indigenous cultures historically recognized third-gender or Two-Spirit identities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Intersex variations<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intersex<\/b><\/span> is an umbrella term for people born with sex characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy) that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. While most newborns tend to display XX or XY sexual characteristics, in rare cases a child may be born with components of male and female genitals (Creighton, 2001; Hughes, et al. 2006). Intersex traits are a natural part of human biological variation and are <span class=\"s1\"><b>not inherently disorders<\/b><\/span>. Intersex characteristics may be apparent at birth, emerge at puberty, or be identified later in life.<\/p>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<div data-type=\"note\" data-label=\"Dig Deeper\">\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm4413\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=4413&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm4413&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-971-1\">Flores, A., J. Herman, G. Gates, and T. N.T. Brown. \"How many adults identify as transgender.\" The Williams Institute. <a href=\"http:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Many-Adults-Identify-as-Transgender-in-the-United-States.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Many-Adults-Identify-as-Transgender-in-the-United-States.pdf<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-971-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":22,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Sexual Behavior\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"OpenStax\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/10-3-sexual-behavior\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":711,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"Sexual Behavior","author":"","organization":"OpenStax","url":"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/10-3-sexual-behavior","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/971"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7501,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/971\/revisions\/7501"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/711"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/971\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=971"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=971"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}