Gender and sexual identities
To understand gender and sexual identities, it is first important to understand four distinct but interrelated aspects of identity:
- Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of and individual experience of gender. A person’s gender identity may or may not correspond with social expectations associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Gender expression refers to how a person outwardly presents their gender, for example, through clothing, hair style, voice, body language, and other characteristics. While these characteristics are often associated with masculinity and femininity, a range of gender expressions fall between – or outside of – masculine and feminine.
- Sexual orientation refers to a person’s emotional/romantic or physical/sexual attraction towards others and is described often in relation to the gender to which they are attracted.
- Assigned sex refers to the classification of a person based on their biological characteristics, including chromosomes, hormones, and genitalia. Sex is often assigned at birth by medical professionals based on a visual assessment of genitalia.
These aspects exist outside of simple binaries and across diverse spectrums as illustrated in the infographic below:
Infographic by Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER).
2SLGBTQ+ terminology and concepts
- The gender unicornResource from Trans Student Educational Resources illustrating the diverse spectrums that make up gender and sexual identities
- The spectrum model of sex, gender and sexualityOverview of concepts including assigned sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. From the University of South Dakota's Diversity Office
- Sex? Sexual orientation? Gender identity? Gender expression? [2015]This resource from Tolerance.org provides a basic overview of gender and sexuality terminology and concepts
- The 519 glossary of termsA list of definitions intended to facilitate shared understandings around equity, diversity, inclusion, and awareness. From the 519, a City of Toronto agency and a registered charity committed to the health, happiness and full participation of 2SLGBTQ+ communities
- 2SLGBTQI Glossary of Terms [n.d.]A glossary of terms developed by Egale that is offered in both English and French.
- Myths about Gender [n.d.]An article developed by Gender Spectrum that discusses some common myths held about gender and gender identity.
- Asking About Gender: A Toolkit for Youth Workers [2022]This toolkit was developed by YouthREX, in partnership with LGBT YouthLine, it breaks down assumptions about gender and provides youth workers with an example of an inclusive gender menu, including a glossary of terms.
