Gender identity is the internal perception of one’s gender, and how they label themselves, based on how much they align or don’t align with what they understand their options for gender to be.Ĭisgender: Applies to someone whose gender matches their “assigned” sex at birth. Gender: Gender is complex: It’s a social and legal status, and set of expectations from society, about behaviors, characteristics, and thoughts. It does not necessarily match someone’s gender / gender identity. Sex: Sex is a label - male, female or intersex - that you’re assigned by a doctor at birth based on the genitals you’re born with and the chromosomes you have. That’s okay, they don’t have to! It’s always best to ask, and listen, to how a person refers to themself. Please be aware that even though someone may fit the generally used definition of one of these terms, they may not personally identify this way. First, let’s get on the same page with some words that are commonly used when talking about the LGBTQ+ community, as well as gender experience and identity.

What does pronoun mean