Gender Identity

          Many people believe the terms “gender” and “sex” are identical, because in society we typically identify our gender with our sex. However, sex is a completely biological component of our bodies, our gender can be identified on a continuum of traits and behaviors that define us as very masculine, very feminine, or anywhere in between, but our gender identity doesn’t have to be directly related to our sex.

           If you were to take a look around you when you are surrounded by multitude of diverse people, you may be able to see how people fall on this gender identity continuum. Masculine people are described as having short hair, being tough, dressing in pants, and typically being athletically built. On the other hand, very feminine people are seen as wearing pink, dresses and makeup, having their hair done and always keeping themselves nicely groomed. These two descriptions are entirely different, but sometimes people can fall into somewhere in the middle. As for me, I definitely fall on the feminine side of the spectrum. I rarely go out into public without having makeup on or doing my hair, I love dressing up for special occasions, I have long hair, and I LOVE pink, monograms, and anything Lilly (yes, I’m basic, sorry about it). But on the other hand, I played sports all throughout high school, I love watching football, and you can usually catch me wearing tennis shoes and running shorts on campus.

            Before I could even walk, my parents dressed me up in dresses and cute bows and my bedroom was decked out in pink and flowers. But once I was old enough to pick out my own clothes and dress myself, I chose to wear t-shirts and boy shorts to elementary school almost every day; you could never catch me in a skirt or dress. It was never that I questioned being a girl, I just decided I was more comfortable wearing those clothes. The most important part was that my parents never stopped me from dressing like this and wanting to play sports with the boys in the neighborhood. Eventually, I grew out of this phase and now I embrace the idea and aspects of “femininity”.

            Even during this phase, none of my peers or classmates really picked on me for dressing like I did. However, I can only imagine the chaos that would occur if one of the boys in my classroom decided to come to school in girls clothes everyday. I think, as a sex, men definitely suffer the most for behaving like the opposite sex. Men are viewed as more powerful, dominant, and stronger than women in society, so when we see a man dressing or acting like a woman, it is almost as if he is degrading the characteristics he was given to be successful in life.

            No matter how we identify ourselves, we are usually quick to judge someone who is the same sex as us, but does not identify themselves as we do. The girls I am friends with here at UNG dress and act almost exactly like me, so when we see another girl who falls more on the masculine end of the spectrum, it is a little puzzling. For example, my new manager at work has a short boy cut, never wears make up, and is always wearing jeans and a men’s shirt. When I first met her, I was confused and avoided her because I wasn’t sure how to even talk to her; turns out, she’s one of the most sensitive and caring women I’ve ever met.

            Gender identity is an extremely important aspect of our lives and how we interact with one another, and it can be found throughout the world. According to Gender Spectrum Organization, “Gender variance is a normal part of human expression, documented across cultures and recorded history... Examples of individuals living comfortably outside of typical male/female identities are found in every region of the globe”. It is important to keep all of this in mind while teaching in the classroom, because we will encounter a variety of students who wish, and have the right, to identify themselves however they are comfortable.

https://www.genderspectrum.org/understanding-gender