Gender
Gender is an aggregation of socially constructed roles implicitly assigned to specific sexes. While often used interchangeably, sex and gender are different concepts. Sex refers to physical characteristics at birth while gender is more of an identification with those characteristics. Statistically, most people’s gender identity is aligned with their assigned sex at birth, but some find that the gender they identify as is different from their biological sex.
The way people choose to behave in relation to their gender identity is called gender expression. Anything, ranging from the clothes people wear to the music they choose to listen to, can be considered a form of gender expression. For some, forms of gender expression that align with their gender identity can cause feelings of joy known as gender euphoria. The opposite of this is gender dysphoria, which is common among transgender and nonbinary people when something about their gender expression conflicts with their identity.
Gender Affirming Surgery
Gender-affirming surgery includes any surgeries performed for the sake of altering someone’s sex characteristics to match their gender identity. Transgender and nonbinary get gender-affirming surgery to reduce dysphoria, or feelings of discomfort that stem from having one’s physical traits differ from their gender identity. The two main types of gender affirmation surgeries are top and bottom surgery. These surgeries both refer to changing the structure of certain body parts to match one’s gender identity; top surgery for the chest and torso and bottom surgery for the genitalia.
Surgery is not required to transition but many find it helpful in mitigating dysphoria and finding comfort in their own bodies. For those who prefer non-invasive procedures, there are many non-surgical options for receiving gender-affirming care. These include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which gradually changes the body to become closer to one’s gender identity through the use of hormones, and voice therapy, or vocal training to make someone sound conventionally masculine, feminine, or otherwise.
Gender Binary
The gender binary is the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system or cultural belief. More implicitly, the gender binary reinforces socially accepted ways of being “masculine” or “feminine” and discourages people who express themselves outside of those roles. In most Western cultures, the gender binary shows its influence in everyday life, like public bathrooms categorized by men and women or advertisements targeting a particular gender.
In response to the rigidity of the gender binary, a new form of viewing the societal implications of gender known as the “gender continuum” emerged. The core principle of the gender continuum is that, instead of a binary system with either men or women, gender is a spectrum between masculinity and femininity that most people fall somewhere between. This system proves to be more inclusive for transgender and nonbinary people who felt excluded by the rigid margins of the gender binary.
Gender Dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is characterized by feelings of distress, unhappiness, or anxiety that people may feel when their gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth. Dysphoria affects everyone in different ways, with some transgender people avoiding it entirely. Its effects can be felt as early as childhood, long before the affected person comes out as transgender or nonbinary.
Common symptoms of dysphoria include anxiety, self-harm, and negative self-thought. Since these symptoms are very similar to those of a mood disorder like depression or general anxiety disorder, many people with dysphoria get prescribed treatment for those disorders instead. Treatment for gender dysphoria includes counseling or talk therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and other types of gender-affirming care.