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www.genderspectrum.org  •  510-­‐788-­‐4412  •  [email protected]    

  Dimensions  of  the  Gender  Spectrum  

This  entry  examines  the  complex  nature  of  gender.  Rather  than  a  rigid,  binary  concept  grounded  in   biology,  it  presents  a  model  for  understanding  gender  that  incorporates  a  spectrum  of  characteristics,   including  an  individual’s  sex,  gender  expression  and  gender  identity.  In  the  process,  a  more  nuanced   understanding  of  this  core  aspect  of  self  emerges,  accounting  for  each  person’s  unique  gender   experiences.     Beyond  Biology   When  someone  has  a  baby,  the  question  most  frequently  asked  is,  “Is  it  a  boy  or  a  girl?”  This  seemingly   innocent  query  reinforces  the  ubiquitous  notion  of  the  binary  gender  system,  which  rests  on  two  deeply   held,  but  nonetheless  flawed  assumptions:  that  gender  is  binary,  and  that  this  core  aspect  of  self  is   biologically  determined.  Rarely  challenged,  this  notion  has  a  significant  and  costly  consequence.  Not  only   are  individuals  who  fail  to  meet  narrowly  defined  criteria  frequently  marginalized,  society  as  a  whole  risks   losing  access  to  the  potential  contributions  of  many  of  its  members  as  they  choose  or  are  needlessly   forced  to  cast  off  aspects  of  themselves  to  fit  narrowly  prescribed  expectations.       The  binary  gender  system  typically  conflates  “gender”  and  “sex.”  One’s  sex  includes  physical  attributes   such  as  external  genitalia,  sex  chromosomes,  gonads,  sex  hormones,  and  internal  reproductive  structures.   At  birth,  this  “biology  of  gender”  is  used  to  answer  the  “boy  or  girl?”  question.  For  many,  this  is  cause  for   little  or  no  dissonance.  By  default,  most  environments  are  designed  around  this  simplistic  model.  However,   beyond  typically  “male”  or  “female”  bodies,  there  are  naturally  occurring  conditions  (often  referred  to  as   “intersex”)  that  occur  in  all  species,  including  humans.  Rather  than  just  two  distinct  boxes,  sex  exists   across  a  continuum  of  anatomical  variation  that  by  itself  should  be  enough  to  disregard  the  simplistic   notions  of  a  binary  gender  system.     Yet  gender  is  not  inherently  nor  solely  connected  to  one’s  physical  anatomy.  Gender  biology  (sex)  and   gender  are  not  one  and  the  same.  Beyond  anatomy  there  are  multiple  dimensions  influencing  gender.  Put   simply,  gender  is  the  complex  interrelationship  between  an  individual’s  sex  (gender  biology),  one’s   internal  sense  of  self  as  male,  female,  or  something  else  (gender  identity),  and  one’s  outward   presentation  and  behavior  (gender  expression)  related  to  that  perception.  In  turn,  each  of  these  can  be   independently  characterized  across  a  range  of  possibilities.         Gender  Identity:  Can  You  See  the  Real  Me?   Beyond  biology,  another  dimension  of  gender  is  gender  identity,  which  can  be  defined  as  an  individual’s   deeply  held  sense  of  self  as  male,  female,  or  another  gender  altogether.  Most  people  have  an  early  sense   of  their  gender  identity,  and  if  it  is  not  congruous  with  their  anatomical  sex  they  may  begin  voicing  this   between  the  ages  of  2  and  4.  If  you  ask  individuals  when  and  how  they  recognized  themselves  as  male  or   female  (or  perhaps  something  else),  most  will  reply  that  they  have  simply  always  known.  This  core  aspect   of  one’s  identity  is  internally  driven.  Gender  identity  is  believed  to  be  an  inherent  aspect  of  a  person’s   make-­‐up,  most  likely  formed  in  the  brain.  A  variety  of  factors,  such  as  prenatal  hormonal  exposure,  neuro-­‐ genital  development,  and  environmental  influences,  may  play  a  part  in  its  formation,  but  most  agree  that   one’s  gender  identity  is  determined  prior  to  birth.  Individuals  do  not  choose  their  gender  identity;  rather,   gender  identity  emerges  from  within.    

Gender  Expression   The  third  dimension  of  gender  is  gender  expression,  which  can  be  defined  as  the  way  we  show  our  gender   to  the  world  around  us.  Given  the  prevalence  of  the  binary  gender  system,  children  face  great  pressure  to   conform  to  narrow  definitions  of  “boy”  or  “girl.”  Expectations  around  gender  expression  are  taught  to  us   from  the  moment  we  are  born.  Social  constructs  of  gender  are  communicated  through  every  aspect  of  our   lives,  including  family,  culture,  peers,  schools,  community,  media,  and  religion.       Like  other  social  constructs,  gender  expression  is  closely  monitored  and  reinforced  by  society.  Practically   everything  is  assigned  a  gender—toys,  colors,  clothes  and  activities  are  some  of  the  more  obvious   examples.  Through  a  combination  of  social  conditioning  and  personal  preference,  by  age  three  most   children  prefer  activities  and  exhibit  behaviors  typically  associated  with  their  sex.  Accepted  social  gender   roles  and  expectations  are  so  entrenched  in  our  culture  that  most  people  cannot  imagine  any  other  way.   As  a  result,  individuals  fitting  neatly  into  these  expectations  rarely  if  ever  question  what  gender  really   means.  They  have  never  had  to,  because  the  system  has  worked  for  them.       But  children  who  express  gender  in  ways  that  transgress  these  social  norms  often  have  a  very  different   experience.  Boys  seen  as  feminine  at  any  age,  and  girls  thought  to  be  too  masculine  (especially  as  they   move  into  their  teens),  face  a  variety  of  challenges.  Pressures  to  conform  at  home,  mistreatment  by  peers   in  school,  and  condemnation  by  religious  or  other  institutions  are  just  some  of  the  difficulties  facing  a   child  whose  expression  does  not  fall  into  line  with  the  binary  gender  system.  For  many  young  people,   whether  typical  in  their  presentation  or  not,  gender  expression  is  the  most  immediately  experienced   aspect  of  gender,  impacting  them  in  most  if  not  all  of  their  interactions  with  others.       Yet  we  also  know  that  norms  around  gender  expression  change  across  societies  and  over  time.  One  need   only  examine  the  history  related  to  men  wearing  earrings  or  women  sporting  tattoos  to  quickly  see  the   malleability  of  social  expectations  about  gender.  Even  the  seemingly  intractable  “pink  is  for  girls,  blue  is   for  boys”  notions  are  relatively  new.  It  is  well  documented  that  not  until  the  mid-­‐twentieth  century  were   notions  of  pink  for  girls  or  blue  for  boys  so  firmly  ensconced.       Gender  vs.  Sexual  Orientation   One  final  distinction  to  make  is  the  difference  between  gender  and  sexual  orientation,  which  are  often   incorrectly  conflated.  When  someone’s  gender  expression  or  identity  is  perceived  to  be  inconsistent  with   others’  expectations,  they  are  frequently  assumed  to  be  gay.  But  gender  is  about  who  we  are,  and  sexual   orientation  is  about  our  physical,  emotional  and/or  romantic  attractions  to  others.  Sexual  orientation  is  a   distinct  aspect  of  self.  Why  is  it  so  critical  to  distinguish  these  two  notions?       First  of  all,  they  are  simply  different,  and  accuracy  of  language  is  critical  as  we  discuss  issues  of  identity.   Further,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  “read”  a  young  person’s  gender  expression  and  assume  it  tells  us   something  about  their  sexual  orientation.  The  boy  who  loves  to  play  princess  is  assumed  to  be  gay,  and   the  adolescent  girl  who  buys  clothes  in  the  boys’  section  and  favors  a  short  haircut  must  be  a  lesbian.   These  are  faulty  conclusions.  What  someone  plays  with,  or  wears,  or  does  is  about  gender  expression,  not   orientation.  Finally,  when  we  think  about  gender  identity  as  sexuality,  we  are  attaching  a  meaning  that   may  well  have  nothing  to  with  the  young  person’s  authentic  assertion  of  self.  This  error,  however,  can   have  significant  impact  on  the  manner  in  which  others  interpret  the  child’s  gender  identity  and/or   expression.      

Gender  in  3-­‐D   Alone,  each  dimension  of  gender  challenges  the  binary  model  so  common  in  many  cultures.  But  when   considered  as  a  whole,  the  diversity  of  gender  truly  unfolds.  Just  as  three  dimensions  of  space  provide  a   more  detailed  landscape  for  understanding  physical  objects,  the  three  dimensions  of  gender  provide  a   much  richer  model  for  exploring  this  misunderstood  concept.  When  thinking  about  gender,  it  is  the   interaction  of  the  three  dimensions  that  really  captures  gender’s  complexity.     For  many  individuals,  gender  is  “aligned.”  That  is,  gender  biology  (assigned  gender),  gender  expression   (presentation  of  gender)  and  gender  identity  (internal  sense  of  self)  line  up.  An  adjective  sometimes  used   to  capture  this  alignment  is  “cisgender.”  The  prefix  cis-­‐  comes  from  Latin  and  means  “on  the  same  side  as”   or  “on  this  side  of.”  While  perhaps  the  most  common  pattern,  even  within  this  arrangement  there  is   tremendous  room  for  variation.  Nonetheless,  the  term  “cisgender”  is  an  important  one  in  that  it  names   the  dominant  experience,  rather  than  simply  assuming  it  to  be  the  default  or  “normal”  way  to  be.     However,  being  cisgender  is  not  the  only  description  available  for  capturing  individual  experiences  of   gender.  Another  possibility  is  for  biology  and  identity  to  line-­‐up,  but  for  expression  to  be  seen  as   inconsistent.  A  child  assigned  and  identifying  as  female  who  is  seen  by  those  around  her  to  gravitate   towards  the  masculine  is  often  referred  to  as  a  “tomboy.”  A  child  assigned  and  identifying  as  male  who  is   seen  by  those  around  him  to  gravitate  towards  the  feminine  has  no  comparable  name.       We  also  know  that  these  two  young  people  may  well  face  drastically  different  experiences  as  they  grow   up.  Particularly  when  young,  a  “tomboy”  is  sometimes  celebrated  by  the  adults  around  her,  and  the  term   “tomboy”  is  not  necessarily  negative.    However,  there  is  no  widely  used  positive  or  neutral  term  for  a  child   assigned  male  who  is  perceived  to  be  feminine  in  some  way.    Pejorative  words  that  immediately  come  to   mind  in  the  form  of  schoolyard  taunts  are:  “faggot,”  “sissy,”  “homo,”  or  “gay.”    Though  the  norms  for   expression  that  are  seen  as  “male”  or  “female”  are  artificially  created,  many  are  nonetheless  deeply   invested  in  making  sure  they  are  adhered  to.     Still  other  individuals  are  labeled  as  a  particular  sex  based  on  biology  while  identifying  as  the  “other”   gender.  Where  “cisgender”  refers  to  someone  whose  identity  is  “on  the  same  side  as,”  their  assigned  sex,   “transgender”  refers  to  someone  whose  identity  is  “across  from”  their  assigned  sex.  Expression  for   transgender  individuals  can  be  anywhere  along  the  spectrum.  There  are  transgender  individuals  who   express  gender  in  very  stereotypical  ways,  and  others  who  do  not.  In  part,  this  may  be  about  preferences,   and  in  part  this  may  be  indicative  of  the  context  in  which  they  find  themselves.  In  other  words,  a   transgender  boy  may  wear  skirts  and  blouses  because  the  people  around  them  will  not  allow  a  more   typically  masculine  style.  However,  they  may  also  simply  prefer  to  dress  this  way.     Beyond  the  Binary:  About  Gender  Expansiveness   "Gender  expansive"  is  an  umbrella  term  used  for  individuals  that  broaden  commonly  held  definitions  of   gender,  including  its  expression,  associated  identities,  and/or  other  perceived  gender  norms,  in  one  or   more  aspects  of  their  life.    These  individuals  expand  common  definitions  of  gender  through  their  own   identity  and/or  expression.  Some  individuals  do  not  identify  with  being  either  male  or  female;  others   identify  as  a  blend  of  both,  while  still  others  identify  with  a  gender,  but  express  their  gender  in  ways  that   differ  from  stereotypical  expectations.  A  gender  expansive  person’s  preferences  and  self-­‐expression  may   fall  outside  commonly  understood  gender  norms  within  their  own  culture;  or  they  may  be  aligned  with   them  even  as  one’s  internal  gender  identity  doesn’t  align  with  the  sex  assigned  at  birth.      

Documented  by  countless  historians  and  anthropologists,  this  diversity  of  gender  is  a  normal  part  of  the   human  experience,  across  cultures  and  throughout  history.  Examples  of  individuals  living  comfortably   outside  of  typical  male/female  expectations  and/or  identities  are  found  in  every  region  of  the  globe.  The   calabai,  and  calalai  of  Indonesia,  two-­‐spirit  Native  Americans,  and  the  hijra  of  India  all  represent  more   complex  understandings  of  gender  than  allowed  for  by  a  simplistic  binary  model.  Put  simply,  gender-­‐ expansiveness  as  a  concept  recognizes  that  it  is  society’s  narrow  perceptions  of  gender  and  the   consequent  limitations  that  it  imposes  that  must  be  questioned,  rather  than  the  individuals  who  don’t   conform  to  them.     Gender  Spectrum   These  expanded  notions  about  gender  inform  the  work  of  Gender  Spectrum,  an  organization  whose   mission  is  the  creation  of  gender  inclusive  spaces  for  all  children  and  teens.  Recognizing  the  limitations   and  pressures  that  the  binary  gender  system  places  on  young  people,  its  work  takes  place  in  four  distinct   ways.  Through  education  and  training,  they  work  with  schools  and  other  organizations  to  build  their   capacity  to  support  the  gender  diversity  of  every  child.  They  provide  direct  services  to  parents  and   caregivers  through  support  groups,  resources  and  consultations.  Each  year,  the  Gender  Spectrum   Conference  brings  these  two  elements  together  for  a  weekend  of  learning  and  engagement  for  families,   professionals,  and  young  people  of  all  ages.  Finally,  the  organization  seeks  to  lead  a  deeper  conversation   about  the  evolving  understandings  of  gender  and  how  it  affects  young  people.     Conclusion   In  summary,  this  multi-­‐dimensional  model  provides  a  far  more  dynamic  way  to  think  about  the  complex   subject  of  gender.  Instead  of  the  static,  binary  model  produced  through  a  solely  physical  understanding  of   gender,  a  far  richer  tapestry  emerges  with  recognition  of  gender  as  the  intersection  of  biology,  expression,   and  identity.  Quite  simply,  the  gender  spectrum  represents  a  more  nuanced  and  accurate  model  of  the   diversity  of  human  gender,  affirming  each  person’s  unique  and  authentic  experience  of  this  core  aspect  of   self.     See  also:     Cisgenderism;  Gender  Binaries;  Gender  Nonconformity,  Youth;  Genderqueer;  Gender  Spectrum;   Intersexuality  (As  It  Intersects  W/LGBTQ);  Masculinity  Stereotypes;  Non-­‐Binary  Genders;  Transgender   Identities;  Transgender  Youth  and  Well-­‐Being     Further  Readings   Ainsworth,  Chris  (215).  Sex  redefined.  Nature  518,  288–291     Brill,  Stephanie  A.,  &  Pepper,  Rachel  (2008).  The  Transgender  Child:  A  Handbook  for  Families  and   Professionals.  San  Francisco  CA;  Cleis  Press.     Ehrensaft,  Diane  (2011).  Gender  Born,  Gender  Made:  Raising  Healthy  Gender  Non-­‐conforming  Children.     New  York,  New  York.  The  Experiment.     Hidalgo  MA,  Ehrensaft  D,  Tishelman  AC,  et  al.  The  Gender  Affirmative  Model:  what  we  know  and  what  we   aim  to  learn.  Human  Development.  2013;  56(5):285-­‐290.     Kennedy,  Natacha,  (2012).  Transgender  Children:  More  Than  a  Theoretical  Challenge  (revised  version).   Graduate  Journal  of  Social  Science,  Vo.  7  Issue  2.  

    Kosciw,  J.  G.,  Greytak,  E.  A.,  Palmer,  N.  A.,  &  Boesen,  M.  J.  (2014).  The  2013  National  School  Climate   Survey:  The  experiences  of  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual  and  transgender  youth  in  our  nation’s  schools  .  New   York:  GLSEN.     Marksamer  J,  Spade  D,  Arkles  G.  A  place  of  respect:  a  guide  for  group  care  facilities  serving  transgender   and  gender  non-­‐conforming  youth.  San  Francisco,  CA:  National  Center  for  Lesbian  Rights  and  Sylvia  Rivera   Law  Project;  2011.     Toomey,  R.  B.,  Ryan,  C.,  Diaz,  R.  M.,  Card,  N.  A.,  &  Russell,  S.  T.  (2010,  September  6).   Gender-­‐Nonconforming  Lesbian,  Gay,  Bisexual,  and  Transgender  Youth:  School  Victimization  and   Young  Adult  Psychosocial  Adjustment.  Developmental  Psychology.