Gender identities do not fit in the binarism box

Gender doesn’t fit in a box. Between the feminine and the masculine, there is a very large spectrum that, for a long time, was not discussed in the social, medical, religious and other institutions of power. Currently, both sexual orientation and gender identity are urgent guidelines to deconstruct limiting patterns and prejudices. Psychologist Eliane Maio explains the main terms related to the subject.

What is gender identity

Eliane Maio, PhD in studies on gender and sexuality, explains that gender identity “is the perception that a person has of himself, that is, he can identify with the feminine, masculine, both or neither, regardless of sex. biological”.

what is gender

According to the professional, gender is understood by society as the behavior expected of someone based on biological sex. Thus, it is a set of “corporeal, social and emotional constructions arising from cultural, historical, economic and religious processes”. It is worth mentioning that these processes impose norms based on the sex that is defined as male or female. In other words, the binary view reinforces machismo, gender inequality, and often perpetuates violence.

Gender identity, sexual orientation, biological sex and gender expression

While all terms are interlinked, there are some differences between gender identities, sexual orientations and other identity markers. Remembering, gender identity is how a person sees himself, expresses himself and presents himself to the world. Ahead, you will meet some types besides masculine and feminine. For now, the specialist explains the other concepts.

sexual orientation

Sexual orientation refers to the affective and sexual attraction that a person manifests for another. For example, Luana identifies as a woman and relates to both men and women. Identifying herself as a woman is Luana’s gender identity; relating to men and women is her sexual orientation, in this case, bisexual. Below, learn about the guidelines most present in society:

Heterosexual: sexual and affective attraction to people of the opposite sex and gender.
Homosexual: affective and sexual attraction to people of the same sex and gender.
Bisexual: Attraction to more than one gender and sex.
Asexual: Total or partial absence of sexual attraction.

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There are other possibilities, such as pansexuality, which is affective and sexual attraction to people regardless of gender and sex. Also, a person may not feel sexual attraction, but feel romantic and affective attraction.

biological sex

According to the psychologist, the chromosomal information of a human being is considered to create the differentiation between female and male. In this way, biological sex is defined based on sexual organs, reproductive capacity and physical characteristics. In addition, the birth of an intersex person is genetically possible, that is, they have biological, genetic or hormonal characteristics that do not fit the classification of male and female.

gender expression

Eliane Maio explains that gender expression is “how a person manifests himself socially”. This aspect is linked to clothing, haircut, body expression, etc. The best known forms are masculine and feminine, however they are not the only ones, there is androgyny, drag (queen or king), among others.

All terms are important for the constitution of the subject. The social roles expected of the male and female cast sexuality and gender identity. Thus, binarism is excluding, it does not embrace diversity, on the contrary, it limits bodies and propagates prejudice.

Types of gender identity

There is a great diversity of terms to encompass the complexity of human experiences and existences. First of all, remember that gender is related to a person’s feeling and expression. Below are the most popular types of gender identity:

Cisgender: A person identifies with the biological sex determined at birth.
Transgender: the person does not identify with the gender imposed at birth.
Non-binary: the person does not identify exclusively with the feminine or masculine gender.
Agender: The person identifies with the neutral gender or the absence of gender.
Fluid gender: the person experiences gender in a fluid way, sometimes identifying with the masculine, sometimes with the feminine or with everything that transits between them.

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Living the singularity should not be a struggle, but a right. Brazil is considered the country that kills the most transsexuals in the world, marginalizes the different and spreads transphobia, homophobia, among other forms of prejudice. Thus, the LGBTQIA movement brings together people who flee heterocisnormativity, encompassing identity plurality and various sexual and affective orientations.

How to understand your gender identity

Eliane Maio argues that everything would be simpler “if people could be free, practically from the womb, to express themselves. From the moment the biological sex is visualized in the ultrasound, there is a formatting of the identity through clothes, toys, furniture, the way to act with the child, etc”. In this way, she shares some tips that can help those who are in the process of discovering their gender identity:

Seek information: find out about the different ways of feeling and expressing yourself. Self-knowledge begins with curiosity, the search and the desire to discover yourself.
Have a support network: seek dialogue and study groups. Sharing experiences shows that experiences are multiple, similar and different, remembering that all individualities are valid. Exchanges help in identifying and understanding feelings.
Talking with the family: Talking with family members about feelings, sexuality and gender identity can also help in self-understanding.
Fighting for public policies: it is necessary to fight for public policies in various sectors, such as education and health, seeking to combat prejudice and provide quality of life and well-being for all people.

The professional highlights that issues related to identity should be addressed from Early Childhood Education to Higher Education. Talking about gender is revealing plurality, denaturalizing inequality and fighting violence. In a society still very much guided by cisgenderism, the process of identifying with transgender identities, great targets of prejudice, can be lonely.

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If you are going through a situation that brings you emotional suffering, psychotherapy is a safe place to welcome, listen without judgment and self-discovery. According to Maio, people who do not accept diversity “should also seek support to understand their fears, undo prejudices and accept differences”.

Learn more about gender identity

The place of speech is very important to know different experiences. So, check out a selection of videos in which people share their experiences, talk about gender identity, the process of self-discovery, prejudices, struggles, among other subjects.

Basic guide to gender identity

To resume some terms discussed in the course of the article, such as gender identity, sexual orientation and biological sex, watch the video of Canal das Bee. The subject is approached with lightness, didactics and relaxation.

How do I know my gender identity and my sexuality?

Gi Morales talks about the social construction of binary labels. Only you can define your gender identity! To do this, get informed, consume informative and responsible content like this produced by the Gênero Fluido channel.

Understanding non-binary gender identity

Hugo Nasck, a non-binary self-identified person, talks about transgender identities and how important it was to discover that you don’t have to limit yourself to female and male.

What not to say to a trans person?

Using humor, the DR Oficial channel makes a skit with comments that trans people are tired of hearing. It is worth watching and reflecting on the terms and expressions that propagate prejudice.

People do not deserve to live cloistered in socially imposed appearances as adequate. All gender identities are valid and need to gain visibility. The LGBTQIA+ plurality shows that binarism is outdated and needs to be deconstructed.