Gender

Gender is "a complex interrelationship between three dimensions: body, identity, and social gender." -Gender spectrum

Dimensions of gender and examples

Body	We are taught that bodies have one of two forms of genitalia, which identify us as “female” or “male." Intersex traits demonstrate that sex exists across a continuum of possibilities, demonstrating that biological sex is not binary. Masculinity and femininity as defined by society have associated physical attributes. These are used to define us as more or less a man/woman, impact our feelings of self and impact how others interact with us.
Identity	Our internal experience and naming of our gender. How we communicate our gender identity may change over time. This does not mean our gender has changed, but that the words for it are.
Social	Social gender is defined by gender expression; how we present our gender to others (i.e. clothing, hairstyles, and behaviours). Social gender includes how individuals, communities and society perceive, interact with, and shape our gender, such as gender roles and expectations.

If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.

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