Sexual diversity is present today. It's a matter of societal norms and how it's expressed and respected , given that it's often fraught with conflict in our society. Regardless of where someone comes from, what they think, or how they live, all forms of diversity must be respected and met with solidarity. Sexual orientation falls under this same umbrella, as it refers to the desire of a person to live freely and responsibly without intending to impose their beliefs on others. We will analyze what gender identity is, what's being discussed about it, and how many genders exist in our society.
Until a few years ago, we understood the LGBTQIA+ community as a small group with a much more selective sexual orientation. We spoke of lesbians, gays, or bisexuals, as the few genders that could be described. However, over the years, and with the growing need to be heard, these genders have diversified, giving rise to many more types of gender identity, which we will discuss later.
What is gender identity?
Gender identity is the way one observes oneself internally regarding one's own gender . It is the ability to express how one feels regardless of one's biological sex, given that it can flow between masculine and feminine.
Today, discussing gender identity is sensitive and controversial. Given the prevalence of social media, there is a lot of misinformation about the different types of genders that exist. A person has always been defined as " cisgender " when their gender identity corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth. However, a " transgender " person is someone whose gender identity does not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.
People should explore their gender identity as a phase of self-discovery. For example, a person may consider themselves "non-binary" from the beginning, since over time they may become more comfortable with their gender and may choose a single direction.
In fact, many gender identity "labels" exist , but in today's society, gender is considered a social construct. The multitude of terms reflects the diverse ways in which people relate to the concept of gender. Indeed, it is further evidence of how people express themselves, how they want to relate to their bodies, and how they want to be perceived. You can read more about this topic in our article on urban tribes and their expressions.
Additionally, there are two types of gender identity:
The binary trans gender : this is the one we have always known, as a “Trans” person . Their identity corresponds to that of a man or a woman in a binary way.
Non-binary trans gender : This is when a person is "trans" but does not partially or totally correspond to a man or a woman.
Type of genders within the “Non-Binary”
When discussing gender types, it's important to categorize them. Therefore, we can view non-binary individuals as having the most assigned gender identities. Let's look at some of them.
Big gender
In this gender identity, the person identifies with two genders at the same time . But in this case, it doesn't have to be the ones we commonly know, "man and woman," but rather another label within non-binary identity.
Pangender
This gender is again labeled as “non-binary ,” given that, according to the experience of this identity, it involves identifying with all genders. A pangender person may identify as female, male, and non-binary, but none of these genders alone and exclusively defines their identity.
fluid gender
This type of gender identity is the one most commonly used for categorization. It refers to the way in which one fluctuates between different gender identities, without adhering to any one in particular. It may seem similar to bigender, but there are differences. Bigenders experience any gender identity statically. Gender fluid individuals experience any gender identity, but not statically; rather, they fluctuate.
agender
Agender people do not identify with any gender identity. This can spark debate, since if they don't categorize themselves with any gender, they would be considered "non-binary ," but they don't actually identify that way. They don't adhere to any specific identity and are simply labeled "agender."
Genderqueer
It's another form of identification, and one that can create confusion. Their way of identifying doesn't fall within the categories of "man" or "woman." It also encompasses many different experiences, including a combination of genders . A non-binary gender exists within the feminine and masculine, but at some specific point. Or it may be outside the gender categories we know. Many people use this label when they haven't yet settled into any category that corresponds to them ; they are also called gender non-conforming or non-conforming people.
Categories outside of “Non-binary”
Transgender: people who do not accept the sex they were assigned at birth. Many of them may live their entire lives with this identity, while others need to transform their bodies through surgery and other procedures.
Transgender: a person who questions the male and female roles assigned at birth and chooses to live their life in a way that is opposite or different from what is socially established. They also undergo physical transformations. If you would like to better understand the challenges of these identities, we invite you to read about the consequences of changing your name in Spain.
Transvestites: are people who express their own gender, but using clothes or attitudes considered to be of another gender and that are usually related to Argentine clothing.
Intergender : their identity lies in the middle ground, between two genders, usually the binary ones. It is often used to describe intersex people.
Trigender: These are people who feel like the male gender, the female gender, and a third gender, which can be null or a combination of any of the three.
There is much controversy surrounding the naming of all these categories, as many of them fall within the non-binary spectrum. It is difficult to encompass all these identities, given the diverse experiences and perspectives of each individual. In fact, many more identities are recognized, since some people may identify with non-binary in a specific way, while others simply define it as "non-binary."
