Gender Identity

[Page 663]While the question of what it means to be male or female may seem like a simple question with a simple answer for some, the construct of gender is both complex and nuanced. In fact, it has been said that there are as many different genders as there are human beings, yet most people are taught to divide the human population in two: male and female. Gender identity can be a difficult concept to define without first defining gender itself. Most broadly, gender can be defined as the state of being male or female. When examined more closely, gender represents a multitude of states and experiences. Gender has three primary components: (1) physical, (2) social/cultural, and (3) internal/sensate, also termed gender identity.

Gender identity can ...