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Gender Expression
Gender expression is how an individual communicates their gender identity through their behavior, appearance, and labels. Gender expression is an external display of an individual’s internal gender identity. Behavior, as it relates to gender expression, can include movement, vocal tone, and the activities a person engages in while appearance typically refers to physical components, such as an individual’s choice of clothing, hairstyle, cologne, makeup, or other stylistic choices. Labels refer to how an individual uses social indicators, such as name and pronoun choice to express their gender in addition to the specific gender identity labels that they choose to apply to indicate their gender identity, such as man, woman, nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, bigender, genderfluid, two-spirit, or another gender identity. As gender identity is inherent to each individual and gender expression is often culturally influenced, many individuals struggle to express their gender identity in a way that empowers them. Mental health professionals may play a critical role in assisting individuals as they identify their gender and express their gender in ways that are meaningful to them. This entry discusses cultural norms and cultural influences on gender expression, transgender individuals and gender expression, and the role of clinicians who work with clients struggling with their gender expression.
Gender Identity and Expression
Like gender identity labels, descriptors of gender expression are constantly shifting and evolving. Because language changes, there are some terms applied to various forms of gender expression that may be more or less familiar to clinicians and to clients. It is important to note that any descriptor, including the ones offered here, could be considered pejorative when used with the intent of denigrating or otherwise causing harm to the individual in question. However, it is also possible for these words to be used by individuals to self-identify, self-describe, and self-label in ways that are affirming. These terms may include masculine, feminine, gender expansive, high femme, butch, nonbinary, androgynous, genderfluid, and gender nonconforming.
Cultural Context
Gender expression occurs in the context of cultural expectations. As such, masculinity and femininity are often culturally constructed as opposite ends of a binary spectrum. Each end of the gender spectrum is equated with certain physical attributes, allowing people to evaluate and label others as fitting into the prescriptions assigned either end of that binary spectrum. Individuals who do not conform to typical socially and culturally approved expectations of gender expression can be at risk for various forms of individual and systemic discrimination. The ways that others respond to a person’s gender expression has the potential to impact their self-concept, self-esteem, and overall mood. The reactions of others can also affect how a person adjusts their gender expression to elicit the desired responses from the world around them. For example, masculine overcompensation is a phenomenon wherein males whose masculinity is called into question react by sanctioning or exhibiting exaggerated displays of stereotypically masculine characteristics. It is essential that clinicians acknowledge that positioning masculinity and femininity at opposing ends of a spectrum has the potential to generate erasure for individuals whose gender identity and gender expression does not resonate within the confines of that binary spectrum.
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