Gender/sex Flashcards
Gender Unicorn
gender identity: internal representation
gender expression: external representation
sex: sex assigned at birth according to genitalia
physical attraction
emotional attraction
Language in Gender/Sex
Language is political
It can be used as leverage
to manage people, gain power,
and promote special interests
Language can be harmful
Example: hate speech
The use of derogatory words or epithets with
the aim of causing emotional turmoil or harm
Language can be harmful
Example: misgendering
Intentionally or unintentionally using pronouns,
prefixes, or group addresses that do not reflect
an individual’s gender
Language evolves
Those who are marginalized and are
affected by language have the right to self-
identify and to be called by those
identifiers
“Assigned”
Sex is often a value determined by medical
professionals based on visual assessment of
external gentialia
Gender dysphoria
Diagnostic label from the DSM-5
Person must be experiencing a marked difference between
their expressed/experienced gender and the gender assigned
to them at birth (persistence, consistence, insistence)
Causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social,
occupational, or other important areas of functioning
6 months minimum
Not all experience gender dysphoria
A subset of those who do will seek support for gender
dysphoria
A subset will seek medical transition
Transitioning
Social: the process a person takes to
affirm their gender in public spaces and
in social interactions
(e.g., name, pronouns)
Legal: the process a person takes to
change their name and/or gender marker
on government documents
(e.g., birth certificate, passport, driver’s
license)
Medical: can involve therapeutic,
pharmaceutical, surgical and other
healthcare based interventions a person
may wish to undertake to affirm their
gender identity
(e.g., hormone therapy)
Evaluation (physical/psychological)
Physical/mental health evaluation
Diagnosis of gender dysphoria
Risks and benefits
Supports
Hormone therapy
Hormone blockers
Hormones
Careful evaluation (blood work)
Surgery/surgeries
Gender-affirming
“top” and/or “bottom”
and/or “other” surgeries
Gender euphoria
Term that emerged from trans community
Balance one-sided narrative of gender
dysphoria
Various definitions: Range of positive feelings
including but not limited to comfort,
confidence, certainty, satisfaction, and joy in
response to affirmation of one’s body or one’s
gender
Two-Spirited
The term Two-Spirit encompasses Indigenous cultures, spiritual beliefs, and values, as well
as sexual orientation and gender identity.
It is a term used by some, but not all, Indigenous
people to describe their gender, sexual orientation, and/or sex and gender roles in Indigenous
ways, using traditional terms and concepts.
The Two-Spirit identity affirms the
interrelatedness of all aspects of identity, including gender, sexuality, community, culture,
and spirituality
Queer
A term used by some members of LGBT2SQ communities, as a symbol of pride and
affirmation of diversity. It can be used by a community to encompass a broad spectrum of
identities related to sex/assigned sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation, or by an
individual to reflect the interrelatedness of these aspects of their identity. Queer was
historically a derogatory term for difference, used in particular to insult LGBT2SQ people
and communities. Although sometimes still used as a slur, the term has been reclaimed by
many individuals within LGBT2SQ communities.
Androgynous
This refers to people, experiences, and/or expressions that involve
both femininity and masculinity, a mix of them, neither of them, or something in
between
Autogynephilia
sexually aroused by the thought of them of the opposite sex
Gender Fluid
This refers to individuals who might embody many aspects of
gender at once or at different times, in contradistinction to the idea that gender is
static with people existing within one gender location (whether binary or nonbinary)
for their whole lives
