Language is important. Words shape people and culture. At Resist Gender Education we use the following definitions, most which draw on the work of Genspect.
| Gender relates to culturally influenced, masculine and feminine societal expectations of behavior, aptitudes and appearance based upon sex.
It is gender, not sex, which influences school policies regarding uniforms, hair-length, jewelry and make-up. Gender can also influence assumptions we make about what recreational activities boys or girls will prefer, and what academic strengths boys and girls will have. |
| Gender Dysphoria is a severe type of distress or impairment in functioning due to a feeling of misalignment between gender and sex.
There is no equivalent condition to gender dysphoria experienced in terms of sexual orientation. For example, there is no equivalent condition experience by people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Historical evidence shows that when gender dysphoria presents in childhood, most cases resolve naturally, with 61%-98% of children reidentifying with their biological sex during puberty. No studies to date have evaluated the natural course and rate of gender dysphoria resolution among the new cohort of adolescents presenting with adolescent-onset gender dysphoria. |
| Gender Identity refers to whether people feel that their birth sex aligns with stereotypically masculine or feminine traits and behaviors, and how they wish to express themselves and be seen in society. Gender Identity describes how you feel about yourself – for example, whether you identify as Transgender or Non-binary.
Not everyone feels they have a gender identity, but we all seem to have a sexual orientation. Most of us discover this during adolescence, and it usually endures for the rest of our lives. |
| Gender Incongruence refers to a felt difference between one’s sex and one’s gender causing a feeling of discomfort or ‘mismatch’. When this discomfort causes distress such that it prevents one from functioning well, the term Gender Gysphoria is often used. |
| Gender Questionning refers to a person experimenting with Gender Identity |
| Gender Theory teaches that both the biological reality of sex and gender are social constructs. Male and female are roles that are “performed.” Therefore, gender theory asserts that the body can be amended to match self-perception. |
| Identity Formation is an important psychosocial stage of development for young people between 12 and 25 years old. |
| Non-binary is a type of Gender Identity describing a way that a person feels about themselves and whether their birth sex aligns with stereotypically masculine or feminine traits and behaviors, and how they wish to express themselves and be seen in society. |
| Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria or ROGD refers to a new phenomenon of large numbers of young people questioning their gender. This description, coined in 2018 by American public health researcher Lisa Littman, is not a diagnosis. It factors in the strong role of social influence among these children, as well as the significant levels of comorbidities (co-occurring conditions and diagnoses) such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD diagnoses and other mental health diagnoses and childhood trauma. |
| Sex relates to biology and the two sexes: male and female. We all have chromosomes (XY for males and XX for females*) within almost every cell of our bodies and our brains, determining our physical development along male or female pathways.
*Although all people are born either male or female, some people have different chromosome combinations which, on very rare occasions, can make it more challenging to ascertain which sex they are at birth. People who are born with these differences are described under the umbrella term of Differences of Sexual Development (DSDs), previously known as “intersex”. There are over 40 unique and rare medical conditions that can impact sex development in males and females.
Sex differences are important, and are acknowledged within society, whether in single-sex toilets, changing-rooms and accommodation, or most sports. Within schools, sex is also significant in biology lessons and within curricular materials on sex education. |
| Sexual Orientation refers to whether a person is romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same or the opposite biological sex. Sexual orientation describes how you feel about other people; for example whether you are heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual – or even asexual. |
| Social Transition means “affirming” students’ gender identities by using the names and pronouns students request, and letting students use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. Social Transition is not a neutral action; it can influence students’ Identity Formation.The role of the school is to foster a tolerant and caring approach to all students and to ensure that there is no bullying or hostility towards any student. It is not the role of the school to influence identity formation. Social transition is a powerful psychotherapeutic intervention and so it should not be carried out without clinical supervision. |
| Transgender is a type of Gender Identity describing a way that a person feels about themselves and whether their birth sex aligns with stereotypically masculine or feminine traits and behaviors, and how they wish to express themselves and be seen in society. |
