Gender
Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics. How do you act, talk, and behave like a woman or man? Are you feminine or masculine, both, or neither? These are questions that help us get to the core of our gender and gender identity.
There are few easy answers when it comes to gender and gender identity, so it is normal to have questions.
Each person has a sex, a gender, and a gender identity. These are all aspects of your sexuality. They are all about who you are, and they are all different, but related.
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Sex is biological. It includes our genetic makeup, our hormones, and our body parts, especially our sex and reproductive organs.
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Gender refers to society's expectations about how we should think and act as girls and boys, and women and men. It is our biological, social, and legal status as women and men.
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Gender identity is how we feel about and express our gender and gender roles — clothing, behavior, and personal appearance. It is a feeling that we have as early as age two or three.
Transgender
Some people find that their gender identity does not match their biological sex. When this happens, the person may identify as transgender.