Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression

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In order to get on the same page
about LGBT youth homelessness,

let's first talk about the differences

between sexual orientation,
gender identity, and gender expression.

They are all different.

We think of each existing on a spectrum.

Being on a spectrum means that they are
more than just two ways to be.

There's a whole range of ways to be.

Sexual orientation

describes an individual's emotional
and/or physical attraction

to another person or people.

Gender identity refers
to a person's innate identification

as a man, woman, neither,
both, or some other gender.

A person's gender

may or may not correspond
to the sex assigned to them at birth.

While gender identity is someone's
understanding of their own gender,

gender expression refers to the way

that a person communicates
their gender to the world.

It includes all of the external
characteristics and behaviors

that are socially defined
as either masculine or feminine,

such as dress, grooming,

mannerisms, speech patterns,
and social interactions.

Social or cultural norms can vary widely,

and some characteristics

that may be accepted as masculine,
feminine, or neutral in one culture

may be assessed differently in another.

It is important to note
that someone's gender expression

may or may not align with tradition
or perceptions of gender identity.

Again, gender is a spectrum.

It's important to remember that there are
more than just two ways to be.

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