What You Should Know About Gender Expression

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGender Expression vs. Gender IdentityTypesImpactTips That Can HelpWhat You Can Do

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Gender Expression vs. Gender Identity

Types

Impact

Tips That Can Help

What You Can Do

Gender expression refers to the way that a person presents their gender to the world. How a person dresses can be a form of gender expression, but it can also encompass other aspects of appearance and behavior including hairstyles, body features, interests,body language, voice,pronouns, and mannerisms.

While many people express themselves in ways that are aligned with social stereotypes related to sex and gender, other people may choose expressions that are different than what people may expect of theirgender identity.

For many years, there has been an assumption that sex and gender were inextricably entwined and fixed. Today, people increasingly understand that this is not the case and that gender expression does not necessarily align with a person’s biological sex.

However, in many cultures, social expectations and stereotypes for how people are expected to behave, dress, and express themselves based on their assigned sex are still quite rigid. People who express their gender in ways that do not conform to social or cultural expectations about gender may be subjected to bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

Gender is often described as having three dimensions. First is the biological or physical dimension, which refers to a person’s anatomy and assigned sex at birth. Second is a person’s identity, which refers to their own internal sense of gender. Finally, is expression, or how a person outwardly presents themselves and how that presentation represents and interacts with societal and cultural stereotypes about gender.

A person’s gender identity is their internal experience of gender. Sometimes people have a gender identity that matches their birth sex (which is known as cisgender), but this is not always the case. A person’s assigned-at-birth sex does not always align with their deeply held sense of gender identity, in which case they may be transgender.

Gender identity cannot be assumed based on a person’s anatomy or appearance. Sex and gender are not the same things. While sex refers to a person’s biological characteristics, gender refers to the social and cultural characteristics that are associated with aspects of masculinity, femininity, and nonbinary identities.

It is also important to distinguish between gender expression and sexual identity, which refers to who a person is sexually attracted to. How a person expresses their identity does not indicate their sexual identity. Some people with a gender expression that does not match stereotypes or expectations may identify asLGBTQ+, but others may not.

Types of Gender Expression

Gender expression often refers to how a person experiences and expresses various aspects of the male and female gender binary. Gender expression may also encompass characteristics that may be described as:

Behaviors, clothing, and even body language are all social constructs that are labeled as being masculine or feminine. Thisbinarycan restrict people from expressing themselves in the way that they want for fear of negative feedback.

Some people may identify strongly with a particular gender, while others may have more neutral or mixed feelings. A person’s internal sense of gender identity may also not match their external gender expression. A person who was assigned female at birth may identify as male but continue to express their gender through what are stereotypically considered feminine traits, behaviors, and roles.

One study found that gay men and bisexual cisgender women were more likely to have a gender expression different than what many people would expect based on their gender identity.

They/Them Pronouns: What They Mean and When to Use Them

Impact of Gender Expression

People who have a gender expression that is different from what people expect based on that person’s sex or gender identity may be more likely to experience bullying or other forms of intolerance andprejudice. Research suggests that people who are transgender or gender-nonconforming are more likely to face high levels of discrimination.

The expression of gender through appearance, dress, and behavior can play an important role in your identity and sense of self. However, due to discrimination, negative responses, and even the threat of violence, many people are not able to express themselves according to their gender identity. This can affect not only a person’s sense of self but also their mental health and well-being.

Research has also shown that gender expression can play a role in the healthcare that people receive. Individuals whose expression of gender does not match their assigned birth sex experience more discrimination from healthcare providers, which can affect both access to and quality of care.

If you are struggling with issues related to gender expression, there are some things you can do that may help.

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If someone you know has a gender expression that doesn’t match stereotypical ideas of how men and women should appear, dress, or behave, there are things that you can do to help be a supportive friend.

Remember that societal roles, expectations, and stereotypes about what is masculine or feminine are not static and can change across time and cultures.

She/Her Pronouns: What They Mean and When to Use Them

A Word From Verywell

Gender expression is something that everyone has, but not everyone’s expression matches what society might expect based on their assigned sex or their gender identity. This gender expression may be masculine, feminine, or androgynous, or it may even change depending on how a person is feeling at that point.

Society continues to hold stereotyped, gendered expectations for how people should express themselves, but some places, includingOntarioandNew York State, have passed laws designed to protect people from discrimination based upon their gender expression.

Glossary of Must-Know Gender Identity Terms

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sandfort TGM, Bos HMW, Fu T-C, Herbenick D, Dodge B.Gender expression and its correlates in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. adult population: findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.J Sex Res. 2020;58(1):1-13. doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1818178Kiebel E, Bosson JK, Caswell TA.Essentialist beliefs and sexual prejudice toward feminine gay men.J Homosex. 2020;67(8):1097-1117. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1603492Lowry R, Johns MM, Gordon AR, Austin SB, Robin LE, Kann LK.Nonconforming gender expression and associated mental distress and substance use among high school students.JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1020-1028. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2140Thoreson R.“You don’t want second best”—anti-LGBT discrimination in US health care. Human Rights Watch.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sandfort TGM, Bos HMW, Fu T-C, Herbenick D, Dodge B.Gender expression and its correlates in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. adult population: findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.J Sex Res. 2020;58(1):1-13. doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1818178Kiebel E, Bosson JK, Caswell TA.Essentialist beliefs and sexual prejudice toward feminine gay men.J Homosex. 2020;67(8):1097-1117. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1603492Lowry R, Johns MM, Gordon AR, Austin SB, Robin LE, Kann LK.Nonconforming gender expression and associated mental distress and substance use among high school students.JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1020-1028. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2140Thoreson R.“You don’t want second best”—anti-LGBT discrimination in US health care. Human Rights Watch.

Sandfort TGM, Bos HMW, Fu T-C, Herbenick D, Dodge B.Gender expression and its correlates in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. adult population: findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.J Sex Res. 2020;58(1):1-13. doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1818178Kiebel E, Bosson JK, Caswell TA.Essentialist beliefs and sexual prejudice toward feminine gay men.J Homosex. 2020;67(8):1097-1117. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1603492Lowry R, Johns MM, Gordon AR, Austin SB, Robin LE, Kann LK.Nonconforming gender expression and associated mental distress and substance use among high school students.JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1020-1028. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2140Thoreson R.“You don’t want second best”—anti-LGBT discrimination in US health care. Human Rights Watch.

Kiebel E, Bosson JK, Caswell TA.Essentialist beliefs and sexual prejudice toward feminine gay men.J Homosex. 2020;67(8):1097-1117. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1603492

Lowry R, Johns MM, Gordon AR, Austin SB, Robin LE, Kann LK.Nonconforming gender expression and associated mental distress and substance use among high school students.JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1020-1028. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2140

Thoreson R.“You don’t want second best”—anti-LGBT discrimination in US health care. Human Rights Watch.

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Types of Gender Expression#

Impact of Gender Expression#

A Word From Verywell#

Types of Gender Expression

Impact of Gender Expression

A Word From Verywell