Identity
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Identity
How we perceive ourselves is often called identity. Identity is formed by our characteristics and personality traits. Social factors like where we live, who we spend time with and our interests also play a role.
Sexual identity
Who we fall in love with and are sexually attracted to help define our sexual identity Some people define themselves as heterosexual or homosexual, while others do not want to define their sexual orientation as something fixed.
Gender identity
Gender is a part of your identity. Physiology has traditionally determined our gender at birth as either boy or girl. This has been reinforced by clear gender role patterns. Today, there is more openness around these classifications not being appropriate for everyone, and how some people wish to define themselves as something other than the gender they were born with, or somewhere between the two traditional genders. Gender expression is the term we use for how people dress or otherwise emphasise their gender.
Talk together
- Discuss the links between identity and diversity.
- What are the disadvantages of dividing gender into two categories? Are there any advantages?
- What do you associate with the term gender expression?
- What do you think the challenges are for a person who breaks with the traditional perception of gender and sexuality?
- The term ‘LHBTQI+’ is often used about people who transgress gender and sexual norms. Find out what the letters stand for.
Complete the sentence
Identity is formed by our characteristics and ...
Complete the sentence
Who we fall in love with and are sexually attracted to help define our ...
Complete the sentence
We call how people dress or otherwise emphasise their gender ...
Select the right answer
What can reinforce our physiological gender?
Select right or wrong
Read the statements. What is right? What is wrong?