Title: Gender Identity | USD
Headings: Gender Identity
Gender Identity
A Closer look at Gender Identity
The Gender Binary
Gender Identity: Some Introductory Vocabulary
Transgender Identities
Non-Binary Identities
Gender Across Cultures
Gender Dysphoria and Discomfort
What about you?
Bias and Discrimination
Words to Avoid
*See Quick Check Questions: Gender Identity*

Content: It is ultimately best to use the terminology that a person uses to describe their own gender identity, rather than making assumptions or determining correct language for yourself. When in doubt of how to respectfully refer to another person, it is usually best to simply ask them privately. Gender Across Cultures
Non-Western cultures often have different gender systems. In some cultures, people whom one would consider trans (in the West) are automatically classified as a third, or even fourth or fifth gender. In other cultures, they are described with the same terms used for gay people. Among Indigenous and Native American communities, Two-Spirit is a general term for people within native culture who blend the masculine and feminine, and can have defined spiritual and societal roles. Many Indigenous communities have terms unique to their tribe for gender-variant members. Two-Spirit culture was and remains threatened by extinction in the face of European and American colonization, and many Native American members of the queer community identify as Two-Spirit today. Here are some other names of transgender and third gender identities across the globe: Hijra: