Gender Identity and Expression

Gender identity is a person’s deeply felt internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender expression refers to how individuals communicate their gender identity through behavior, clothing, voice, and appearance. These aspects are distinct; someone’s gender identity is their personal understanding of who they are, while gender expression is how they show that to the world. Both can vary widely among individuals, and respecting each person's self-identified gender and expression is important for their well-being and authenticity.