GENDERDYSPHORI
A
Sy
mpt
omsofGenderDy
sphor
ia
Symptomsofgenderdy sphori
acanincludef
eel
i
ngastr
ongsenseofdist
ressor
di
scomf or
twithone'sassignedgender.Somesi
gnst
hatsomeoneisexperi
enci
ng
genderdysphori
ainclude:
Adesi
ret
onol
ongerhav
ethepr
imar
ysexchar
act
eri
sti
csoft
hei
rbi
rt
h-
assignedgender
Adesi r
et obet reatedast heopposit
egender
Adesi r
et ohavet hepr imaryandsecondarysexcharacter
isti
csoft heir
preferredgenderi dentit
y
Thei nsistencet hattheyar eagenderdif
fer
entfrom t
heirbir
th-assignedsex
Preferencesf orr olesthataredif
fer
entfrom t
hoseexpectedoft heirgender
assignedatbi r
th
Strongr ejecti
onoft oys,games,andotherthi
ngsthataretypicallyassociat
ed
witht heirbir
th-assignedgender
Wear ingcl ot
hingt ypicall
yassoci
atedwiththeopposit
egender 2
Peoplewhoexperiencegenderdy sphor i
amayf r
equentlyexpresst hatt
heywantt o
betheopposit
egender .Theyoftenf eeluncomfort
ablewi t
hthegenderr olesand
genderexpr
essionsoftheirbi
rth-assignedsex.Thi
smi ghtmani festinbehaviors
suchasdressi
ngast heirpref
erredgender ,pl
ayi
ngwi t
ht oystypi
cal l
yassociated
wit
htheoppositegenderandr ejecti
ngmanygender -
stereoty
picalbehaviors.
Genderdy sphoriaisnotr el
atedtoanindivi
dual'
ssexualor
ient
at i
on.Peoplewho
experi
encegenderdy sphoriamaybest rai
ght,gay,
lesbi
an,orbisexual
.Peoplewho
feelgenderdy sphori
amayal sobegender-nonconfor
mingortransgender.However
,
i
tisimpor tanttorecognizethatnoteveryonewhoi str
ansgenderorgender
nonconformi ngexperiencesgenderdysphoria.
GenderI
dent
it
yvs.Sexual
Ori
ent
ati
on
I
tisal
soimpor
tantt
onot
ethedi
sti
nct
ionbet
weengenderi
dent
it
yandsexual
i
denti
ty.
Genderident
it
yrefer
stoaperson'sint
ernalsenseofgender,
whethermal
e,female,
oroutsi
deofthegenderbinar
y.Sexualori
entati
onr ef
erst
oaperson'
sphysi
cal,
emoti
onal,orromanti
catt
ract
iontootherpeople.3
Wher egenderi
nvolveswhoy ouar
e,sexual
i
tyi
saboutwhoy ouareattr
actedto.
Somepeopl ewithgenderdysphor
iaarepar
toftheLGBTQ+communi ty,but
experienci
nggenderdysphori
adoesnotmeanthatapersonisgay,
lesbian,
or
bisexual.
A
Sy
mpt
omsofGenderDy
sphor
ia
Symptomsofgenderdy sphori
acanincludef
eel
i
ngastr
ongsenseofdist
ressor
di
scomf or
twithone'sassignedgender.Somesi
gnst
hatsomeoneisexperi
enci
ng
genderdysphori
ainclude:
Adesi
ret
onol
ongerhav
ethepr
imar
ysexchar
act
eri
sti
csoft
hei
rbi
rt
h-
assignedgender
Adesi r
et obet reatedast heopposit
egender
Adesi r
et ohavet hepr imaryandsecondarysexcharacter
isti
csoft heir
preferredgenderi dentit
y
Thei nsistencet hattheyar eagenderdif
fer
entfrom t
heirbir
th-assignedsex
Preferencesf orr olesthataredif
fer
entfrom t
hoseexpectedoft heirgender
assignedatbi r
th
Strongr ejecti
onoft oys,games,andotherthi
ngsthataretypicallyassociat
ed
witht heirbir
th-assignedgender
Wear ingcl ot
hingt ypicall
yassoci
atedwiththeopposit
egender 2
Peoplewhoexperiencegenderdy sphor i
amayf r
equentlyexpresst hatt
heywantt o
betheopposit
egender .Theyoftenf eeluncomfort
ablewi t
hthegenderr olesand
genderexpr
essionsoftheirbi
rth-assignedsex.Thi
smi ghtmani festinbehaviors
suchasdressi
ngast heirpref
erredgender ,pl
ayi
ngwi t
ht oystypi
cal l
yassociated
wit
htheoppositegenderandr ejecti
ngmanygender -
stereoty
picalbehaviors.
Genderdy sphoriaisnotr el
atedtoanindivi
dual'
ssexualor
ient
at i
on.Peoplewho
experi
encegenderdy sphoriamaybest rai
ght,gay,
lesbi
an,orbisexual
.Peoplewho
feelgenderdy sphori
amayal sobegender-nonconfor
mingortransgender.However
,
i
tisimpor tanttorecognizethatnoteveryonewhoi str
ansgenderorgender
nonconformi ngexperiencesgenderdysphoria.
GenderI
dent
it
yvs.Sexual
Ori
ent
ati
on
I
tisal
soimpor
tantt
onot
ethedi
sti
nct
ionbet
weengenderi
dent
it
yandsexual
i
denti
ty.
Genderident
it
yrefer
stoaperson'sint
ernalsenseofgender,
whethermal
e,female,
oroutsi
deofthegenderbinar
y.Sexualori
entati
onr ef
erst
oaperson'
sphysi
cal,
emoti
onal,orromanti
catt
ract
iontootherpeople.3
Wher egenderi
nvolveswhoy ouar
e,sexual
i
tyi
saboutwhoy ouareattr
actedto.
Somepeopl ewithgenderdysphor
iaarepar
toftheLGBTQ+communi ty,but
experienci
nggenderdysphori
adoesnotmeanthatapersonisgay,
lesbian,
or
bisexual.
