(for the lesbians) How do you define gender identity?

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out.

Gender identity is an individuals' internal, innate sense of their gender, essentially how someone feels inside.

Gender expression is more external, it is usually shown through style, appearance or behaviour. Gender expression does not have to align with gender identity and it can change.

In short, gender expression is not necessarily an indicator of gender identity, nor of sexuality.

So many LGBTQ+ grow up feeling out of place in their own body or find themselves very uncomfortable with societal gender norms. It is natural to reject these norms and express ourselves in a different way.

It is also quite common for people's expression to change, perhaps quite significantly, after coming out. There is liberation and freedom that comes with coming out, that might allow us to explore the ways we express ourselves that perhaps more align with our sense of self. We might embrace certain modes of expression that we previously rejected because we might feel more secure in who we are.

Our gender expression is often quite fluid and can change as often as we want it to. It is important to recognise that we do not owe anyone a certain type of presentation based on our gender identity or sexuality. That is the beauty of expression, we can play and it is entirely up to us how we present ourselves to the world.

With kindness,

Sunflower