Learning about the difference between gender identity and biological sex can be confusing at first, but it is one of the first steps to understanding a large portion of the LGBTQIA2S+ community! To make it easier, think of sex as the physical features someone is born with. It refers to the anatomical, physiological, genetic, or physical attributes that determine if a person is male, female, or intersex. Sex can often also be referred to as “physical sex,” “anatomical sex,” or “biological sex.”

On the other hand, gender identity is a person’s internal sense of who they are in regard to gender, regardless of their sex assigned at birth. Someone may be assigned female at birth, but they may feel male and dress masculine. Someone else may dress feminine, but their biological sex is male. There are others who don’t feel male or female, and their gender identity may be “genderqueer” or “genderfluid.” For more information about these terms and others, refer to our free Terminology Guide.

It is important to note that just because someone is dressing more masculine, it doesn’t mean they identify as a male. If someone is dressing more feminine, it also does not mean that they identify as a female. If you are unsure how to refer to someone (and are comfortable), ask the person what pronouns they use, or use “they,” which is a safe gender neutral pronoun.

As long as you approach someone with compassion, care, and a willingness to learn, you are doing the right thing!

Ask “Chuck” (OUT Maine staff or the Youth Advisory Board) an anonymous question about the LGBTQIA2S+ community here to have it answered in future posts!