What is Gender Identity, Really? | Trans Deeper #5

The case for returning to a more realistic understanding

Welcome back to Trans Deeper, a show where we take a deeper look at what people are saying in the trans conversation, and whether their claims are valid or not. Today, I want to look at the issue of gender identity. I have come across many people who tell me that they don't understand the concept of 'gender identity', and it appears to be a real barrier for understanding trans people.

What is gender identity? In the trans context, it refers to our very acute sense of being aware that we identity with a gender that is not what is expected based on our biology. It is this mismatch, often present since early childhood, that gives us the high awareness of our gender identity. Hence, I think gender identity can be seen as a function of gender dysphoria, and it is the context of gender dysphoria that gives us its meaning.

I guess the trouble is that some activists have recently insisted that everyone has a gender identity. Based on conversations I have had with non-trans people, this clearly isn't true. Unlike trans people with gender dysphoria, most non-trans people don't seem to feel like they have an innate 'gender identity'. They are simply OK with the gender that has been expected of them from childhood. To ask non-trans people to accept that everyone has a 'gender identity' actually risks making them confused about trans people and trans identity. If non-trans people are supposed to be able to understand 'gender identity' simply by looking at their own experience in theory, but they actually can't feel anything like the gender identity described by trans people in reality, they might even end up dismissing the experiences of trans people.

I believe the best way to promote mutual understanding is to encourage honesty on all sides. For trans people, our innate sense of gender identity is central to our experience of life and our understanding of our gender dysphoria. If we are to be able to honestly speak about our own experience, we must be given the space to speak honestly about our gender identity. This is why the trend in certain anti-woke circles, where trans identity is routinely dismissed as 'woke', and trans people are pressured to accept gender critical philosophy and/or invalid models of transness that circumvent the concept of innate gender identity (e.g. the Blanchard typology), is something I've become really concerned about. On the other hand, non-trans people must be able to honestly speak out about their lack of feeling an innate gender identity, and their difficulty in understanding and empathizing with the experience of gender dysphoria. This is not transphobia. Rather, it is an honest description of the differences of our experiences. This honesty will be essential for building bridges and better understanding over time.