Since this is the case for the majority, these binary social models exist in the understanding of most of the population. As described above, there is also a presumption that this sense of identity will be consistent with the, respectively, male or female sex appearance of the infant at birth. Gender Identity, describes the psychosocial identification of oneself, typically, that is in the majority of the population, as a boy/man or as a girl/woman, known as the ‘binary’ model –you are either one thing or the other. These distressing experiences can be addressed and potentially overcome by aligning a person’s social gender expression with their identity, sometimes supported by medical interventions to align the physical characteristics with the gender identity. These may feel inappropriate and even cause a disgust with the body. This term describes the emotional unease with social interactions, as well as the discomfort with the physical sex characteristics. However, where there is incongruence, and a child’s identity is not aligned with the apparent sex, the discomfort arising from this is described as ‘ gender dysphoria’. It is anticipated that an infant having male genitalia will identify as a boy, and vice versa. The identity is assumed to be congruent with the sex, which is determined on the basis of the genital appearance of the infant at birth, usually without regard for chromosomal or any other biological anomalies. Gender Incongruence describes the mismatch between the sex assigned at birth, and the gender identity. Gender diversity, in its many manifestations, does not indicate mental illness. The new classification is based on “current scientific evidence and best practice”. It is now under a non-psychopathologising classification in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD11). The World Health Organisation dropped the outdated term ‘transsexualism’, and changed it to ‘ gender incongruence’ in 2019. Descriptions, such as: g ender diversity/ gender variance/ gender non-conformity embrace widely different outcomes and experiences. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health states that “the expression of gender characteristics that are not stereotypically associated with one’s assigned sex at birth is a common and culturally diverse human phenomenon that should not be judged as inherently pathological or negative”. This applies both to those outside the transgender community, as well as those within it. These labels must be chosen by the individuals concerned, not imposed by others. They should be used only when strictly necessary to clarify a point. In addition, it is important to understand that ‘labels’, although essential to enable discussions about the following topics, are not always welcomed by those to whom they are applied. All the terms described below may become outdated. The Office for National Statistics anticipates that at least 80 different self-descriptions will be submitted in answer to the question about gender identity in the 2021 census. Terminology in this field varies in its usage between individuals and groups, and is constantly shifting.
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