Katie Kawa - Whats Gender Identity?

Published in 2020 by KidHaven Publishing, an Imprint of Greenhaven Publishing, LLC 353 3rd Avenue Suite 255 New York, NY 10010 Copyright 2020 KidHaven Publishing, an Imprint of Greenhaven Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer. Designer: Deanna Paternostro Editor: Katie Kawa Photo credits: Cover (top) Lerner Vadim/. Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kawa, Katie. Title: Whats gender identity? / Katie Kawa.

Description: New York: KidHaven Publishing, 2020. | Series: Whats the issue? | Includes glossary and index. Identifiers: ISBN 9781534532366 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781534532182 (library bound) | ISBN 9781534532380 (6 pack) | ISBN 9781534532298 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Gender identity--Juvenile literature. | Gender nonconformity--Juvenile literature. | Transgender people--Identity--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC HQ1075.K39 2020 | DDC 305.3--dc23 Printed in the United States of America Some of the images in this book illustrate individuals who are models.

The depictions do not imply actual situations or events. CPSIA compliance information: Batch #BW20KL: For further information contact Greenhaven Publishing LLC, New York, New York at 1-844-317-7404. Please visit our website, www.greenhavenpublishing.com. For a free color catalog of all our high-quality books, call toll free 1-844-317-7404 or fax 1-844-317-7405. CONTENTS How We See Ourselves When a baby is born, a doctor most likely says if the baby is a boy or a girl. Then, that baby is often raised as a boy or a girl based on what the doctor said.

This state of being seen as a boy or a girlmale or femaleis known as gender. As a person grows up, they think about how they see their own gender. Do they see themselves as a boy, a girl, a mix of the two, or neither? This is known as gender identity, and its an important part of how we see ourselves. Facing the Facts A leading group of doctors who work with young people have said children often have a sense of their gender identity by the time theyre four years old. Other people cant tell you what your gender identity is, and you cant tell someone else what their gender identity is. Its important to respect how people see themselves.

Inside and Outside Men and women have different bodies. A persons sex male or femaleis based on their body parts. However, sex isnt the same as gender identity, which is based on how a person sees themselves rather than on their body parts or how they look to others. The way a person uses how they look and act to show their gender to others is known as gender expression. It can include clothing, hair, makeup, and the way they talk. Like gender identity, gender expression should always be respected.

Facing the Facts Qualities most often seen in men are called masculine, and qualities most often seen in women are called feminine. Gender expression isnt the same as gender identity. For example, a person may see themselves as a man but still enjoy wearing makeup, which is sometimes seen as a feminine quality. Its important to never someones gender based on how they look. Boys Can Wear Pink Too! People sometimes assume someones gender based on what theyre wearing or how theyre acting because of gender stereotypes. These are beliefs about a gender that arent based in truth.

For example, some people believe only girls like pink and only boys like blue. If a child is wearing pink, some people may believe that child identifies as a girl. However, boys can wear pink too! Many people are working to stop gender stereotypes because these ways of thinking keep people from truly understanding each other. Facing the Facts Gender roles are the ways society believes people should act based on their gender. For example, some people believe that its okay for women to cry but its not okay for men. Boys dont have to like or dislike things just because theyre boys, and the same is true for girls. Boys dont have to like or dislike things just because theyre boys, and the same is true for girls.

A persons gender shouldnt keep them from doing things that make them happy. More Than Male and Female When many people think of gender, they think of male and female. This idea that there are only two genders and a person must be one or the other is known as the gender binary. However, a growing number of people are beginning to see beyond the gender binary. Some of them see themselves as having a gender identity that isnt only male or only female. They may see themselves as a combination of male and female or as not identifying with either the male or female gender.

These people identify as nonbinary. Facing the Facts Gender-fluid people see their gender as something thats fluid, or able to change. Some days, they feel and act more like a man, and other days, they feel and act more like a woman. Ruby Rose, who acts in movies and on TV, identifies as gender-fluid. Ruby Rose