Understanding gender is more important before talking about it. Gender identity not only refers to the sex a person is born with (i.e. male or female) but it actually means the perception an individual has about himself. Those individuals who do not find them among both, male and female gender often fall into the third category. They may observe their behaviors under a different set of activities and evaluate their personalities.
It may occur at any age. There are some serious cases which need major understandings. Sometimes it happens that a person finds her/himself misfit with the gender they are born with. Their habits, behavior and body language do not support their biological sex. This forces them to adopt the entirely different way of presenting themselves to the society which may differ from their sex. This unacceptance from their born in sex makes them to style, talk, dress and perform activities belonging to the sex they find comfort in.
We often make a mistake in understanding the concept and the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation. Sexual orientation means “inherent or immutable enduring emotional romantic or sexual attraction to other people”. People who fall under this category are often known as lesbians or gays. But the Gender Identity is defined comprehensively by the Human Rights Campaign that “innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves.”
These people suffer greatly in understanding their position in the society. It is evaluated that mostly such kind of people fall a prey to the physical violence. This term is not only associated with women only, yet males are also made victims of it.
The people facing gender identity problems may find themselves fit to wear and live their life according to the sex they think they fall in but they feel reluctant of what the society will think about them, therefore they have to live according to the sex they are born with.
They might face psychological stress in doing so. The easiest example is that a female who is a victim of gender crises finds herself comfortable to dress, act and adopt the male habits, have to control her urge in order to save herself from being odd in the society. It is actually a zone of comfort someone wants finds them to be fit in.
Our wrong concepts have made our mindsets concrete which has created a major issue for the people who are a victim of gender identity. Being as humans and living in a modern era, we all must believe in giving space to everyone in the society.
Maria Khalil
(The writer is mission holder and Executive member, Positive Pakistan Lahore.)
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