Gender identity is the sense of our own gender. Many people identify their gender as the same as their biological sex – ‘male’ / ‘female’ and as such most cultures have traditionally had gender binary – having two genders (male & female).
For transgender people their gender identity differs in varying degrees to their biological sex. In addition others do not identify with binary identities.
This is a helpful video looking at gender it was created by Off the Record (Bristol) and Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) as part of the Government Equalities Office funded Inspiring Equality in Education programme.
Neurodiversity refers to the fact that people have different brain types. Different neurotypes will see, communicate and interact with the world differently. Neurotypical refers to the most common neurotype and people who think differently are neurodivergent. Neurodivergent brain types include but are not limited to neurotypes such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Neurodivergence & Gender Identity
Your gender identity and being neurodivergent are separate aspects of a persons identity however there is an intersection of both ableism and transphobia. Neurodivergent and Trans people often struggle with understanding themselves especially when they do not have the opportunity to know any other trans or neurodivergent people let alone people who are both trans and neurodivergent.
Autistic and other neurodivergent individuals can be less constrained by societal norms and expectations which may be why studies have found that ‘people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are three to six times as likely to be autistic as cisgender people are’.
The links below are helpful sources of further information looking at gender identity and neurodivergence.
