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NAN Student Handbook

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

WHAT IS GENDER IDENTITY?

Gender—the culturally specific presentation of masculinity or femininity—involves:

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  • Gender Identity:

    • Person’s internal sense of masculinity, femininity, both, or neither, which may or may not be expressed outwardly and may or may not correspond to one’s physical sex characteristics and/or sex assignment at birth

  • Gender Assignment:

    • A person’s gender designation at birth, correlated with sex assignment

  • Gender Roles:

    • Expectations imposed on someone based on their gender

  • Gender Attribution:

    • A term generally referring to gender identities or expressions outside the gender binary

  • Gender Expression:

    • A person’s external presentation of their gender

In relation to gender, individuals may identify as one or none of the following:

  • Cisgender

    • A term for individuals whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth

  • Gender Non-Conforming (GNC) or Genderqueer

    • A person’s gender designation at birth, correlated with sex assignment

  • Transgender

    • Term used when an individual’s gender identity or expression differs from conventional expectations for their sex assigned at birth

Source: di Bartolo, Adriana. 2013. “Is there a difference? The impact of Campus Climate on Sexual Minority and Gender Minority Students’ Levels of Outness.” PhD diss., Claremont Graduate University. ProQuest (LLC ED553093).



Gender Equity in Higher Education

What is Sexual Orientation?

Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions to men, women or both sexes. Sexual orientation also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.

Sexual orientation is usually discussed in terms of three categories:

  • Heterosexual: Having emotional, romantic or sexual attractions to members of the other sex
  • Gay/Lesbian: Having emotional, romantic or sexual attractions to members of one’s own sex)
  • Bisexual: Having emotional, romantic or sexual attractions to both men and women

People express their sexual orientation through behaviors with others, including such simple actions as holding hands or kissing. Thus, sexual orientation is closely tied to the intimate personal relationships that meet deeply felt needs for love, attachment and intimacy.

  • In addition to sexual behaviors, these bonds include nonsexual physical affection between partners, shared goals and values, mutual support, and ongoing commitment.
  • Therefore, sexual orientation is not merely a personal characteristic within an individual. Rather, one’s sexual orientation defines the group of people in which one is likely to find the satisfying and fulfilling romantic relationships that are an essential component of personal identity for many people.

Source: American Psychological Association. (2008). Answers to your questions for a better understanding of sexual orientation & homosexuality.



Understanding Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality

Most campuses have student associations or centres that provide services and host events to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, and queer students. They also work to promote gender equity on campus.

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