I am Jazz and Gender Identity.

1. Gender
Identity
By Tonia Mears

2. What is gender identity?
Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. It
can correlate with what sex is assigned at birth or can differ.
Societies have set gender categories that serve as the
foundation of the specific roles of each gender.

3. The Dimensions of Gender
People tend to use the terms “sex” and “gender”
interchangeably. But while connected, the two
terms are not equivalent. Generally, we assign a
newborn’s sex as either male or female based
on the baby’s genitals. Once a sex is assigned,
we presume the child’s gender. For some
people, this is cause for little, if any, concern or
further thought because their gender aligns with
gender-related ideas and assumptions
associated with their sex.
Nevertheless, while gender may begin with the
assignment of our sex, it doesn’t end there. A
person’s gender is the complex interrelationship
between three dimensions.
 Body
 Identity
 Social

4.  Body:
How we view our body, our experience of our own body, how society genders bodies, and how
others interact with us based on our body.
 Identity:
This is the name we use to convey our gender based on our deeply held, internal sense of self. Identities
typically fall into binary, Non-binary, and ungendered categories.
 Social:
This includes Gender expression, which is the way we communicate our gender to others through such things
as clothing, hairstyles, and mannerisms. It also includes how individuals, communities and society perceive,
interact with, and try to shape our gender. Social gender includes gender roles and expectations and how
society uses those to try to enforce conformity to current gender norms.
https://www.genderspectrum.org/quick-links/understanding-gender/

5. If they identify as a different gender or do not adhere to
societies standards for that gender, does that mean they
are bad as parents?

6. Of course not! There are many myths that
same sex couples or transgender people will
not be able to provide a stable and nurturing
environment for children. Yet research
indicates the opposite.

7. I am Jazz
As a parent of a little boy, Jazz and her family are an inspiration to all. I believe that they are
handling each event that comes at them in a way that is best for their daughter and are truly paving
the way for others that may find themselves in the same situation. Regardless of Jazz being trans, the
family dynamic and support for those in the household is one that more families should strive to
achieve.

8. Resources
https://www.genderspectrum.org/quick-links/understanding-gender/
https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights/lgbt-youth