HealthInfo Canterbury
Overview of gender identity
Ira tangata tuakiri
Gender identity is someone's personal sense of their own gender. Everyone has a gender identity.
A person’s concept of themselves may be as a woman, a man, both, neither or another gender identity. Their gender identity can be the same as or different to the sex they're assigned at birth.
If you're questioning your gender identity or identify as transgender or gender diverse, you aren't the only one, and you aren't alone. There are many friendly support networks.
The Counting Ourselves Aotearoa New Zealand Trans and Non-Binary Health Survey has information about the experiences of trans and gender diverse people in Aotearoa.
If your child or a loved one is questioning their gender identity or identifies as transgender or gender diverse, there are useful information and ways to connect to support groups and other whānau (families). See Support networks for transgender & gender diverse people & their whānau.
Gender identity terms
People use different terms to describe their gender identity. Terms can change their meaning over time or fall out of use.
Gender diversity covers a range of gender identities such as transgender, intersex, non-binary and takatāpui.
Gender expression is how people present their gender identity through their appearance, clothing, style, actions and interactions. It's often influenced by culture and society. Each person’s gender expression is unique.
Sex or sex assigned at birth refers to people's sex characteristics. This includes chromosomes, reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics (such as wide hips or an Adam's apple). We used to think of sex as a binary, but we now know it's more of a spectrum.
Intersex refers to the people who are born along this spectrum between male and female. Someone can be intersex due to chromosomes, hormones or reproductive organs. There are many different types of intersex variations, and they are more common than many people realise.
Sexuality or sexual orientation is the sexual and physical attraction we may feel for others. Your gender identity doesn't determine who you’ll be attracted to.
Transgender or trans refers to people whose gender identity is different to the sex assigned to them at birth.
Sometimes, people can confuse gender identity with sex or sexuality. It can be helpful to think about gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth and sexuality as aspects of our identity that are connected. But they're independent of each other and may occur across a spectrum.
For definitions of more terms, see Gender identity terminology.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- InsideOUT – More then four
Short videos on the experiences of people who are asexual, aromantic, intersex, non-binary, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, takatāpui, fa’afafine, akava’ine, queer parents and people who identify as both Māori, Pasifika or Asian and queer.
- Listening to Families – Gender diversity
A series of short videos providing answers to families' questions about gender diversity.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Asia Pacific Transgender Network – Being trans in Asia and the Pacific
A series of factsheets for trans people, their families, friends and colleagues.
- Colage
Support for people with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender parent.
- Gender Minorities Aotearoa – Glossary of gender related terms and how to use them
A glossary of terms, what they mean and how to use them.
- Human Rights Commission – Prism report
A report on “rainbow” human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- I'm local – Your story matters
Stories of queer and gender diverse New Zealanders from small and rural communities.
- Takatāpui – Part of the whānau
This resource is for takatāpui, their whānau and communities, sharing stories and information about identity, wellbeing and suicide prevention.
Written by Ko Awatea gender-affirming care co-design group. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2023.
SourcesReview key: HISOG-53214
