Gender Identity & Sexuality
Gender Identity
There are many different understandings of gender. If you don’t identify exclusively with being a male or a female, and instead feel like you fit somewhere between the two, you might identify with being ‘non-binary’. Gender identity is a spectrum, because you could feel a little like a man, a lot like a woman, and maybe also a bit like something else. Or you could feel like none of these. That would make you agender, meaning that you don’t feel any of these gender identities fit you.
Your gender expression is what’s visible about your gender to other people, how much other people read you as masculine, feminine, a bit of both, something else, or perhaps nothing at all. This could depend on how you dress, walk, talk or act, or on your body shape. Some of your gender expression (like your haircut, clothing or makeup) could change from day to day.
Your physical and emotional attraction to other people have a lot of overlap, and generally represent parts of your sexuality. Both physical and emotional attraction can also come from a lot of places, like someone’s gender identity, gender expression, personality or even the things you have in common. Attraction is a spectrum because some people can be attracted to different genders in different ways.
Sexuality
Everyone’s sexuality is different, and it’s not necessarily as simple as being ‘gay’ or ‘straight’. Some people are attracted to only one sex, and others are attracted to a diversity of people regardless of sex or gender, with a lot of different preferences in-between.
When you have that first moment of questioning your sexuality, you may wonder what it means and what you should do about it. Remember you don’t have to do anything straight away. Take whatever time you need to work out what these feelings mean for you, your identity and your future. It can be helpful to read up on sexuality, and the different types.
People use a few common labels to identify their sexuality. Your sexuality isn’t defined by who you have sex with – it’s about how you feel and how you choose to identify yourself. The important thing is that you choose what label feels comfortable, or you choose no label at all. You might find that the label you choose changes over time.
Read more about sexuality and gender identity here:
Use this tool to help you understand sexuality and gender identity:
Other support services:
- Rainbow Program: a support group for trans and gender diverse people, or those questioning their gender identity.
- QLife: provides anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. Contact QLife on phone 1800 184 527 (3pm to midnight, 7 days) or online chat (3pm to midnight, 7 days).
- Diverse City: alife skills program for young people aged 12 to 25 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual, pansexual or any other expression of diverse genders and/or sexualities. Delivered via Headspace Nundah, Woolloongabba, Meadowbrook and Ipswich, contact your local Headspace to find out more
Different kinds of sexuality:
- Straight/Heterosexual: Attracted mostly to people of the opposite sex or gender.
- Gay/Homosexual: Attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (refers to guys – and often to girls, too).
- Lesbian: Attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (refers to women).
- Bisexual+: An inclusive term that describes being attracted to romantic and/or sexual partners of more than one gender or sex. Some people in this community prefer the term pansexual, which generally describes being attracted to all sexes or genders, and others in the community may prefer the term queer.
- Polysexual: Attracted to romantic and sexual partners of many but not all genders, sexes or sexual identities.
- Asexual: Not really sexually attracted to anyone.
- Some people also choose the labels ‘queer’ or ‘fluid’ as a way of expressing themselves by their own personal feelings.