The Collision of Gender Socialization and Gender Identity: How To Handle This
When you’re born, the doctors immediately shout out to your parents. “It’s a girl” or “It’s a boy” based on your physical apperance.
From that moment on, your parents decide to shop for certain clothes, accessories, and toys based on whether your birth certificate says female or male.
As you grow older, you shop at different stores, in different departments, and even go to different restrooms. All of these decisions are made based on the gender assigned when you were born. Decisions that take place before you even know who you are.
What if you start to feel like you don’t belong? What happens if you feel more in tune with yourself as a gender different from the one assigned at birth?
Let’s learn more about the collision of gender socialization and gender identity and how to handle it.
Gender Socialization vs. Gender Identity
Gender socialization is when individuals are taught how to behave and act based on their assigned gender, male or female. This process occurs at birth and carries with them in their teenage and even their adult years. A child’s caregiver, teachers, friends, colleagues, and the media can have an impact on someone through gender roles and stereotypes.
Gender identity, on the other hand, is when someone has their own say on their gender, whether it was the gender assigned to them at birth or a different gender completely. Someone may identify as a male, female, both, or even neither.
How to Handle the Collision of Gender Socialization and Gender Identity?
Feeling uneasy or uncertain about the body you’re living in isn’t easy to deal with, especially on your own. It can feel like no one understands what you’re going through. Luckily, there are certain things that you can do to help you handle and cope with these thoughts and feelings you’re struggling with.
Give Yourself Grace
First things first, don’t be so hard on yourself. The world is hard enough as it is. You don’t need to be negative towards yourself if your ideas and beliefs don’t align with what society has taught you. It’s okay to think and feel differently occasionally, especially if it’s positive and supportive of your overall mental health and wellness. You have to explore what feels best for you. Make sure you’re dedicating time and caring for yourself and your wants and needs. Self-care isn’t selfish, and it can be extremely beneficial for you, especially when you may be struggling.
Find an Outlet for How You’re Feeling
Don’t hold all of those thoughts and emotions inside of yourself. You have to find a way to release them. The longer you keep them inside, the longer you’ll feel negative and down about the situation you’re in. Try to find activities that help you release some of those pent-up emotions. Here are a few different ways you can express your emotions positively and healthily:
Get creative with an art project.
Draw, color, or doodle.
Move your body.
Repeat positive mantras or affirmations.
Start journaling.
Seek Additional Support
If you’re struggling with feeling different from the gender you were assigned at birth, you’re not alone. Having a different idea or life plan for yourself than what your parents or society had intended for you is perfectly acceptable. It’s your life, and you have to do what’s best for you. It’s time you accept yourself for who you are and live your life to the fullest. We’re here to help you get there.
Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for LGBTQ+ counseling.
