Gender identity is the personal sense of one’s own gender.[1] Gender identity can correlate with a person’s assigned sex or can differ from it.[2] In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the individual’s gender identity.[3] Gender expression typically reflects a person’s gender identity, but this is not always the case.[4][5] While a person may express behaviors, attitudes, and appearances consistent with a particular gender role, such expression may not necessarily reflect their gender identity. The term gender identity was coined by Robert J. Stoller in 1964.[6][7]
In most societies, there is a basic division between gender attributes assigned to males and females,[8] a gender binary to which most people adhere and which includes expectations of masculinity and femininity in all aspects of sex and gender: biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression.[9] Some people do not identify with some, or all, of the aspects of gender assigned to their biological sex;[10] some of those people are transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer. Some societies have third gender categories.
Gender identity is usually formed by age three.[11][12] After age three, it is extremely difficult to change gender identity.[12] Both biological and social factors have been suggested to influence its formation.
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