- Definition
Gender identity is how someone feels inside about their gender, whether they feel like a boy, a girl, both, neither, or something else entirely. It's about who they know themselves to be, which might be different from the sex they were assigned at birth.
A student who is assigned male at birth but knows deeply that she is a girl has a female gender identity.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Gender identity is like the deep, true feeling you have inside about who you are, regardless of what anyone else might assume.
Ask your child: What are some ways you like to show the world who you truly are?
Common mix-up: People sometimes confuse gender identity with the physical body. Gender identity is actually each person's own internal sense and understanding of being a boy, a girl, both, or neither.
Examples
- Someone who feels they are neither a boy nor a girl might describe their gender identity as non-binary.
- Understanding that a person's gender identity is a personal, internal experience that can sometimes be fluid.
gender identity is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
