Yes, someone can identify as both a boy and a girl. This understanding arises from recognizing that gender identity exists beyond the traditional binary of strictly male or female.
Understanding Gender Identity
Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being male, female, both, neither, or somewhere along the gender spectrum. It's important to distinguish this from sex assigned at birth, which is based on physical characteristics.
Intergender and Non-Binary Identities
The provided reference helps to illustrate this point:
Intergender: Those who feel their gender identity is between man and woman, both man and woman, or outside of the binary of man and woman. It is sometimes used by intersex people who are also non-binary.
This definition highlights that some individuals identify as being both male and female. This falls under the broader umbrella of non-binary gender identities. People who identify as non-binary don't exclusively identify as male or female. They may see themselves as:
- Having elements of both male and female genders.
- Having a gender that is in between male and female.
- Having a gender outside the male/female binary altogether.
Intersex and Gender Identity
The reference also mentions intersex people:
Intersex: A person born with any manner of supposed “ambiguity” in terms of gendered physical characteristics.
While being intersex relates to physical characteristics present at birth, an intersex person's gender identity is a separate aspect of their being. An intersex individual may identify as male, female, non-binary, or any other gender. Some intersex people who are also non-binary may use the term "intergender" to describe themselves.
In summary:
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Gender Identity | An individual's internal sense of their own gender. |
| Non-Binary | A spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively male or female. |
| Intergender | A term sometimes used by individuals who feel their gender identity is between, both, or outside the male/female binary. |
| Intersex | A person born with variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. |
