In 2014 Facebook introduced new gender options and in 2015 they expanded the list to include a free-form field so that if you do not identify with the pre-populated list of gender identities, you’re able to add your own. Recently, while on Facebook, we came across an article from 2014 sharing the list of gender options and the sharer had asked for a “logical explanation,” which is exactly what we are here to provide.

What this individual does not seem to understand is that both sex and gender are sociological constructions; meaning our society created these terms. To define these terms, sex is based on an individual's reproductive organs, so if a child is born with a penis our society labels the child as male and if a child is born with a vagina the child is labeled as female. Now, when we take this child that has been labeled as male and give him markers such as a masculine name, dress him in a particular way and teach him what is considered to be masculine in nature we are placing on him the gender identity of man. Sex has therefore been transformed into a gender status. Makes sense right?

Gender is the division of people into various categories such as boy or girl, man or woman, and each category has its own set of roles, expectations, and stereotypes associated with them. So what happens when someone is born male but feels and identifies as female? Or what happens if someone one day feels female but the next day feels male? Well, that’s when we begin to get into the different ways that people can feel, identify, and express gender.

The way our society has set up gender each individual is supposed to be confined to a small box defining what they are supposed to be. So women are supposed to be mothers, caregivers, and homemakers. Men, on the other hand, are supposed to be breadwinners and disciplinarians. But guess what, not everyone conforms to these roles. Some people identify as transgender. This means that although they were born with a specific type of genitalia, their sense of personal identity aligns more with that of those born with the opposite genitalia. The personal identification of transgender can be written in multiple different forms. If you look at the list you can see that transgender, transgender male, transgender female, trans, and M2F are all listed. These are just different ways of stating that someone’s personal identity and their gender do not correspond with their birth sex.

When you look at the list you’ll also see cis, cisgender, cis male, cis female, cis man, cis woman, cisgender man, cisgender woman, cisgender male, and cisgender female. It’s slightly repetitive but they’re all different ways of saying that your personal identity and gender corresponds with your birth or biological sex.

Also on the list, you will find the different gender options of fluid, gender variant, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, gender questioning, and bigender. These options all indicate that someone identifies with either both genders, no gender distinction at all, or aren’t sure which they identify with. Some of them, like gender fluid, also means that someone may identify as a man on Monday and woman on Tuesday. We like to think of it like this; on Monday we may like to express our more laid back side by wearing running shorts and an extra large t-shirt and on Tuesday we may want to wear something a little more feminine like a dress, heels, and pearls. One expression does not take away from who we are as an individual; we’re still 100% ourselves either way.

The last few gender identities we would like to address are androgynes, androgynous, and intersex. Androgynes and androgynous are two variants of the same word that are defined as someone having physical characteristics of both sexes. An individual who identifies as androgynes or androgynous may have the sharper jawline of a male and the smaller waistline of a female. This is not the same thing as identifying as intersex; intersex is when someone is born with two sets of genitalia. For example, an intersex individual may have the complete external appearance of a female, including a vagina, but they may also have internal testes. The opposite is also true; someone may have the external appearance of a male, including a penis, but also have ovaries.

As you can see, gender is a construction created by our society to label people and when they don’t fit into the tiny little boxes that are man or woman, there are now other terms with which they may use to define their identity. Gendered roles change--today fathers are taking care of little children, girls and boys are wearing unisex clothing and getting the same education, women and men are working at the same jobs. Although many traditional social groups are quite strict about maintaining gender difference, in other social groups they seem to be blurring. It's time we, as a global society, come to accept that not everyone conforms to the “standards” which have been set by our ancestors. To those of you who do fit neatly into the little boxes of man or woman, we hope that you will begin to be more accepting of those who differ from you. Just as you have been given the opportunity to live life without judgment or fear because of the way in which you identify, the nonconformists deserve the same; their gender identity has no impact on your personal life in the slightest

This piece was co-written by Blair Gruendl