Understanding Gender: What "Transgender," "Nonbinary," and "Cisgender" Mean
A few key terms can make conversations about gender clearer, more respectful, and less intimidating.
If you've ever been unsure what words like transgender, nonbinary, or cisgender actually mean, you're not alone. This guide is meant to build a shared vocabulary—not to make anyone an expert overnight, but to provide a foundation for understanding.
Sex vs. Gender
Although they're often used interchangeably, sex and gender are different.
Sex is the classification someone is assigned at birth based on physical characteristics. While many people are assigned male or female, biological sex is more complex than many realize, and not everyone fits neatly into those categories.
Gender refers to a person's internal sense of who they are, as well as the social and cultural meanings associated with gender.
Sex is assigned at birth, while gender identity describes a person's internal sense of who they are.
What Is Gender Identity?
Gender identity is how someone understands and identifies their own gender.
A person's gender identity may be:
A woman
A man
Nonbinary
Genderfluid
Agender
Another identity that best reflects their experience
Only the individual can define their gender identity.
What Is Gender Expression?
Gender expression is how someone presents themselves through things like clothing, hairstyle, voice, or mannerisms.
Gender expression doesn't determine gender identity.
A masculine woman is still a woman.
A feminine man is still a man.
A nonbinary person doesn't have to look androgynous to be nonbinary.
What Does "Cisgender" Mean?
A cisgender (or cis) person has a gender identity that aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
For example, someone assigned female at birth who identifies as a woman is cisgender.
"Cisgender" isn't a political label or an insult. It's simply a descriptive term, just like "transgender."
What Does "Transgender" Mean?
A transgender person has a gender identity that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Every transgender person's experience is different. Some people transition socially, medically, legally, or in other ways. Others do not.
A person's identity isn't defined by whether or how they transition.
What Does "Nonbinary" Mean?
Nonbinary is an umbrella term for people whose gender isn't exclusively male or exclusively female.
Some nonbinary people identify as both a man and a woman, neither, somewhere in between, or another gender altogether.
There is no one way to "look" nonbinary. Identity is about who someone is—not how they dress or express themselves.
Some nonbinary people also identify as transgender, while others do not.
Gender Identity vs. Sexual Orientation
These terms describe different parts of a person.
Gender identity answers: Who am I?
Sexual orientation answers: Who am I attracted to?
For example, a transgender or nonbinary person can be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or another sexual orientation, just like a cisgender person.
Helpful Terms
Assigned Sex at Birth (ASAB): The sex designation someone received at birth.
Pronouns: Words like she/her, he/him, or they/them that someone uses when others refer to them.
Transition: Changes some transgender people make to live more authentically. This may be social, legal, medical, both, or none of the above.
Chosen Name: The name someone currently uses and wants others to use.
Deadname: A previous name that a transgender person no longer uses.
Common Misconceptions
"Gender and sex are the same thing."
They are related, but they describe different aspects of a person's experience.
"You can tell if someone is transgender."
There is no universal way transgender people look or behave.
"Nonbinary people all look androgynous."
Nonbinary people express themselves in many different ways.
"Gender identity and sexual orientation are the same."
Gender identity is about who you are. Sexual orientation is about who you're attracted to.
Key Takeaways
Sex and gender are different.
Gender identity is your internal sense of your gender.
Gender expression is how you present yourself.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same.
Cisgender means your gender aligns with your assigned sex at birth.
Transgender means your gender differs from your assigned sex at birth.
Nonbinary describes genders that aren't exclusively male or female.
Shared language helps us better understand one another.