Deutsch
Deutsch

The German term ‘Geschlecht’ refers equally to the English terms sex and gender. To enable a further analysis, this dossier will differ between gender identity, gender expression and gender body.

The German term ‘Geschlechtsidentität’ (gender identity) is an approach to the concept of gender and refers to the individually experienced gender identity. This can be, but is not necessarily equal to, the category sex of the gender one was assigned with at birth. People who wholly or partially do not identify with the gender they were assigned with at birth, identify themselves as trans*. In contrast, people who identify as the gender they were assigned with at birth are called cis woman or cis man. People with a gender identity beyond the binary gender norm of man and woman can use the umbrella term non-binary for themselves. A person can have one, none or various gender identities, like for example a non-binary trans* person.

‘Geschlechtsausdruck’ (gender expression) describes the physical expression of one’s gender and can refer to clothing, language, movement and appearance of a person. Gender expression often shows within the social categories of female and male. Although gender identity and expression do not have to be identical, daily , one’s gender identity is often extrapolate from their gender expression.

The third dimension of sex/gender, next to gender identity and expression, is one’s gender body which is often referred to as sex. The gender body (sex) of trans* people cannot fully or partially correspond with their gender identity. They are often assigned with a gender by others due to physical characteristics based on the gender they were assigned at birth. This expression of power is called ‘othering’.