Gender Identity

 

After watching the clips about gender identity, one statement, in particular, really stayed with me. 

"my body and my soul finally were united" - I've always felt that my body and soul were united. So I had to sit back and really reflect on how that would feel if this wasn't the case. That was a lot to unpack.

I cannot speak from personal experience about the struggles of gender identity, but I know many others who do. I myself identify as female. I was assigned female at birth and I never felt as if I was supposed to be a male. So for me, I didn't question much about myself. I dressed how I wanted, and I did things that pleased me without thinking about the gender label attached. I have days where I strongly embrace my masculinity, and others when I embrace my femininity. 

After thinking about that statement, I realized how very very different it is for those who feel as if they do not belong in their own body. If you feel like you do not belong in the body you were born in, how do you recognize yourself? It must feel so lonely and distancing. That leads to the question of, where do I belong now, when I don't even belong to myself? That's probably extremely scary and confusing, and it's heartbreaking to think about. I couldn't imagine what someone who struggles with this goes through. For that reason, I understand why gender identity would mean something much more significant to those experiencing those feelings compared to me. 

Regardless of anyone's opinion about this topic, everyone deserves to know and experience peace within themselves. If gender identity is a factor in achieving inner peace, then it is crucial that we accept that as a necessity. 

I also want to add that I am not very knowledgeable about all of the gender identities and am receptive to learning more. So if anyone would like to share their thoughts/knowledge/experiences, please comment!