Personal identity is the concept of classifying the type of person you are. It can encompass many aspects of one's personality, from personal strengths and abilities to sexuality and gender representation. Expressing individuality when looking at every part that makes you but uniting with others when comparing similar aspects with others. Personal identity both proves us to be unique and similar.
Over the course of human social structure, identity within society has always been apparent yet changing throughout the times. Social and economic class used to be a major identifier, as well as race and religion. Approaching the twenty-first century, personal identity became increasingly complex. Things like sexual orientation, gender, and presentation has complicated the idea personal identity even further.
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Acceptance of non-heterosexual sexual orientations is coming to a rise with newer generations. The cause could be noted to several reasons, but it’s the effects that are more important. The list of sexual orientations has expanded greatly from heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexuality. Asexuality, demisexuality, pansexuality, and skoliosexuality* are all examples of the extended list of the traditional classifications. Now, just because one may identify as one of these sexualities, it does not mean that their sexual orientation is a part of their personal identity. Rather, their sexuality is just something that they are and they feel it is not a defining factor of who they are. While others may take their sexuality to be a defining factor of their personality because they feel as such. Personal identity is based on who you feel you are rather than what you are.
Following the expansion of sexual orientation, the concept of gender has altered. Western culture has constructed the concept of a two-gender system, male and female. There are some cultures in the world that believe gender is more than just a binary system with as many as six different genders. Current society is beginning to understand gender more and has developed new classifications of gender. Such as bigender, gender fluid, cisgender, transgender, genderqueer, intersex, and nonbinary.* To one who finds they identify with one of the genders, when they learn of it, everything that they have felt about themselves makes sense. Gender is not decided by born sex (dependent on genitalia at birth), it is more complex than that. Understanding that of others and even of oneself is important about finding what and who you are.
Personal presentation is often paralleled with gender and sexual-orientation. Heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and gender roles* mandate normal behaviors of members of society. Titles like butch, lipstick, and metrosexual* arose to describe those that did not fit into it. But the development of expression in sexuality and gender identity opens opportunities for personal presentation to be more accepted and hopefully break the normativity of society so that everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves.
In life, it is important for one to find oneself in all aspects. Understanding who you are and accepting others for who they are will lead us all to accepting what everyone is; human. So, find yourself, love yourself, and love others. Below are definitions of everything for those to learn more about the classifications out there.
* Definitions:
-Heterosexual: A person primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex. Also known as straight.
-Homosexual: A [medical] term used to describe a person primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex/gender.
-Bisexuality: A person emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to male/men and females/women.
-Asexuality: Having a lack of (or low level of) sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest or desire for sex or sexual partners.
-Demisexuality: An individual who does not experience sexual attraction unless they have formed a strong emotional connection with another individual.
-Pansexuality: A person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions.
-Skoliosexuality: Attracted to genderqueer and transsexual people and expressions.
-Bigender: A person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender).
-Gender fluid: Gender fluid is a gender identity best described as a dynamic mix of boy and girl.
-Cisgender: A person whose gender identity and biological sex assigned at birth align.
-Transgender: An umbrella term covering a range of identities that transgress socially defined gender norms.
-Genderqueer: A gender identity label often used by people who do not identify with the binary of man/woman; or as an umbrella term for many gender non-conforming or non-binary identities.
-Intersex: Someone whose combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, internal sex organs, and genitals differs from the two expected patterns of male or female. Formerly known as hermaphrodite (or hermaphroditic).
-Nonbinary: (Also referred to as Third Gender) A term for a person who does not identify with either man or woman, but identifies with another gender.
-Heteronormativity: The assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities.
-Cisnormativity: The assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is cisgender, and that cisgender identities are superior to trans* identities or people.
-Butch: A person who identifies themselves as masculine, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally.
-Lipstick Lesbian: Usually refers to a lesbian with a feminine gender expression.
-Metrosexual: A man with a strong aesthetic sense who spends more time, energy, or money on his appearance and grooming than is considered gender normative.
Definition sources: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comp...
