Welcome back to the savvy psychologist. I'm your host Dr. Ellen Hendrickson and I'll help you

meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Transgender individuals seem to be everywhere these days.

From Laverne Cox, to Bruce Jenner, to Jeffrey Tambor, who isn't trans but plays one on TV, the transgender movement

is making headlines.

But this week we'll look beyond the celebrities and offer some FAQs about everyday trans men and women.

For this episode I felt unqualified to represent a community that's not my own,

so I got some expert help.

Big thanks to listener Gabriel Hermosa, advocate and public

speaker for the transgender community, who generously offered her guidance in the writing of this

episode. Gabriel furthers transgender awareness, educates, and makes a positive

difference all across the country.

So let's start with the basics.

Question number one.

I've heard the term gender identity tossed around. What exactly is that?

So this is the heart of the matter. Your gender identity is your

internal idea of yourself as a man or a woman, or something outside that binary,

but that's another podcast.

Gender identity is individual,

but it also aligns you with a group, namely those who share your gender identity and all

the cultural trimmings and trappings that go along with that group.

Social roles, clothing, mannerisms, posture, speaking style, the list goes on.

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