Sarah Gustafson
Updated: December 6, 2021
10 things
10 Things I know about ... Gender
By Sarah Gustafson
10) Sex, sexuality, and gender are terms often used interchangeably. However, they are three distinct facets of who we are.
9) Gender identity can change throughout a lifetime. According to the Irregular Report 2 Fluidity, almost a quarter of the Gen Z population expects to change their gender as least once during their lifetime.
8) Many other countries have more than two gender identities. In the U.S., gender has traditionally been thought of in the binary, i.e. man and woman. Other countries and cultures have other options such as two-spirit and hijras reflecting a broader, more nuanced representation of gender.
7) A person’s gender can differ from or correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.
6) Identity is one aspect of our gender. Gender identities can typically be categorized by binary, non-binary, and ungendered.
5) Gender has social aspects to it. Social gender includes roles and expectations and how society uses those to try to enforce conformity to current gender norms.
4) Understand your own gender story. Our gender is personal because while we share some of these aspects of self with others, how these identities, influences, and characteristics come together is unique to each of us.
3) Understanding gender is smart business. Consumers and employees are living in a gender-diverse world. Companies need to be able to adapt and think outside the binary world to not alienate their target audiences.
2) What companies can do. Start by looking at process, systems, and people. Recognize where gender is being asked for and not needed, or where gender is being asked for using sex identifiers.
1) Gender is evolving. This is a complex and ever-changing topic. Establish a common language framework for your company and employees to work within. Give yourself and others compassion as we work towards meeting the humans in our lives where they are.
Sarah Gustafson, of Oxford, is the owner of 794 Consulting Partners, working with the national nonprofit Reimagine Gender to deliver gender education to the real estate community.
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