Gender identity is how we experience our own gender, whether as a woman, man, something in between, or something that varies. The body we are born with does not determine our gender identity.

Gender expression is how we show our gender through clothing, style, hairstyle, and body language. Some people have a masculine expression, others a feminine one, and many mix both.

Everyone has a gender identity and a gender expression.

Cis people are those who experience their gender as the same as the one assigned at birth. Trans people have a different gender identity than the one they were assigned at birth. Trans is an umbrella term that includes trans women, trans men, non-binary individuals, and all others who do not identify as cis. Non-binary means that one is neither a woman nor a man.

Being cis is a strong norm in society. The expectation that everyone is cis makes it harder to be trans.

• 1 in 5 Norwegians has negative attitudes toward people who change their gender expression.
• 1 in 5 Norwegians reports feeling uncomfortable if a trans person were to become prime minister.
• 1 in 4 trans people has experienced threats of violence. Half report having been harassed at work or school at least once in the past year. 1 in 3 trans people has attempted to end their life.

We often divide gender into two categories: girl/woman and boy/man, and think that body type determines gender. In reality, there is a vast diversity of bodies and ways to experience and express gender. For example, Kim Kardashian, Angela Merkel, and Caster Semenya are women in very different ways. Gender is diverse, not binary, and includes many ways of being.

For many, gender diversity may seem new, but it is not!

Various genders have existed throughout history, and many cultures worldwide have terms for gender diversity. In several societies, people who transcend male and female categories are celebrated and viewed as particularly spiritual or valuable. However, in many parts of the world, gender diversity was made invisible and suppressed, often as a result of European colonization.

Gender diversity is also not new in Norway. In the 1800s, the term tvitoling or tvetulle existed for people perceived as gender nonconforming. The term comes from tve (two, double) and tol (tool or organ). In Trøndelag, the term båing (meaning “both” or “both genders”) was also used. There are several examples of these terms also being used for people who loved those of the same gender.