Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoric flag

Gender Dysphoria (GD), also called Gender Incongruence, is an experience that causes a conflict between one's assigned gender at birth and their gender identity. This can create significant distress and can make one feel uncomfortable in their body. This experience is commonly associated with transgender individuals, however not all transgender or gender non-conforming individuals experience gender dysphoria.

Those with gender dysphoria may change the way they express their gender, including the way one dresses, socially transitioning (using pronouns and public restrooms associated with their affirmed gender), medically transitioning, or some combination of these examples.

Some with gender dysphoria may experience:

• Distress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• A negative self-image
• A strong dislike for one's sexual anatomy
• A strong preference for toys and activities associated with another gender

The term was previously called "gender identity disorder," but that is an outdated terms and considered offensive by some.

Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis in the DSM-5, and an official diagnosis is often required to take steps towards medically transitioning.

For children, one must show at least six of the following signs for at least six months:

• A strong desire to be another gender, or an insistence that they are another gender
• A strong preference for wearing clothes typical of another gender
• A strong preference for cross-gender roles in make-believe play or fantasy play
• A strong preference for toys, games and activities stereotypical of another gender
• A strong preference for playmates of another gender
• A strong rejection of toys, games and activities associated with their assigned gender
• A strong dislike for their sexual anatomy
• A strong desire for physical sex characteristics of another gender

For adolescents and adults, one must have shown at least two of the following for at least six months:

• A marked incongruence between one's experienced and expressed gender and one's primary or secondary sex traits
• A strong desire to be rid of one's primary or secondary sex traits
• A strong desire for the primary or secondary sex traits of another gender
• A strong desire to be another gender
• A strong desire to be treated as another gender
• A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions associated with another gender

Etymology

The word "dysphoria" means "significant unease and dissatisfaction," combining with "gender" to denote what this distress is directed towards.

History

Gender dysphoria, in the medical context, has changed names and interpretations over the years. First introduced in American psychiatry by the DSM-3 in 1980 as a group called "Gender Identity Disorders," which including "Transsexuality," "Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood," and "Transvestic Fetishism," these diagnoses formalized certain ideas about gender-variant individuals dating back to the 19th century.

These diagnoses have changed with each subsequent revision to the DSM. In the DSM-4, "Transsexualism" and "Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood" were combined into "Gender Identity Disorder," and "Transvestic Fetishim" was reclassified as a sexual paraphilia, now known as "Paraphilic Disorders." Later, the DSM-5 renamed the diagnosis to "Gender Dysphoria," and given its own chapter outside of "Sexual Dysfunctions and Paraphilic Disorders," removing the connotation that gender-variant individuals are "disordered."

Flags & Symbols

The gender dysphoric flag was created by acro-pluris and uploaded onto the DeviantArt account Pride-Flags on June 8, 2018. There is no known meaning behind the flag.

Community

Controversy

There has been a rise in what some are claiming to be "Rapid-Onset Gender Dypshoria." This is not a clinical diagnosis, and the research done to "prove" the phenomenon has been heavily critiqued. There is no evidence to support the existence of rapid-onset gender dysphoria.

The diagnosis of gender dysphoria has been controversial since the beginning. Some argue that the inclusion of gender dysphoria in the DSM continues a long-standing history of pathologizing oppressed individuals, and that the diagnosis stigmatizes groups that are expressing variation, not pathology. Some also suggest that the diagnosis possibly reinforces the binary idea of gender. It is argued that gender dysphoria being considered a diagnosis may also lead the continued mistakes in categorizing it as a mental health disorder rather than a medical condition.

However, some worry that removing the diagnosis may make it more difficult for transgender individuals to receive gender-affirming care.

Perceptions and Discrimination

While gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, some individuals may develop mental health problems due to gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria has been associated with an increase risk of substance abuse, self-harm and suicide. This is mostly due to discrimination against those who are transgender or gender non-conforming. Individuals with gender dysphoria who don't have access to gender-affirming care have an increased risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Subterms

Label	Flag	Description	Coiner
Dysphori-Jump		Usually feeling little to no dysphoria, but occasionally experience sudden spikes of dysphoria for a short amount of time.	cherrybiirb
Dysphorifluid		Experiencing fluid gender dysphoria.	Nothoughtsnogender
Dysphorifluix		Experiencing gender dysphoria that is both fluid and fluctuates in intensity.	Heebiegebes
Dysphoriflux		When one's gender dysphoria fluctuates in intensity.	Nothoughtsnogender
Dysphorispike		Usually feeling high amounts of dysphoria, but occasionally experiencing sudden spikes of no dysphoria for a short amount of time.	cherrybiirb

Related Terms

Label	Relationship	Description
Gender Disconnect	Similar	A feeling of disconnect between one's gender identity and their AGAB.
Gender Dysmorphia	Similar	An obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in one's appearance regarding their sex characteristics.
Gender Envy	Counterpart	A feeling of envy towards an individual's gender expression.
Gender Euphoria	Opposite	A term used to describe feelings of ease and being fully accepted as one's gender identity.
Innerphoria	Counterpart	An experience exclusive to system members who feel dysphoria when fronting.
Outterphoria	Counterpart	An experience exclusive to system members who feel dysphoria within the innerworld.
Paraphoria	Counterpart	The state of being between and beyond dysphoria and/or euphoria.
Quoiphoric	Counterpart	Being uncertain if one experiences dysphoria and/or euphoria.
Xenodysphoria	Counterpart	Feeling gender dysphoria in a uniquely xenine way.