Gender Explained: A New Understanding of Identity in a Gender Creative World

As psychologists and pioneers of the interdisciplinary Gender Affirmative Model, which enables youths to live in their authentic gender with social and necessary support systems, Ehrensaft (The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes) and Jurkiewicz set out to create a contemporary, relevant primer on gender to help readers who are confused, concerned, or curious. They present gender as a web of considerations that can evolve over time, in which nature, nurture, and culture intersect. Common terms, media misconceptions, and fraudulent research are addressed here with clear language, scientific counterpoints, and recommendations for further study. The analogies are relatable, as are the sample conversations and excerpts from patients’ experiences. The authors address rubber stamping, grooming, and the fears that parents are telling themselves and each other; the chapter on gender and school sports is especially candid. A self-examination of the authors’ own perceptions about gender and a look at the opportunities for their own growth close the book, serving as validation of their credentials and humanity when it comes to acceptance.