By Dr. Christine Sloss
As a result of PRIDE and other forms of advocacy, there is greater acceptance for sexually and gender diversity in Canada. Thankfully, adolescents and young adults are more free to explore their gender and sexual identity in our modern context. With so much emphasis on determining one’s identity and coming out, some young people feel pressured to declare an identity and may be reluctant to share that they are confused or uncertain about their thoughts, beliefs, attractions, and inclinations. Although some individuals know with clarity their sexual or gender identity throughout their lives, there are some whose attractions and self-perception might change with time. The fixed nature of sexuality and gender has been emphasized, perhaps as a reaction against harmful practices such as “conversion therapy.” However, research has been demonstrating that sexuality and gender are measured on a continuum and may be more flexible than we once believed. It is not uncommon for some individuals to experience fluidity in these attributes over their adolescence and adulthood, through different life experiences and relationships. What are we to do with this reality? I believe that it is important that you remain curious and open to what your mind and body are telling you in different situations, and not to force yourself into a box that might be constraining for you. I believe that others should be careful not to pressure those around them to declare a sexual or gender identity, and to give freedom to be unlabelled, or to shift one’s previously declared sexual or gender identity. There is fear that this message might impact efforts to increase acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities, but I believe that we are ready for a more open approach to understanding sexual and gender identities. You may wish to check out Dr. Lisa Diamond’s research for more information.
Sexual Fluidity Book
Ted Talk
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Pole, J. (2015). Gender Fluidity. WikiMedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Genderfluidity_Pride-Flag.svg.