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Gender dysphoria

(noun)

Gender dysphoria is a clinical term referring to psychological distress experienced by some transgender or nonbinary people. It occurs when someone’s sex assigned at birth differs from their gender identity, and that causes significant distress or impairment in social, school, or other important areas of their life (Source).​​​

Examples: Rani is transmasc and feels gender dysphoria whenever somebody uses “she/her” pronouns to refer to him. He often wears baggy clothes and slouches because seeing his breasts makes him feel dysphoric.


Why it’s important to know this: Not all transgender and nonbinary individuals experience gender dysphoria. However, some students report that school practices such as dress codes, restroom policies, and gendered health curricula cause or exacerbate their gender dysphoria.

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