The ‘Every Body’

The better you understand the terms below, the better you may understand yourself and how you relate to other people. After all, these 4 traits are basic to who we are as people:

sex
gender identity
gender expression
sexual orientation

Many use the terms ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ to mean the same thing, but it’s not correct.

Check out the ‘Every Body’ below to get a better understanding of these 4 traits, how they differ and how they make us the people we are.

(The printable PDF is available in English and French as well.)

* Click the icons on the "Every Body" to learn more

Gender Identity

A person’s internal sense of identity as woman, man, both, fluid among genders or no gender, regardless of their sex assigned at birth.

Sexual Orientation

A person’s emotional, physical and/or sexual attraction to others. It can change and may or may not be the same as a person's sexual behaviors.

Sex

Categories (male, female) to which people are typically assigned at birth based on physical characteristics (e.g. genitals). Some people may be assigned intersex, when their reproductive, sexual or genetic biology doesn’t fit the traditional definitions of male or female.

Gender Expression

How a person presents their gender. This can include appearance, name, pronoun and social behaviour.