**GENDER IDENTITY**

Identity can be defined as characteristics determining who or what a person is. Based on that, we can derive that gender identity is how and what you feel about your gender. Just because someone was born as a male, and feel inner characteristics more as a female (or vice versa), or feel that those inner characteristics currently don’t belong to either male or female gender, why is that person likely to be discriminated? In many countries, including mine, gender identity is considered a taboo topic. As a result of it, young people who don’t identify themselves either as male or female are struggling to start a conversation with their parents or even friends. ![1pture.PNG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWSSfMavcVAGc9cFdRaHTopyA5v22qLMaP2GeH9PyJjMC/1pture.PNG) At my current international boarding school, a few of my friends never felt psychologically connected with their sex and identify themselves as non-binary. Just recently, a close friend of mine cried because they remembered of all the mocking experienced in their life back in Brazil from where they luckily ‘escaped’ (‘they-them’ refers to non-binary persons). However, they told me that in our campus community they finally feel safe for the first time in their life. http://www.seattle.gov/Images/Police/SafePlace/SPD_SAFE_PLACE.png Feeling safe and being able to express yourself are human rights, and thus, should be socially accepted. Opposite of that can’t let an individual strive and reach the full potential. I strongly believe that national conversations about this subject are just starting and we have to give our support in raising the awareness about this important topic

Sources: https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/research/gender-2015/ http://www.seattle.gov/spd-safe-place @keyss