A Dimensional Perspective on Sexual Orientation and Gender

Abstract

Gender identity - the subjective experience of membership to a gender - is generally taken for granted by most of the persons. It is part of our general identity, and provides a sense of continuity of the self, and interrogative on this aspect of our life are barely present in our consciousness. Exceptions are represented by stages of development such as adolescence or some categories of persons who do not identify themselves into the dichotomous world of men/female. The debate on gender identity recently has broken into the consciousness for Psychopathology, rising interrogatives from different perspectives, including Medicine, Phycology, Anthropology, and Ethic.

In the present symposium we resume the historical trajectory of gender definition, emphasizing the importance of a different perspective on gender than the common definition provided by western culture. We propose a phenomenological perspective on the components of sexual identity, which includes anatomical sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender role. The phenomenological approach is coherent with the dimensional view on sexual identity proposed by the DSM board, as well as by LGBT movements. This position considers Gender Dysphoria and transsexualism as a pole of gender variants continuum. Phenomenology looks at the comprehension of subjective gender heterogeneity, and the subjective world of gender dysphoric persons as the only way to take care of them; every psychological medical or surgical treatment should come as consequences. The phenomenological perspective on gender dysphoria may be useful to understand and partially explain the different subjective satisfaction to common hormonal and surgical treatment.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.