I believe that most of gender identity is determined by nature. You can not change who you are or what you feel no matter what. Our genes influence who we will become. For example, it was shown to us that the brains of trans-women are similar to cis-women instead of cis-men. But I also believe that the environment also influences our gender identity in a small way. If a trans-person was born in a conservative and traditional home, then he or she may not have found out that they are actually trans and might have lived their entire lives lying to themselves about who they are. It is like what we discussed in the first or second class of Global Perspectives. If an alcoholic is genetically programmed to be an alcoholic, then if he was never introduced to alcohol would he still be an alcoholic? If a trans-person is never aware of the option or fact that trans-people can exist and are valid, then the trans-person will never be able to understand that he or she is trans.

Gender is important to our identity because it shapes how we will behave. Of course, there are girls who will have interests in things that are mainly concentrated towards boys or vice versa, but gender is still important because it is a part of who we are. A puzzle is not complete if it has one piece missing from it. If we do not truly understand every part of ourselves, then we can not see the whole picture.