After watching the documentary and reflecting on your personal views, to what extent do you think gender identity is determined by the environment?  The questions below may help with your thinking.

Before I had watched the documentary, I believed that our gender has already been pre-determined psychologically. But I never knew that there is an actual reason why we are what our gender is.

After watching the documentary, I have little faith that the environment we are growing up in is affecting our gender identity. Though one thing I believe that the environment had affected was that whether or not we can accept our gender and open up.

A very good example of this would be when Brenda/David was socially excluded due to enjoying what boys like and acting like one. She/He was feeling confused and didn’t want to worry his parents, thus not opening up to them about his identity. Only when his parents had finally revealed to him that he was actually a boy then only he had open up to them and live as a boy.

I believe that gender is a really important aspect of our identity. It allows people to identify whether you are a female or a male, allows people to have a vague targeted audience.

But as I have hinted before, it is normally used as a barrier or restriction. Like saying girls are meant to be acting fragile and like a princess, that they should be liking pink. Excuse me! I only said that gender allows people to have a vague targeted audience, so don’t go around twisting my words!

Gender is only one of the aspects of our life. We are all meant to be different, to be unique. So it’s alright if girls like blue and likes climbing trees!

People can only be open about their gender identity when they are in a environment that accepts them. Being in an environment that doesn’t will just restrict access to what they actually enjoy and wants to live as.

Although I do say that a open community is great, it sometimes confuses you on your own identity upon learning that there are other ‘types’ of people. I remember that when they were talking about the LGBTQ+ community, I was falling into the Q part of the name and had kept asking myself: am I one of them?

It does get confusing, but I guess when you look at your interactions and interests, you will find your answer.