Gender-Variant

'Gender-variant' refers to behavior, expression, or preferences that differ from the usual expectations for one's sex—for example, a boy who prefers playing with dolls and wearing dresses, or a girl who never presents in a feminine way. The term is used mainly in research and child psychology.

What does it mean?

Gender-variant behavior in children is not new and is relatively common. Some children grow out of gender-variant behavior, others become gender-variant adults, and a small minority develop persistent gender dysphoria. The term is broader than transgender or non-binary: a gender-variant child does not necessarily claim a gender identity that differs from their sex at birth.

Distinction and overlap

Gender-variant describes behavior and expression, not identity. A gender-variant girl (for example, a 'tomboy') is not a transgender boy unless she also identifies as a boy. This distinction is essential in children: confusing gender-variant behavior with gender dysphoria has practical consequences for decisions about medical intervention.

Social and practical context

Research (Steensma et al., 2013; Singh et al., 2021) shows that the majority of gender-variant children—even those with clinical dysphoria—grow up to be cisgender (often homosexual) adults when no social or medical transition takes place. This phenomenon is called desistance. This stands in sharp contrast to figures from recent Western gender clinics involving social or medical transition, where persistence rates are much higher. That difference has direct implications for policies concerning puberty blockers and social transition in children.

Critical perspectives

The equation 'gender-variant child = transgender' that is implicitly made in parts of contemporary discourse has no scientific basis. Most gender-variant children do not become transgender adults. What this means for gay and lesbian young people in the gender debate is discussed in a separate article. Supporting the child in their expression without premature identity claims or medical steps is what the available research generally recommends. This cautious approach is called watchful waiting. That research from Groningen into gender doubts that resolve on their own also points in this direction is argued by genderpropaganda.nl.