Gender Explained: A New Understanding of Identity in a Gender Creative World

Gr 9 Up–Geared towards parents or caregivers, this guide to gender is Ehrensaft (The Gender Creative Child) and Jurkiewicz’s (licensed clinical psychologist) attempt to demystify the “noise” around the issue of gender as it relates to prepubescent and adolescent children in the United States. The authors argue that, although the issue of gender exploration is often used as a fear tactic by pundits and is sensationalized by the media, every one of us has a different gender identity and expression that is influenced by nature, nurture, and culture. The duo provides evidence-based research to back up their assertion that gender is a fluid spectrum rather than a rigid binary. They also aim to inspire readers to listen to children about their preferred gender identity and expression to mitigate youth depression, anxiety, and suicide. Ehrensaft and Jurkiewicz achieve their primary goals of demystifying the misinformation surrounding gender-affirming care for youth in the United States and encouraging caregivers to provide that care for their children.