Who you are drawn to is not the same question as what your gender is. Your clothes cannot answer either question for you. SOGIE is a vocabulary for separating these questions, not a test that decides your identity. You can use it even if you are still figuring things out.
Four terms at a glance
SOGIE combines the first three terms below. Adding sex characteristics gives us SOGIESC:
- Sexual orientation (SO): Who am I attracted to, if anyone?
- Gender identity (GI): How do I experience and understand my own gender?
- Gender expression (GE): How do I present myself through clothing, voice, mannerisms and more?
- Sex characteristics (SC): What physical features of my body relate to sex?
These concepts are not only about LGBTQ+ people. Straight people have a sexual orientation; cisgender people have a gender identity. This is a way to understand people, not a form everyone must fill in. The basic terminology below draws on UN Free & Equal’s definitions.
Sexual orientation is about attraction, not a dating record
Sexual orientation describes emotional, romantic or sexual attraction: to people of the same gender, a different gender or more than one gender, for example. Bisexual can describe attraction to more than one gender; it does not require equal attraction to each. Pansexual often describes attraction regardless of gender. The useful term is the one the person feels fits, not the one someone else assigns them.
Romantic and sexual attraction do not always line up. Some asexual people do not experience sexual attraction but do experience romantic feelings; others do not experience either. Wanting a romantic relationship is therefore not the only question worth asking about attraction.
You do not need a dating or sexual history to earn a label, and your current partner does not give others permission to label you. Read more about what sexual orientation is and isn’t.
Gender identity can take time to understand
Gender identity is your internal experience and understanding of your gender: as a woman, a man, a nonbinary person, or someone who does not identify with any gender, for instance. It is not a personality test of whether you are “masculine enough” or “feminine enough.”
Sex assigned at birth is usually a classification based on an infant’s external anatomy. Cisgender commonly describes a gender identity that aligns with that assignment; transgender describes one that does not. Nonbinary covers gender experiences outside an exclusively man-or-woman binary. Some nonbinary people also call themselves trans, and some do not. People decide which terms to use for themselves.
You do not have to have known since childhood for your experience to count. Some people can describe their gender early on; others begin exploring in adolescence or adulthood. The American Psychological Association’s FAQ explicitly notes that people can become aware of being transgender at any age. Being unsure now, or finding a better description later, is not a reason to dismiss someone’s experience. See gender identity basics.
Gender expression is what others see, not the whole story
Gender expression includes hairstyle, clothing, voice and mannerisms. People may read an expression as masculine, feminine, androgynous or something else. Those interpretations vary across cultures, settings and time.
Expression is not always a completely free choice. A school uniform, workplace rules or concern for safety might limit what someone wears. Whether you prefer short hair, dresses or suits, you do not owe anyone a particular appearance to prove your gender. Nor does that appearance tell others who you are attracted to.
Sex characteristics describe bodies, not identity labels
Sex characteristics include reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormonal patterns and features that develop at puberty, such as body hair, breasts and voice changes. The term is not limited to external genitalia.
Intersex is an umbrella term for innate variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies. As UN Free & Equal explains, some variations are apparent at birth, others emerge at puberty, and some are not visible externally at all. Intersex does not mean nonbinary or transgender: intersex people can have any gender identity or sexual orientation. See our intersex explainer.
One fact about someone cannot fill in the rest
These concepts are distinct, but they can intersect in lived experience. The practical point is: knowing one aspect of a person does not determine the others.
“She has short hair and wears suits, so she must be a lesbian.” This mistakes expression for evidence of orientation. She might be straight, lesbian or bi, use another term, or use no label. Her appearance does not answer for her. Read why orientation cannot be spotted at a glance.
“If I like men, does that mean I’m really a woman?” Attraction and gender identity are different questions. A man can be attracted to men and still understand himself as a man. A trans woman can have any sexual orientation, too. See why being trans is not the same as being gay.
Your words and your privacy are yours
If the terminology feels overwhelming, ordinary sentences are enough: “At the moment, I notice I’m drawn to women.” “This way of being addressed feels more comfortable.” “I’m unsure, and I don’t want a label right now.” There is no form to submit and no requirement to understand every aspect at once.
You decide what stays private and whether to discuss it with anyone. You do not owe curious people an account of your body, medical history, relationships or quiz results. Offer others the same space: use the terms they want used, do not ask about their anatomy to verify their identity, and do not pass on private information without consent.
The orientation exploration test and gender explorer can help organize your thoughts, but they cannot determine your identity and are not diagnoses. Taking a test is optional, not a step you must complete. There is also a glossary and a page of support resources. You have no deadline for figuring yourself out.
A note on the 2006 principles and the 2017 supplement
The Yogyakarta Principles, adopted in 2006, addressed human rights in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. Their definition of gender identity also mentioned expressions such as dress and speech. The 2017 Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10 (YP+10) supplemented the original principles with explicit attention to gender expression and sex characteristics. It would therefore be misleading to describe the 2006 text as already using today’s full SOGIESC framework. These documents provide context for human rights discussions, not criteria for deciding anyone’s identity.