There are lots of different genders.
But some people think there are only 2.
When people are born, the doctor usually says “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!”
The doctor says this based on what someone’s body looks like.
But sometimes the doctor is wrong.
You don’t have to be a boy or girl just because of what your body looks like.
Sometimes, a person who was told she was a boy is actually a girl.
TransgenderWhen your gender is different than people thought when you were born. means your gender is different than people thought when you were born.
CisgenderWhen your gender is the same as people thought when you were born. means your gender is the same as people thought when you were born.
For example:
Billy is transgender.
When Billy was born, everyone thought he was a girl.
But Billy knew he was a boy.
Billy told people that he was a boy.
Now, he lives his life as a man.
There are lots of different genders.
Sometimes, a person is not a boy or a girl.
Sometimes, a person does not have a gender.
Sometimes, a person feels like different genders at different times.
Non-binaryWhen someone isn’t just a boy or a girl. means that someone isn’t just a boy or a girl.
A lot of autistic people are transgender or non-binary.
We do not know why this happens.
That is okay!
It is okay to be autistic.
It is okay to be transgender or non-binary.
It is okay to be both!
Some people say that autistic people cannot understand ourselves.
They might just say that we are confused about our gender.
Those people are wrong!
Autistic people get to decide what our genders are, no matter what.