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Gender Identity Disorder

By Kathy Belge, About.com

Definition: Gender Identity Disorder is a term used by physicians and psychologists to classify people who are transgender or transsexual. Gender Identity Disorder is a DSM-IV diagnosis that many transgender and transsexual people find offensive because it implies that something is wrong with them. Gender Identity Disorder has been used against gay, lesbian and gender-variant people (frequently children or adolescents) in order to force them into psychotherapy, mental institutions or conversion therapy.

Next Term: Gender Variance

Also Known As: Gender Dysphoria
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