Any statement or action that dictates how one should identify, express, or present their gender. Identity policing may come from cisgender people who seek to punish or “correct” a person’s gender-variant identity or expression. It may also be observed among some transgender people who believe other transgender individuals should conform to the gender binary. Telling a transgender woman to “dress more feminine” is a form of identity policing, as it suggests that women must adhere to standards of conventional femininity in order for their womanhood to be respected.
