Gender Essentialism Among Adolescents: Comparative Analysis of Essentialist Beliefs About Sex and Gender Norms in LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Secondary Students

Abstract

Gender essentialism, the belief that gender traits are innate and immutable, plays a critical role in shaping societal norms. Although research has focused on how essentialist beliefs develop, little is known about modulation across diverse gender expressions and partner preferences, particularly during adolescence. This study aimed to explore essentialist beliefs, using a novel self-reported questionary, in LGBTQ+ adolescents compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers, (n=1037; ages 16–18). Results showed that LGBTQ+ represent 25% of students and this group showed significantly lower gender essentialism than their peers. However, all adolescents were influenced by prevailing societal expectations. These findings highlight the importance of understanding how gender essentialism operates within vulnerable populations and suggest potential implications for promoting gender equality in educational settings.