Brief Description
The Genderqueer Identity Scale is a self-report assessment used to measure one’s relationship to different aspects of gender identity. Respondents rate their level of agreement with items that assess how they view and experience their gender (e.g., “The way I think about my gender has always been the same”) and their thoughts on their gender in the future (e.g., “In the future, it will upset me if people misgender me”). Response options range from "Strongly Agree," to "Strongly Disagree." The tool was developed to better understand the development of gender identity and is clinically useful for working with individuals who are exploring their gender identity and/or identify as gender diverse. This tool has been validated to distinguish differences between genderqueer, transgender, and cisgender individuals and allows for a deeper understanding of how the individual experiences and navigates their gender identity.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
24
Age Range for Administration
17+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
No recommended standard frequency; Blueprint recommends weekly or as clinically indicated.
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
Responses are given on a scale of 0 “Strongly Disagree” to 4 “Strongly Agree.” Items 6, 7, 19, 21, and 22 are reverse scored. Scoring the GQI involves summing the responses to obtain a total score, which can range from 0-92. Item 12 is not included in calculation of total or subscale scores, but can provide useful information (see McGuire et al., 2018). The GQI includes three subscales. These scores are found by summing the responses of each item within the subscale using the following table:
Subscale | Items | Score Range |
Challenging the Binary | 1-5 | 0-20 |
Social construction | 6-11 | 0-24 |
Theoretical awareness | 13-18 | 0-24 |
Gender fluidity | 19-24 | 0-24 |
The higher the total score and score in each subscale, the more strongly the individual identifies with that aspect of genderqueer identity. There are no established cutoff scores.
Blueprint Adjustments
Blueprint requires all items to be numbered. Therefore, the optional item in the Social Construction subscale is numbered as item 12. The items following this appear on Blueprint as items 13-18, whereas the original measure, which does not include a number for the optional item, is numbered 12-17. Additionally, the last six items on the original measure comprise the Gender Fluidity subscale and are numbered separately as 1-6, whereas they appear on Blueprint as items 19-24.
Clinical Considerations
Estimated time for completion: 6-12 minutes
This measure has not been validated for use with youth, but it is reasonable to assume that this measure could be used in working with middle to late adolescents who are exploring or questioning their identity.
Concepts assessed by the GQI, such as gender fluidity and non-binary identities, may be influenced by cultural, social, and individual factors. Clinicians should interpret results within the appropriate cultural and personal context to avoid misrepresentation or misunderstanding of a client's experience.
Citation
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