Is gender dysphoria a mental disorder? Gender anxiety is not a mental disorder. Gender dysphoria is a strong feeling that a person's actual gender is different from the biological gender assigned at birth.

Gender dysphoria was previously known as "gender identity disorder". However, this indicates that gender confusion is a mental illness, which is not the case. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledged in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that gender dysphoria only becomes a medical condition when it actually affects a person's health or well-being, and renamed it "gender dysphoria".

It is important to understand that although gender anxiety is a recognized medical condition, it is not a mental illness. Many people mistakenly associate gender anxiety with same-sex attraction, believing that all transgender individuals are homosexual. This is a dangerous and potentially harmful misunderstanding. People with gender dysphoria typically live as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, just like those whose gender identity matches their biological sex. Basically, gender anxiety has no impact on a person's sexual orientation.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment against individuals based on their gender identity (including transgender identity or sexual orientation) in the workplace. In addition, the US Department of Defense now allows transgender and lesbian/gay individuals to openly serve in various departments of the military.