I like scales, four-quadrant compasses, and alignment charts for introspecting how I feel about something. But they never have enough axes. In particular, they skip how strongly one feels about the topic.
For instance, when talking about clothing there are so many possibilities beyond “masculine” and feminine”.
Assessment questionnaires often use verbal scales like:
Strongly Agree – Agree – Undecided – Disagree – Strongly Disagree
or
Very Frequently – Frequently – Occasionally – Rarely – Very Rarely – Never
…and that format is useful for coming up with additional axes.
Pick one gender and have it firmly in your mind for a thought experiment.
If the mirror shows you appear to be that gender, do you feel:
Delighted – Pleased – Annoyed – Upset
If someone talks about you as that gender, do you feel:
Proud – Confident – Uncertain – Diminished
If you experimentally label yourself that gender do you feel:
Euphoric – Happy – Content – Uncomfortable – Sad – Dysphoric
How often do you have intrusive thoughts about your gender?
Very Frequently – Frequently – Occasionally – Rarely – Very Rarely – Never
How strongly are you attached to your gender today? Do you want your gender to be the first thing people know about you?
If fairies or space aliens magically changed everyone’s physical primary and secondary sexual characteristics while they slept and there was no possibility of changing it back:
How agitated would you be? Would you be calm enough to do your usual daily stuff the next day?
Is there a specific change that would bother you the most?
Is there a specific change that would please you the most?
Which changes would impact your emotions the least?
Think about a fictional character you relate to. How is their gender described? What part of their gender description do you relate strongly to? Is the relatable-ness to that described trait good or bad for your self-image?
How have your feelings about the color pink changed over your life?
Imagine or remember a costume you would love to wear to a party. What is gendered about it?
Remember or imagine something you want to wear and touch and admire while you’re wearing it but you don’t want people to see you in. What details of it are gendered?