Happy Pride Month, you guys! It’s June, and we are excited to be celebrating LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) Pride Month. To give you guys a bit of a quick history lesson, the month of June was chosen to commemorate the Stonewall Gay Riots that took place in June 1969 in New York. The whole idea of pride month is to celebrate the LGBTQ community that has been, and to a great extent still is, oppressed worldwide. In the wake of a multitude of social movements, pride parades and law changes (Section 377 ), we must educate ourselves on the various gender identities that people associate themselves to.
Gender must not be confused with sex. While sex is determined by the reproductive organs you are born with, gender is how you feel about yourself. Your gender could fall anywhere in the range of the spectrum, from male to female to anywhere in the middle.
So, I compiled an easy to read-list that encompasses the 20 different gender identities. Whether you’re having a discussion on the LGBTQ community, you meet someone that identifies as one of the following, or you yourself identify as one of these, go on and give it a read!
1. AFAB and AMAB
This stands for “assigned female/male at birth”. The gender that was associated with the person at birth as a result of the set of reproductive organs they were born with.
2. Agender/None Gender
Literally translated, this means someone ‘without gender’. A person who doesn’t identify with any gender.
3. Androgyne
A person who doesn’t identify with only one gender; they simultaneously are both male and female.
4. Bigender
Literally translated, it means ‘two genders’. A person who identifies as both male and female genders. Some bigender people have two distinct male and female personas.
5. Binary
This is used as a system to describe the polar opposite genders as either female or male.
6. Cisgender
A person who identifies as the gender they were assigned to at birth, as a result of their reproductive organs. For example, a person born with a vagina is considered female at birth, and they identify as female as well. Thus, she is a cis female. The same applies to cis males.
7. Demi girl
A person (can also be called a demi woman or a demi female) who identifies partially with being a woman or has feminine characteristics along with another gender as well. They are mostly fixed, rather than fluid.
8. Demi boy
A person (can also be called a demiman or demi male) who identifies partially with being a man or masculine characteristics along with another gender as well. They are mostly fixed, rather than fluid.
9. Gender Apathetic
A person who doesn’t identify with any particular gender. They do not have an opinion towards their own gender and do not mind passing off as anything.
10. Gender Fluid
A person who moves between genders, and has a changing or “fluid” gender identity.
11. Gender Non-conforming/Gender Variant
A person who does not match masculine or feminine gender norms.
12. Genderqueer
An identity commonly used by people who do not identify or express their gender within the gender binary. Those who identify as genderqueer may identify as neither male nor female may see themselves as outside of or in between the binary gender boxes, or may simply feel restricted by gender labels.
13. Intergender
A person who is in the middle between the binary genders of female and male, and could be a mix of both.
14. Neutrosis
A gender identity which is considered to be a neutral or null gender.
15. Non-binary
A person who does not identify with the binary gender constructs. An umbrella term for genders that fall somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum and are neither male or female.
16. Pangender/Polygender/Omnigender
A person who identifies as more than one gender.
17. Trans Woman
A person who was assigned male at birth, but who identifies as a woman. Some trans people choose to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
18. Trans Man
A person who was assigned female at birth, but now identifies as a man. Some trans people choose to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
19. Trigender
Literally translated to three genders. A person who shifts between the male, female and third genders.
20. Two-Spirit
The various indigenous gender identities in North America. A person who fulfills a traditional third-gender ceremonial role in their culture.
So, this was a quick guide to educate yourself and your loved ones. In a progressive time like today, we must ensure that we are well aware of all the different ways people express their identities. It is sooo important to be sensitive and open because after all, love is love. Did you learn something today? Let us know in the comments below.
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