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Someone who does not exclusively identify as male or female and presents their identity in more than one mode may consider themselves to have two genders.
Are there just two genders?
As with any other Transgender group, the reasons for identifying as two genders may vary. A person may identify as two genders but still be fluid and have a varied expression of gender.
The diversity of gender presentation is much more complicated than a traditional binary gender system could possibly represent, although there are still people who are binary identified.
People who alternate genders may self-label as bigender or Two-Spirit. Also, some people who identify as genderqueer may also identify with the terms bigender or Two-Spirit.
‘Why are you sitting on the fence?’
People who are two genders may sometimes face the same questions that bisexual people face when questioned about their sexuality, although sexual orientation and gender identity are entirely different. See Trans 101 if the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity doesn’t entirely make sense to you.
Truths About Two Genders
People who are two genders do not have to pick one and stick with just one.
Being two genders does not mean that you are confused.
People who are two genders do not have to be a perfect 50-50 split between genders; i.e., feeling like a man 50% of the time and feeling like a woman 50% of the time. Their gender may vary over days, weeks, months and/or years. Although people generally of two genders in terms of binary identity, people who are two genders do not necessarily adhere to a binary gender system.
The two genders someone identifies with do not have to be man and woman. They could be any pair of genders which a person could possibly think of. (See Trans 101 if the idea of genders besides man and woman doesn’t entirely make sense to you.)
I feel like I don’t fit either gender
Sometimes the pressure of social or cultural gender expectations can be so great that people do not feel that they measure up to any gender identity. Remember that to a great degree, the conceptions that people have about “proper” gender behaviour are based on cultural beliefs and those may differ from culture to culture. If your gender does not conform to what your family or your culture expects, that does not mean that you cannot identify with that particular gender. There are a wide range of possibilities for self expression, including identifying as no gender.
See also
- Androgyny
- Atypical gender role
- Gender neutral pronouns
- Genderfuck
- Genderqueer
- Transgender
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