Gender and Sex
Gender refers to how one relates to the gender categories within one’s society and culture. One’s gender is built from many different aspects, including gender identity, gender presentation (also referred to as gender expression), gender quality, gender alignment, and gender modality.
All societies have a set of gender categories, each with their own cultural norms and expectations, which are typically based on a division of labor. In most Western societies, there is a gender binary, meaning two recognized genders (male/men and female/women), and those who exist outside these categories fall under the umbrella terms non-binary or genderqueer. Some societies have gender categories other than men and women, such as the hijras of South Asia. These are often referred to as third genders (and fourth genders, etc.).
Gender is a spectrum, meaning that people don't necessarily fall neatly into a single category. The demigender identities reflect this. Demigender is an umbrella term that refers to nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to the concept of another gender.
Terminology
Here are some terms that will help anyone interested understand demigender identities better.Demigender
An umbrella term that refers to a person who identifies partially with a specific gender identity marker.Assigned Gender
The gender a person is given or presumed to have at birth based on their primary sex traits. Sometimes called sex assigned at birth.Gender Expression
The way a person expresses their gender identity through clothing, speech, hairstyle, mannerisms, etc.Demiboy or Demigirl
May also be referred to using the terms demigal or demiguy. These are identities under the label demigender. They refer to people who partially identify as boy/man or woman/girl.Gender Identity
A person's deeply felt understanding of their own gender. This may or may not align with their sex ssigned at birth.Trans Feminine
A person who was assigned male at birth but identifies as primarily feminine. They may be nonbinary, transgender, or another identity.Trans Masculine
Similar to trans feminine, only assigned female at birth but identifies as more masculine.Nonbinary
Nonbinary gender identities include those who do not identify with the male or female binary categories.Gender Fluid
A gender identity that changes over time or intermittently.Genderqueer
A term that may refer to gender identities not within the binary. Some people self-identify as genderqueer as a way to make a personal or political statement rejecting traditional views on gender.Agender
Agender people don't identify with any gender.Bigender
A person who identifies with two distinct gender identities.Gender Dysphoria
Distress associated with a disparity between a person's gender identity and their assigned gender.Cisgender
A person whose gender identity aligns with their assigned gender and biological sex.Gender Spectrum
The concept that there aren't just two genders, but that gender identity exists on a spectrum with many people not falling at one end of the spectrum or another. Feminine GendersAs each person negotiates their understanding of their gender identity, they might dig into their thoughts on masculinity and femininity. If being feminine resonates with them, they might identify with one of the feminine genders. But, what does this mean exactly?
Terminology
Here are some some important words and phrases to know in order to understand what a feminine or female gender is.Feminine Genders
This is a category of gender identities that are associated with femininity.Gender Identity
This is a person's deeply felt sense of their own gender. A person's gender identity may be man, woman, non-binary, or something else.Gender Expression
When a person identifies with a particular gender, they may choose to express that through their clothing, hairstyle, voice, interests, and movement. This is gender expression. Because each person has their own perception of what it means to be a particular gender identity, the way they express that will also vary.
