Morgan BellThe Non-Binary Gender Guide
April 13th 2009 16:32
For some people gender is not an on/off question. There is ambiguity in birth sex, genitals, gonads, chromosomes, outward expression, self-identity, and social roles. The question of male/female is not always as straight-forward as it seems.
Here is a helpful fact-sheet defining many of the diverse groups and terms which make up the gender spectrum.
Gender Identity - an inner sense of self.
Gender Expression - the way someone dresses, acts, grooms, etc.
Gender Binary - the erroneous belief that everyone must be either male or female with no area in between or outside of it.
Genderqueer - someone who's identity does not fall into the gender binary, also known as "gender ambiguous".
Assigned sex - the identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex.
Unisex - is a term describing activities undertaken and services provided without regard to the gender of those who participate, also known as "gender blind".
Transgender - an umbrella term for people with a "gender identity" (self-identification as woman, man, both or neither) that does not match their "assigned sex"
Agender - an identity of being genderless.
Androgyne - someone who identifies as both male and female (a gender identity).
Androgynous - a blend of male and female traits in appearance, behavior, personality, and/or dress. (a gender expression)
Neutrois - someone who identifies as genderless, and wishes to achieve a neutral or androgynous appearance and/or body, which can include hormones or surgery.
Bigender - someone who is male and female, typically switching between the two in identity and/or expression.
Cisgender - having a gender identity matching the behaviour or role considered appropriate for ones genetic birth sex. (as opposed to "transgender").
Intersexual - an umbrella term for people with a biological sex that is both male and female, neither or unidentifiable. Approx 1 in 100 births (1% of people) are intersex.
Hermaphrodite - a person who has both testicular and ovarian tissue, eg: one ovary and one testis, or an ovotestis.
Pseudohermaphrodites - a person who has genitals that don't match their gonads, eg: vagina and testes, or penis and ovaries.
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) - a genetic male (has one X and one Y chromosome) is resistant to male hormones when developing in the womb, resulting in the person having some or all of the physical characteristics of a woman, despite having the genetic makeup of a man. Complete AIS results in someone who looks female. Mild (incomplete) AIS syndrome results in a degree of sexual ambiguity which varies widely between individuals.
An 8/11/08 feature from ABC's Good Morning America on a woman with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). Featuring interview with Eden Atwood.
Here is a helpful fact-sheet defining many of the diverse groups and terms which make up the gender spectrum.
Gender Identity - an inner sense of self.
Gender Expression - the way someone dresses, acts, grooms, etc.
Gender Binary - the erroneous belief that everyone must be either male or female with no area in between or outside of it.
Genderqueer - someone who's identity does not fall into the gender binary, also known as "gender ambiguous".
Assigned sex - the identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex.
Unisex - is a term describing activities undertaken and services provided without regard to the gender of those who participate, also known as "gender blind".
Transgender - an umbrella term for people with a "gender identity" (self-identification as woman, man, both or neither) that does not match their "assigned sex"
Agender - an identity of being genderless.
Androgyne - someone who identifies as both male and female (a gender identity).
Androgynous - a blend of male and female traits in appearance, behavior, personality, and/or dress. (a gender expression)
Neutrois - someone who identifies as genderless, and wishes to achieve a neutral or androgynous appearance and/or body, which can include hormones or surgery.
Bigender - someone who is male and female, typically switching between the two in identity and/or expression.
Cisgender - having a gender identity matching the behaviour or role considered appropriate for ones genetic birth sex. (as opposed to "transgender").
Intersexual - an umbrella term for people with a biological sex that is both male and female, neither or unidentifiable. Approx 1 in 100 births (1% of people) are intersex.
Hermaphrodite - a person who has both testicular and ovarian tissue, eg: one ovary and one testis, or an ovotestis.
Pseudohermaphrodites - a person who has genitals that don't match their gonads, eg: vagina and testes, or penis and ovaries.
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) - a genetic male (has one X and one Y chromosome) is resistant to male hormones when developing in the womb, resulting in the person having some or all of the physical characteristics of a woman, despite having the genetic makeup of a man. Complete AIS results in someone who looks female. Mild (incomplete) AIS syndrome results in a degree of sexual ambiguity which varies widely between individuals.
An 8/11/08 feature from ABC's Good Morning America on a woman with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). Featuring interview with Eden Atwood.
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Comment by Janet Collins
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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ive been meaning to post something on gender for a while, i find queer theory fascinating, and i think all the wordsmiths out there on Orble would probably enjoy hearing some new terms you dont hear every day!
thanks for the comment!
Comment by Norm
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Comment by the world of gaye
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REFLECTIONS
THE WINDMILLS OF MY MIND
Comment by Morgan Bell
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you should have cut and paste her words!
hi Gaye,
it was a bit of a sad story hey
its a shame it caused her marriage to break down
i wonder if she was told the truth from birth, and reassured there was nothing wrong with her, if she would have accepted herself earlier?
Comment by Cheryl J
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A sad tale indeed as it is more common than people think to have AIS. As far as I'm concerned this woman is nothing more than an infertile woman and the thought that it ruined her marriage is tragic.
Some have hypothesised that some of the supermodels of the world may have AIS which would explain a lot toward their unusual body types. Not all of course, but I think it's a possibility. Many of these women are extremely tall, very feminine looking but with small boyish hips and coathanger frames which is not really a standard female body type.
I really recommend you read the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Not only is it a well written novel, it touches on the subjects of gender confusion, intersexuals, hermaphrodites and sufferers of AIS.
It's a bloody good read.
Really interesting post.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks so much for the book suggestion, it sounds like something i would absolutely LOVE!
that is a fascinating hypothesis about supermodels, i would love to know if there was any truth to it, i know a few famous ones have been pregnant, but many are childless (perhaps a symptom of anorexia and being in a chronically unhealthy underweight range??)
i heard recently there has been a rumour that Jamie Lee Curtis was born intersex, but she has never confirmed or denied, the rumour is based on her children being adopted and her unisex name . . . and perhaps a big spoonful of jealousy over her stunning good looks and talent haha
so nice to have a lovely interesting comment from a lovely interesting person
Comment by Postmodern Critic
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I think you would also enjoy reading Judith Butler's Gender Trouble, a very influential text in gender and feminist theory...
On my Facebook account, I don't identify as 'female' because it reinforces the gender binary... I skip that option altogether.
Thanks for bringing AIS and other terms to my attention, it's wonderful how diverse the worldwide community is!
Comment by Postmodern Critic
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks for another great book reference!
im glad i could share a few new words, i love definitions, esp when it comes to all the shades of grey in the queer community!
i think some of the social networking sites need to get with the times and be more flexible
Comment by sam sall
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these example you gave Morgan about Pseudohermaphrodites , true Hermaphrodite and AIS are actually very known in medicine ,also there is XX MALES syndrome, in which the person has female chromosomes but male physical features . The the tip of the Y chromosome that includes SRY gene is translocated to the X chromosome. As a result, an embryo with XX chromosomes with a translocated SRY gene will develop the physical characteristics of a male.
NOW in pseudoautosomal ,a piece of the Y chromosome exchanges with the tip of the X chromosome but in In XX male syndrome, this crossover includes the SRY portion of the Y.
another syndrome is Swyer syndrome which is form of "pure gonadal dysgenesis" in which there is normal sets of sex chromosomes (46,XY) but the gonads are not functional
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks for all the great information!
you certainly know your medical stuff!
i found THIS factsheet on the different types of Intersex, and it includes the ones you have mentioned above ie: Swyer Syndrome, XX Male Syndrome
Comment by nome