Agender/zh: Difference between revisions

| quote = <span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">I discovered non-binary identities last year when I was 18. When I read the definition of "agender", it just clicked.</span>

| name = <span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">Jay</span>

| age = <span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">19</span>

| identity = <span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">Agender</span>

| gallery_link = Pride Gallery/Agender

'''Agender''' (also called '''genderblank'''{{citation needed}}, '''genderfree''', '''genderless''', '''gendervoid'''{{citation needed}}, '''non-gendered,''' '''ungendered'''<ref name="Eyler">{{cite journal|last1=Eyler |first1=A.E.|last2=Wright |first2=K.|year=1997|url=https://cdn.atria.nl/ezines/web/IJT/97-03/numbers/symposion/ijtc0102.htm|title=Gender Identification and Sexual Orientation Among Genetic Females with Gender-Blended Self-Perception in Childhood and Adolescence.|journal=International Journal of Transgenderism|quote=An individual of any genetic sex may also regard him-herself as neither a woman nor a man, but a member of some other gender, as is common in non-Western cultures (and is becoming increasingly recognized in the West as well), or as an ungendered person, who does not or will not identify with any conventional gender.}}</ref>, or '''null gender'''{{citation needed}}) is an identity under the [[nonbinary]] and [[transgender]] [[umbrella terms]]. Agender individuals find that they have no [[gender identity]], although some define it more as having a gender identity that is neutral. (See [[gender neutral]] for a related identity.)

Agender Pride day is celebrated on the 19th of May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Important LGBT Dates |author= |work=LGBTLifeWestchester.org |date= |access-date=11 November 2021 |url= https://www.lgbtlifewestchester.org/important_lgbt_dates}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Agender Pride Day |last=Ohene |first=Benjamin |work=Believe Out Loud |date= |access-date=11 November 2021 |url= https://www.believeoutloud.com/voices/article/agender-pride-day/}}</ref>

==History== <!--T:6-->

Salem X (also known as "Ska" or as their Tumblr user name "transrants") created the agender flag in 2014, sharing the design on Feb 18th.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://majesticmess.com/encyclopedia/agender-flag/ |title=Agender Flag – Majestic Mess Designs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612222135/https://majesticmess.com/encyclopedia/agender-flag/ |archive-date=12 June 2022 |date= |website=Majestic Mess |access-date=24 March 2023}}

</ref> In reference to the colors chosen, they said "The black and white stripes represent an absence of gender, the gray represents semi-genderlessness, and the central green stripe represents nonbinary genders." In 2014, they also created the demiboy, demigirl and deminonbinary flags.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://majesticmess.com/2018/12/16/interview-creator-of-the-agender-flag/ |title=Interview: Creator of the Agender Flag – Majestic Mess Designs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228183501/https://majesticmess.com/2018/12/16/interview-creator-of-the-agender-flag/ |archive-date=28 February 2022 |date= |website=Majestic Mess |access-date=24 March 2023}}

In 2014, agender was one of the 56 genders made [[Gender and social media sites|available on Facebook]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Shapira|first=Eve|title=Gender circuits: Bodies and identities in a technological age}}</ref>

In 2015, Dictionary.com added an entry for "agender,"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.dictionary.com/2015-new-words/ |title=New words added to Dictionary.com |date=May 6, 2015 |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=24 March 2023}}

</ref> which it defined as "a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/agender?s=t |title=Agender |date= |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=24 March 2023}}

</ref>

==Agender as gender identity or lack of gender identity== <!--T:11-->

==Difference between genderless and neutrois== <!--T:14-->

There is little agreement about the difference between terms such as agender, genderless, non-gender, gender neutral, and [[neutrois]]. These terms are often used interchangeably, or defined differently by individual writers in ways that don't necessarily match the self-definitions of others using those terms.{{citation needed}}

It is often said that non-gender or genderlessness is the experience of having ''no'' gender identity at all, whereas gender neutral or neutrois is the experience of ''having'' a gender identity, a gender identity which is not male or female, but neutral.{{citation needed}} However, these statements don't match the experiences of everyone who has taken up these identities as their own. This is a result of a disagreement between word definitions that are ''prescriptivist'' (telling everyone how they ''should'' use a word, and saying that many people use it wrong) and ''descriptivist'' (describing how people have actually been ''using'' a word, without telling them to change).

===Non-gendered as an umbrella term=== <!--T:17-->

Some activists, such as [[Christie Elan-Cane]], use '''non-gendered''' to mean all gender outside of the [[gender binary]].{{citation needed}} This use comes from several years before the term '''nonbinary''', but is seen as problematic because it gives the idea that nonbinary gender identities don't exist, or that all nonbinary people are genderless.{{citation needed}} Nonetheless this usage is in some official organisations' documents and resources as the term to cover all nonbinary people. This is most common in the United Kingdom, for example throughout the 2011 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transgender-action-plan UK Government Transgender Action Plan].

==List of kinds of agender identities== <!--T:19-->

'''anongender.''' "A gender that is unknown to you and others".{{citation needed}}

 

<!--T:22-->

'''apogender.''' Coined by queerspike. "Greek prefix apo, meaning away from, separate, at the farthest point; a subset of agender in which you feel not only genderless but entirely removed from the concept of gender."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://purrloinsucks.tumblr.com/post/95723127519/genders-coined-by-queerspike|title=genders coined by queerspike|date=25 August 2014}}</ref>

 

'''[[list of uncommon nonbinary identities#agenderflux|agenderflux]].''' Coined by perfectlybrokenbones. "Where you identify as agender but have fluctuations where you feel feminine or masculine but not male or female. ".{{citation needed}}

'''[[agenderfluix]].''' A cross between agenderfluid and agenderflux; "a gender identity that is predominantly agender, but is fluid in nature and fluctuates in intensity over time." May also be called gxnderfluix, agxnderfluix, afluidflux, or flxidflux.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Agenderfluix| work=Gender Wiki |title=Agenderfluix|access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref>

'''cancegender.''' coined by prideful-concerto. "An individual is agender as their “base” gender but experiences fluid/fluxing gender feelings in tandem with their emotions. These gender feelings may confuse or upset the individual and cause their emotional state to go haywire, which causes more gender changes."{{citation needed}} Synonym agenderfluid.

'''genderblank.''' As described by Damloz: Having no gender.{{citation needed}} Also, as described by anonymous: "a gender so indescribable that the only thought one gets when trying to describe it is a blank space"{{citation needed}}

'''[[list of uncommon nonbinary identities#gender-free|genderfree]].''' As described by polyamaesthetic, "someone whose gender is not present; someone who feels their gender is insignificant or irrelevant; someone whose gender is kind of ambiguous, but definitely queer; someone whose gender feels blurry, cloudy, whimsical, and free"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://polyamaesthetic.tumblr.com/post/183876471860/genderfree-flowers-genderfree-someone-whose|title=genderfree + flowers|website=Tumblr|date=1 April 2019}}</ref> Caution: sometimes used by [[Cissexism#Transgender-exclusionary_feminists|trangender-exclusionary feminists]] to identify themself as someone who rejects the concept of [[gender identity]].<ref name="medi_CanY">{{Cite web |title=Can You Actually Be #Genderfree? |last=Williams |first=Rachel Anne |work=Medium |date=25 April 2019 |access-date=4 April 2020 |url= https://medium.com/@transphilosophr/can-you-actually-be-genderfree-b38fe95a0cd7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://terflies.tumblr.com/post/184414453101/heads-upgenderfree-is-the-new-gender-critical|title=Queerios on Tumblr|website=Tumblr}}</ref>

'''gendernull.''' As described by Baaphomett, "A gender like gendervoid but without the void."{{citation needed}}

'''gendervoid.''' As described by Baaphomett, "A gender consisting of the void (also/originally used to mean the same thing as genderless)."<ref name="Masterpost">{{cite web|title=masterpost of genders coined by baaphomett|archive-url=https://purrloinsucks.tumblr.com/post/95720973644/masterpost-of-genders-coined-by-baaphomett|author=mogai-archive|url= http://mogai-archive.tumblr.com/post/91736136744/masterpost-of-genders-coined-by-baaphomett|archive-date=25 August 2014}}</ref>

'''librafluid.''' Coined by otterlyradical and pride-flags-for-us. "Mostly agender, but has a strong connection that fluctuates between masculinity, femininity and/or androgyny."{{citation needed}} See also [[libragender]].

'''[[list of uncommon nonbinary identities#null gender|null gender]].''' Coined by dieselwolfe. "Undefinable, intangible, the uncreation of gender. Its taking everything everyone throws at you, saying male, female, pick one, pick this, pick that, and taking it in, only to expel it, poisonous crystals erupting from your skin, armor against those who don’t listen. A 'I don’t want a label because labels don’t fit but they help shut people up sometimes, so here have a label' gender label. A fall-back plan, a red herring to give people who can’t conceptualize the absence, void, nullification of gender. It is, and is not. All and none. Nonexistant but present."{{citation needed}}

'''oneirogender.''' Coined by anonymous. "Being agender, but having recurring fantasies or dreams  of being a certain gender without the actual dysphoria or desire to actually be that gender day-to-day. e.g. oneiroboy, oneirogirl, oneirononbinary, etc."{{citation needed}}

'''polyagender.''' Someone who experiences multiple types of agender-spectrum identities; for example they could be a combination of agender, null gender, and gendervoid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deviantart.com/silencethefox/art/Polyagender-Stamp-736330258|title=Polyagender stamp by SilenceTheFox|website=DeviantArt|date=20 March 2018|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nonbinaryresource.tumblr.com/post/154766502356/confused-agender-anon-from-a-while-ago-i-have|title=nonbinary resource|website=Tumblr|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref>

==Notable people== <!--T:33-->

[[File:Angel Haze live at Øyafestivalen 2013.jpg|thumb|200px|<span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">Angel Haze live at Øyafestivalen 2013.</span>]]

[[File:Andrej.jpg|thumb|200px|<span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">[[Andre J.]] at Dick's Bar in the East Village, March 2007</span>]]

[[File:Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Becoming Interplanetary.jpg|thumb|200px|<span lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">[[Chanda Prescod-Weinstein]] at Becoming Interplanetary talk at the Library of Congress, 2018</span>]]

There are many more [[notable nonbinary people|notable people who have a gender identity outside of the binary]]. The following are only some of those notable people who specifically use the words "agender," "genderblank," "genderfree," "genderless," "gendervoid," "non-gendered," or "null gender" for themselves.

* [[Christie Elan-Cane]] is a non-gendered activist based in the UK, "fighting for legal and social recognition outside the societal gender system".<ref name="LJprofile">{{cite web|url=http://elancane.livejournal.com/profile|title=elancane - Profile|website=LiveJournal|access-date=24 March 2022|quote= My core identity is neither male nor female }}</ref>

* [[Public Universal Friend]] (1752 - 1819), an evangelist who preached against slavery in the early United States. The Friend was genderless and asked to be called by [[English neutral pronouns#No pronouns|no pronouns at all]].<ref name="Lamphier-Welch-331">{{cite book |last1=Lamphier |first1=Peg A. |last2=Welch |first2=Rosanne |date=2017 |title=Women in American History |page=331}}</ref><ref name="Brekus-85">{{cite book |last1=Brekus |first1=Catherine A. |date=2000 |title=Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740-1845 |page=85}}</ref><ref name="Juster-MacFarlane-27-28 Brekus-85 etc">{{cite book |last1=Juster |first1=Susan |last2=MacFarlane |first2=Lisa |date=2018 |title=A Mighty Baptism |page=27-28}}</ref>

* [[Juno Mitchell]] is an American model. They walked alongside [[Miley Cyrus]] in the 2020 Marc Jacobs New York Fashion Week show.<ref name="Lankston">{{Cite web |title=EXCLUSIVE: Genderless trans model who strutted the Marc Jacobs runway with Miley Cyrus opens up about their 'refreshing' heart-to-heart with the singer - while urging the industry to be more accepting of non-binary people |last=Lankston |first=Charlie |work=Daily Mail |date=2 March 2020 |access-date=1 June 2020 |url= https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8046939/Genderless-Marc-Jacobs-model-opens-doing-runway-Miley-Cyrus.html}}</ref> Their Instagram profile says they are agender.<ref name="igbio">{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/juno_mitchell/|title=Juno Mitchell profile|website=Instagram|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref>

* [[Jinkx Monsoon]] (b. 1987) an American drag performer, actor, comedian and singer best known for winning the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. In a Facebook post about transphobia and the drag scene, Monsoon said, "I, myself do not identify as cis-gendered. I am genderless."<ref name="jinkxmonsoon">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/jinkx.monsoon/posts/818079764894630|title=Jinkx Monsoon on Facebook|website=Facebook|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref>

* [[Bogi Takács]] is a Jewish poet, writer, psycholinguist, editor, and translator who has written Torah-inspired work. They won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Transgender Fiction. Their Twitter bio says they are agender.<ref name="BT-tweet">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/bogiperson|title=@bogiperson profile|website=Twitter|access-date=24 March 2022}}</ref>

* “Ashiok” from the popular card game Magic: The Gathering is explicitly referred to as being nongendered. Though some depictions of the character include “he” as a pronoun, a lead designer from the company that makes the game has insisted on numerous occasions that the character is explicitly nongendered.<ref name=dougbeyertaggedashiok>{{cite web |url=http://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/tagged/ashiok |title=A Voice for Vorthos – Posts tagged with “Ashiok” |website=Doug Beyer’s Blog – A Voice for Vorthos |access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref> Even going so far as to write stories which avoid referring to Ashiok using gendered pronouns at all.<ref name=dougbeyerashiokstories>{{cite web |url=http://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/post/85018556969/ok-so-when-are-we-going-to-learn-more-about-the |title=A Voice for Vorthos – Ok so when are we going to learn more about the specifics about Ashiok? Ashiok is not in the first novel at all and nothing is depicted in the cards. |website=Doug Beyer’s Blog – A Voice for Vorthos |access-date=24 March 2023}}

</ref> Ashiok's card can be found [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373500 here.]

* Roswell, in the podcast ''The Adventure Zone'', is an Earth Elemental made of living clay in a suit of armor, who talks via a small bird. Roswell is agender and uses they/them pronouns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theadventurezone.wikia.com/wiki/Roswell|website=The Adventure Zone Wiki|title=Roswell|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref>

* *''[http://tapastic.com/series/Eri Eri the Cyborg]''{{dead link}} by Ren is a comic that features an agender protagonist.

* Biaggio, in the movie "The Kings of Summer," asserts that they don't see themself as "having a gender."

* In the video game ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nights_into_Dreams... NiGHTS into Dreams]'' the character "NiGHTS is neutral, and therefore has no gender. The impressions of the character with regards to gender are totally up to the player" according to Takashi Iizuka, the lead designer of the game.<ref>{{cite web |last= Taylor |first= Mike |date= 5 December 2007 |title= Interview: Takashi Iizuka Talks NiGHTS |website= Nintendo Life |url= http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2007/12/interview_takashi_iizuka_talks_nights |access-date= 24 March 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==

<br />{{Pride flags|category=Agender pride flags|image=Agender}}

<references />