Gender variance in spirituality: Difference between revisions

Classical Judaism recognizes six categories of sex/gender, instead of the [[gender binary|male/female gender binary]] from modern Western culture. Jewish law (called ''halacha'') recognises gender ambiguity, and has done so throughout Jewish history.<ref>"More than Just Male and Female: The Six Genders in Ancient Jewish Thought." Freidson, Sarah. Sefaria, 10 June 2016. [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/37225]</ref> This ambiguity is defined according to physical presentation (or lack thereof) and primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Then Jewish law assigns six gender roles to these six sexes, each with distinct prohibitions and required duties. According to Rabbi Elliot Kukla, these six are:<ref>Robbie Medwed. "More Than Just Male and Female: The Six Genders in Classical Judaism." ''Sojourn'' (blog). June 01, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714011440/http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders</ref>

* [[Tumtum]] (טֻומְטוּם "hidden"): A person whose sexual characteristics are indeterminate or obscured. 181 references in Mishna and Talmud; 335 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes. In Yevamot 64a, the Talmud says that the Biblical figures Abraham and Sarah were said to have been born tumtum and infertile, and then miraculously turned into a fertile husband and wife in their old age. The classical description of the physical characteristic of tumtum as skin hiding normal female or male genitals does not exactly match any [[intersex]] condition known today. Modern scholars see it as corresponding with some known intersex conditions with [[ambiguous genitalia]].<ref>"Arachin 4b ~ The Tumtum, the Androgyne, and the Fluidity of Gender." ''Talmudology.'' June 20, 2019. https://www.talmudology.com/jeremybrownmdgmailcom/2019/6/17/arachin-4b-the-tumtum-the-androgyne-and-the-invention-of-gender?rq=tumtum</ref> In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 5 of the 11,242 respondents called themselves tumtum.<ref name="2019 Gender Census">"Gender Census 2019 - The Worldwide tl;dr." ''Gender Census'' (blog). March 31, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020. https://gendercensus.com/post/183843963445/gender-census-2019-the-worldwide-tldr Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200118084451/https://gendercensus.com/post/183843963445/gender-census-2019-the-worldwide-tldr</ref>

* Ay’lonit (איילונית): A person who is identified as “female” at birth, but fails to develop sexual characteristics at puberty or develops “male” characteristics, and is infertile. 80 references in Mishna and Talmud; 40 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes. Modern scholars think ay'lonit refers to a selection of intersex conditions, such as [[Turner's syndrome]].<ref>"Ketuvot 36 ~ The Aylonit Syndrome and Turner's Syndrome." ''Talmudology.'' March 10, 2015. https://www.talmudology.com/jeremybrownmdgmailcom/2015/3/9/ketuvot-36-the-aylonit</ref> In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 2 of the respondents called themselves ay’lonit.<ref name="2019 Gender Census" />

According to the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE - c. 50 CE), Adam's original form was "original man" or "heavenly man," which was "neither man nor woman," but was rather a spiritual being made "male and female" in the perfect image of God in Genesis 1:27, before being made into physical form from clay in Genesis 2:7, and then even later being separated into Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:21-22. Of [[#The six genders in classical Judaism|the six genders/sexes in classical Judaism]], Adam's gender/sex was originally the one called ''androgynos'' (אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס).<ref name="KasselAndrogynous">Charles Kassel. "Androgynous man in myth and tradition." ''The Open Court'', vol. 18. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Co., 1904. Page 525-530. Accessed May 2, 2019 via Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?id=VYtGAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA525#v=</ref><ref>Louis Ginzberg, "Adam Kadmon." ''Jewish Encyclopedia.'' 1906. Online version retrieved May 2, 2019. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/761-adam-kadmon</ref>  

Although seven Bible passages have sometimes been thought of as condemning lesbian, gay, or bisexual people, only ''one'' passage seems to specifically condemn cross-dressing, and, by extension, transgender people.<ref name="TransQueerTheology">Shannon Kearns, "Transgender and Christian?" ''Queer Theology.'' Retrieved April 30, 2019. https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian</ref> This is [https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/22-5.htm Deuteronomy 22:5], in one of the Hebrew books of law. Christians do not typically observe Judaic law, because Christians believe one of the important things Christ did when he came was fulfill all those laws, so Christians are no longer bound by them ([https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-17.htm Matthew 5:17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7%3A1-7&version=KJV Romans 7:1-7]; [https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-25.htm Galatians 3:25]).  

Angels are traditionally described with masculine language, and their names are more often given to masculine people. However, Christianity has traditionally held that all angels are neither male nor female. The reasoning for this is because God created all the angels, so they don't need to reproduce. They are spiritual beings, without the limits of physical bodies. God created Angels as perfectly whole combinations of masculine and feminine characteristics.<ref name="AngelsCatholic">Catholic Answers staff, "Can angels be male or female?" ''Catholic Answers.'' August 4, 2011. Accessed May 2, 2019. https://www.catholic.com/qa/can-angels-be-male-or-female</ref><ref>Evelyn Dorothy Oliver, "Angels A to Z." Page 156. Accessed via Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=56B7fmmlt6QC&lpg=PA156&dq=angels%20male%20female&pg=PA156#v=onepage&q=male%20female&f=false</ref> Christian denominations that officially hold the view that all angels are nonbinary include the Catholic church.<ref name="AngelsCatholic" />

Another reason for thinking of angels as genderless is a quotation from Jesus, which has sometimes been taken as mentioning the gender of angels: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." ([https://www.biblehub.com/matthew/22-30.htm Matthew 22:30], King James Version) Traditionally, Christianity has taken this passage as further implying that all spiritual beings are genderless or androgynous, even angels and resurrected humans, though some scholars disagree with that interpretation.<ref name="BarnhartAngels">Content warning for description of physical and sexual violence in recent history. Rev. Dave Barnhart. "Angels of indeterminate gender in Genesis 19." ''Reconciling Ministries Network.'' March 10, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2019. https://rmnetwork.org/genesis19/</ref><ref name="KasselAndrogynous" />  

In Islamic literature, the word ''[[mukhannathun]]'' is used to describe "effeminate men". The term has sometimes been equated to transgender women,<ref>{{cite book|title=Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People|last1=Roughgarden|first1=Joan|page=362|year=2013|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520957978}}</ref> gay men, members of a third gender, or intersex individuals,<ref name="Alipour" >{{Cite journal|last=Alipour|first=M|date=2016|title=Islamic shari'a law, neotraditionalist Muslim scholars and transgender sex-reassignment surgery: A case study of Ayatollah Khomeini's and Sheikh al-Tantawi's fatwas|journal=International Journal of Transgenderism|volume=17:1|pages=91–103|doi=10.1080/15532739.2016.1250239|doi-access=free}}</ref> though it does not neatly fit into any of those categories.<ref name="TEOEM">{{cite journal|last=Rowson|first=Everett K.|date=October 1991|title=The Effeminates of Early Medina|url=http://www.williamapercy.com/wiki/images/The_effeminates_of_early_medina.pdf|journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society|volume=111|issue=4|pages=671–693|doi=10.2307/603399|jstor=603399|citeseerx=10.1.1.693.1504}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Muhsin |last=Hendricks |title=Islam and Homosexuality |publisher=ILGA |date=July 2006 |location=ILGA's preconference on religions |url=http://doc.ilga.org/content/download/4522/27322/version/1/file/ILGA-July06-Religions.pdf |accessdate=2007-06-22 |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222247/http://doc.ilga.org/content/download/4522/27322/version/1/file/ILGA-July06-Religions.pdf |archivedate=2007-09-27 }}</ref>

Due to Ayatollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa allowing sex reassignment surgery for intersex and transgender individuals,<ref name="Alipour" /> Iran carries out more sex change operations than any other nation in the world except for Thailand. It is sanctioned as a supposed "cure" for homosexuality, which is punishable by death under Iranian law. The government even provides up to half the cost for those needing financial assistance and a sex change is recognised on the birth certificate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7259057.stm |work=BBC News |title=Iran's 'diagnosed transsexuals' |first=Vanessa |last=Barford}}</ref>

In the Baha'i Faith, transgender people can gain recognition in their gender if they have medically transitioned under the direction of medical professionals and if they have [[surgery|sex reassignment surgery]]. After surgery, they are considered transitioned and may have a Baha'i marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/uhj_transsexuality |title=Transsexuality |publisher=Universal House of Justice |date=26 December 2002}}</ref>

Unitarian Universalism, a liberal religion with roots in liberal Christianity, became the first denomination to accept openly transgender people as full members with eligibility to become clergy (in 1979),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.uua.org/lgbtq/history/185789.shtml |title=Unitarian Universalist LGBTQ History & Facts |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |accessdate= 2014-05-02|date=2013-05-16 }}</ref> and the first to open an Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns (in 1973).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.uua.org/directory/staff/multiculturalgrowth/lesbiangay/ |title= Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Ministries |publisher= Unitarian Universalist Association |accessdate= 2014-05-02|date= 2012-10-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_uua.htm|title= The Unitarian Universalist Association and Homosexuality |publisher= Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance}}</ref> In 1988 the first openly transgender person was ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Association.<ref name=uua.org>{{cite web|title= Unitarian Universalist LGBTQ History & Facts|url= http://www.uua.org/lgbtq/history/185789.shtml|work= Unitarian Universalist Association|publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association|accessdate=2 April 2013|date=21 August 2012}}</ref> In 2002 Rev. Sean Dennison became the first openly transgender person in the Unitarian Universalist ministry called to serve a congregation; he was called to South Valley UU Society, Salt Lake City, UT.<ref name="uua.org"/> Also in 2017, the Unitarian Universalist Association's General Assembly voted to create inclusive wordings for nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, intersex, two-spirit and polygender people, replacing the words "men and women" with the word "people." Of the six sources of the living tradition, the second source of faith, as documented in the bylaws of the denomination, now includes "Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love".<ref>{{cite web|author=Zr. Alex Kapitan Activist, Organizer &amp; Educator |url=https://www.believeoutloud.com/latest/unitarian-universalist-general-assembly-votes-change-uu-bylaws-include-non-binary-people#comment-7295 |title=Unitarian Universalist General Assembly Votes To Change UU Bylaws To Include Non-Binary People |publisher=Believe Out Loud |date=2017-06-30 |accessdate=2017-07-08}}</ref>

[[File:Sekhet hieroglyphs.jpg|thumb|The word "sekhet" in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.<ref>Mark Brustman. "The Third Gender in Ancient Egypt." ''"Born Eunuchs" Home Page and Library.'' 1999. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/egypt.htm</ref>]]

Writings from ancient Egypt (Middle Kingdom, 2000-1800 BCE) said there were three genders of humans: male (''tie''), ''sekhet (s<u>h</u>t)'', and female (''hemet''), in that order. Sekhet is usually translated as "eunuch," but that's probably an oversimplification of what this gender category means. Since it was given that level of importance, it could potentially be an entire category of gender/sex variance that doesn't fit into male or female. The hieroglyphs for ''sekhet'' include a sitting figure that usually mean a man, but the word doesn't include hieroglyphs that refer to genitals in any way. The word for male did include a hieroglyph explicitly showing a penis. At the very least, ''sekhet'' is likely to mean cisgender gay men, in the sense of not having children, and not necessarily someone who was castrated. Archaeologists question whether ancient Egyptians castrated humans, because the evidence for it is lacking.<ref>Sethe, Kurt, (1926), ''Die Aechtung feindlicher Fürsten, Völker und Dinge auf altägyptischen Tongefäßscherben des mittleren Reiches,'' in: Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse, 1926, p. 61.</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Stewart, Sandra|title= Egyptian third gender|url=http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206205104/http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm |archive-date= 6 February 2020}}</ref><ref>Mark Brustman. "The Third Gender in Ancient Egypt." ''"Born Eunuchs" Home Page and Library.'' 1999. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/egypt.htm</ref><ref>Frans Jonckheere. Mark Brustman, translator. "Eunuchs in Pharaonic Egypt." Translation of "L'Eunuque dans l'Égypte pharaonique," originally in ''Revue d'Histoire des Sciences'', vol. 7, No. 2 (April-June 1954), pp. 139-155. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/pharaonique.htm</ref>

* '''Hapi''', god of the Nile River, often depicted as a man with a round belly, breasts, and a fake beard. This is often seen as related to his fertility aspects. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hapi|last=Etheredge|first=Laura|work=Britannica.com|title=Hapi: Egyptian god of the inundation}}</ref><ref name="kemet tenu">Tenu (Emky). "PBP Fridays: G is for Genderqueer and GLBTQ Netjeru." March 30, 2012. https://unorthodoxcreativity.com/emky/pbp/genderqueer-and-glbtq-netjeru/</ref>

* '''Wadj-wer''', sometimes depicted as a pregnant man. He relates to water, the Mediterranean, and fertility, the later aspect likely the reason for the pregnancy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/wadjwer.htm|title=Egypt: Wadj Wer - The Pregnant God|work=Tour Egypt}}</ref>

[[File:Pombagira Rainha.JPG|thumb|A statue representation of Pomba Gira, an Afro-Brazilian spirit associated with [[trans women]], effeminate men, [[drag]] queens, and [[crossdresser]]s.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomba_Gira</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pomba Gira |author=Ferre, Lux |work=Occult World |date=30 July 2017 |access-date=27 March 2022 |url= https://occult-world.com/pomba-gira/ }}</ref>]]

* '''Ghede Nibo''' (also known as '''Gedé Nibo''', '''Gedé Nimbo''', '''Guede Nibo''' or '''Gedé Ninbo''') A figure in Haitian Vodou. Formerly human until he was killed and became a Lwa (spirit).<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guede_Nibo</ref> He is a healer, leader of the dead, and guardian of children. "Gedé Nibo straddles the borders between death and life, sex and death, and between genders, too. Nibo may wear mixed feminine and masculine attire. A witty trickster with an eye for a joke, he is simultaneously macho and feminine." He has been described as pansexual, transgender, and homoerotic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gedé Nibo |author=Ferre, Lux |work=Occult World |date=13 November 2017 |access-date=27 March 2022 |url= https://occult-world.com/gede-nibo/}}</ref>

* '''Mawu-Lisa''' (also spelled '''Mahu-Lisa''', '''Mahou-Lissa''', or '''Mahu-Lissa''') is a creator god in the Vodun religious belief. Vodun, from which the word "voodoo" is derived, is practiced by many of the Gbe-speaking tribes of West Africa, but most notably the Ewe and Fon people. (Vodun means "spirits" in the Gbe language.) Mawu-Lisa is a combination of the feminine aspect Mawu and the masculine aspect Lisa (Lisa is also sometimes called Legba). Mawu is associated with the moon, night-time, fertility, motherhood, gentleness, forgiveness, rest, and joy. Lisa/Legba is associated with the sun, daytime, heat, work, power, war, strength, toughness, and intransigence.<ref>{{cite book|title=African Religions: Beliefs and Practices Through History |editor=Thomas, Douglas and Alanamu, Temilola|date=2018|page=245-246}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Encyclopedia of African Religion|editor=Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama|website=SAGE Reference|url=https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/africanreligion/n259.xml}}</ref>

* '''Pomba Gira''', an Afro-Brazilian spirit associated with [[trans women]], effeminate men, [[drag]] queens, and [[crossdresser]]s.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomba_Gira</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pomba Gira |author=Ferre, Lux |work=Occult World |date=30 July 2017 |access-date=27 March 2022 |url= https://occult-world.com/pomba-gira/ }}</ref> Might be the female version of Legba.{{citation needed}}

* '''Awonawilona''', "a deity both male and female" who began the creation process of the universe by forming clouds and water from their breath.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The "Middle" Gender in Zuni Religion |last=Adams |first=Lili |work=Owlcation |date=11 April 2018 |access-date=1 November 2021 |url= https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/The-Middle-Gender-in-Zuni-Religion}}</ref>

* '''Purusha''', a primal androgynous deity. The word also refers to a complex concept within Hinduism. <ref> [https://kaulapedia.com/en/siddha-vastu/#Principle_of_Vastu_Purusha] </ref>

* '''Ila''' (Sanskrit: इल) or '''Ilā''' (Sanskrit: इला) is usually described as the child of Vaivasvata Manu (the progenitor of mankind) and his wife Shraddha. There are multiple versions of Ila's story, but all involve sex/gender changes. In one version, Ila was born female, but her parents prayed to Mitra and Varuna, who changed Ila to a boy named Sudyumma (or Sudhyumna). In another version, Ila's parents failed to have any children for a long time and approached the sage Agastya for a solution. The sage performed a yajna (fire sacrifice) dedicated to Mitra and Varuna to attain a son for the couple. Due to either an error in the ritual, a failure to offer the appropriate sacrifice, or Shraddha wishing to have a daughter, Mitra and Varuna instead sent a daughter to the couple. However, Manu desired a son so Vashistha appealed to Vishnu and the child was made male. In adulthood, Sudyumma accidentally trespassed in the sacred grove of the goddess Parvati and was cursed, becoming a woman. According to the ''Ramayana'', when Ila approached Shiva for help, Shiva laughed with scorn. However, Parvati reduced the curse and allowed Ila to switch sexes every month. While in male form, he was not able to remember his life as a woman, and vice versa. Ila had children in both their male form and female form. In almost all versions of the tale, Ila wants to live as a man, but in the ''Skanda Purana'', Ila desires to be a woman.<ref>{{cite web| title=Ila (Hinduism) |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ila_(Hinduism)&oldid=1038791690 |date= 14 August 2021 |access-date=7 September 2021|work= Wikipedia}}</ref>

* '''Shakti''' or '''Sakti''', the deity personification of cosmic energy.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti</ref> Shakti is commonly referred to in feminine terms, yet in ''Mahakalistotra'' Shakti is described as "neither female nor male nor [[hermaphrodite]]" and in ''Nava Ratneshwar '' Shakti is described as "neither female nor male, nor [[neuter]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=Proceedings Of The Convention Of Religions In India Vol. 2|page=147|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.39759/page/n217/mode/2up?q=%22neither+female+nor+male%22 |chapter=Shaktaism.|year=1910}}</ref>

* '''Shikhandi''' (Śikhaṇḍī, Shikandi, Srikhandi), a warrior in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, who was born a girl and lived as a man. He was destined for military victory. He married a woman, but she rejected him when she found out that he was a trans man. Shikhandi contemplated responding to this with suicide,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The story of Shikandi |work=MahabharataOnline |date= |access-date=7 September 2021 |url= http://www.mahabharataonline.com/stories/mahabharata_character.php?id=94}}</ref> but instead made himself fully physically male by trading his sex with Sthunakarna,<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaksha_Kingdom</ref> a forest spirit (a ''yaksha'') who wanted to become a woman.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikhandi</ref>

Thai Buddhism recognizes a category of gender variance called [[kathoey]], which includes feminine people who were assigned male at birth. Many people in Thailand think of kathoey as a separate category than woman or man, and even separate from [[transgender women]]. In Thai Buddhism, being kathoey is seen as being part of one's karma, if it should be the case for a person. The response is one of "pity" rather than "blame". Kathoey are generally seen as not likely to form lasting relationships with men, and the lay explanation of their karma is that they are working out debts from adulterous behavior in past lives. In the past they disrupted marriages, and now they are doomed to never marry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenscene.com/ironladies/reviews/questions.html|title=14 Questions |first=Andrew |last=Matzner |year=2000 |work=Golden Scene}}</ref>  

* '''[[Wikipedia:Lan Caihe|Lan Caihe]]''' (Lan Ts'ai-ho), one of the Eight Immortals, who was a homeless wandering singer. Lan is not thought to have been based on a historically real person,<ref name="NatGeo" /> but many ballads attributed to Lan survive today.<ref name="Britannica" /> The earliest stories about Lan were told as far back as at least the 10th century CE.<ref name="Explaining">金乃逯. ''中国文化释疑 (Explaining Doubts in Chinese Culture).'' 北京语言文化大学出版社, 1999. Page 65.</ref> The gender of Lan Caihe is unknown, and has always been disputed. Chinese theatre traditionally portrays Lan as wearing feminine clothing, but speaking in a masculine voice,<ref name="Britannica">"Lan Caihe." ''Encyclopedia Britannica.'' https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lan-Caihe</ref> that is, by a male actor without attempting a feminine style of speech.<ref name="TimeLifeDragon">''Land of the Dragon: Chinese Myth.'' Time-Life Books, 1999. Page 111.</ref> He Xiangu is always described as the only woman among the Eight Immortals,<ref name="Werner293">E.T.C. Werner. ''Myths and Legends of China.'' London: George G. Harrap & Co. 1922. Page 293. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15250/15250-h/15250-h.htm#d0e4611</ref><ref name="NatGeo">National Geographic Society (U.S.). ''National Geographic Essential Visual History of World Mythology.'' National Geographic Books, 2008. Page 340.</ref> so Lan is not a woman. According to the ''Xiu Xiang Ba Xian Dong You Ji,'' Lan Caihe was a man who could not understand how to be a man.<ref name="Werner293" /><ref name="Cassell">Randy P. Conner, David Hatfield Sparks, Mariya Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lore.'' Cassell, 1997. Page 212.</ref>

The Japanese Moon God, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, is sometimes identified as the brother of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/Shinto/Tsukuyomi.html|title=Tsukuyomi - Japanese Wiki Corpus|last=Yu|first=A. C.|website=www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org|access-date=2021-06-20}}</ref> and sometimes as her spouse. But their gender is unknown and they are known by androgynous pronouns. Very little is known about this god, other than the fight with their sister that separated them in the heavens forever. <ref>{{Cite journal|date=2021-05-25|title=Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto&oldid=1024973351|journal=Wikipedia|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/Shinto/Tsukuyomi.html|title=Tsukuyomi - Japanese Wiki Corpus|last=Yu|first=A. C.|website=www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org|access-date=2021-06-20}}</ref>

* '''Inanna''', a Sumerian goddess who was described in some hymns as both male and female, and whose worship included ritual cross-dressing. Some more recent translations indicate that "ritual cross dressing" might have been mistranslated, the passages instead referring to a sect of trans priestesses. She was also indicated to have domain over transitioning gender, "To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana."<ref>{{Cite web |title=A hymn to Inana (Inana C): translation |work=The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature |date= |access-date=7 September 2021 |url= https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4073.htm}}</ref>

* '''Amihan''' is a genderless deity who is depicted as a bird in Philippine mythology. According to Tagalog folklore, Amihan was the first creature to inhabit the universe, along with two other gods, Bathala and Aman Sinaya.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amihan (mythology) |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amihan_(mythology)&oldid=1007128416 |date=16 February 2021|access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

* '''Dionysus''', a deity of wine, madness, vegetation, pleasure, and frenzy. His tradition is broadly reaching, so accounts do not agree on aspects of his gender. However, some popular accounts agree on certain aspects of his gender. Dionysus, by most accounts, was raised by nymphs on Mt. Nysa. There, he was raised as a woman. <ref> [https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/DionysosMyths.html#Birth] </ref> In most traditions, he is seen as effeminate, and sometimes is seen as changing gender. <ref> [https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/DionysosGod.html#Homosexuality] </ref>

Transgender people are generally magickal people, according to Karla McLaren in her ''Energetic Boundaries'' study guide. Transgender people are almost always welcomed in individual communities, covens, study groups, and circles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/gay-wicca.html |title=The Scoop on Gay Wicca |work=Wicca Spirituality: A New Wicca for a New World}}</ref> However, some Neopagan groups do not welcome transgender people, and specifically exclude people from participation who do not fit into [[cisgender]] [[male]] and [[female]] categories.<ref name="EncWitch"/> Some gender separatist groups exclude transgender people, often on the basis of their [[gender assigned at birth]].<ref name="EncWitch">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism|first=Shelley|last=Rabinovitch|author2=James Lewis|publisher=Citadel Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0806524061

Alex Sanders, the co-founder of Gardnerian offshoot Alexandrian Wicca, came out as [[bisexual]] later in life and created new rituals in which sexual orientation was irrelevant. However, a significant portion of Alexandrian belief is regarding heterosexual reproduction, best expressed by his wife and co-founder Maxine Sanders who is well known to emphasize the concept of male-female polarity and the fact that Alexandrian Wicca is a fertility religion. She also expressed concern about a proper functionality of transgender people (referred to as "transvestites") within coven practices, saying it best to look at other traditions that suit them more. "These people", as she is noted to have said, "they're not happy people."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZrmRkpRTiw On the Blackchair Podcast, Special Edition Series #3 - Tea With Maxine - On Initiation]</ref>

The Feri Tradition, a modern form of traditional witchcraft, has provided a home for many neopagan LGBT individuals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/features/witching-hour-lgbtq-and-paganism-1205509.html|title=Witching Hour: How LGBTQ+ views differ within Wicca and Paganism|last=August 2019|first=Holly Mosley1 {{!}} 7|website=www.femalefirst.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-09-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.feritradition.com/index.html|title=Feri Tradition Resources: articles and information related to Faery Tradition, Faerie Tradition, Fairy Tradition witchcraft|website=www.feritradition.com|access-date=2019-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509044256/http://www.feritradition.com/index.html|archive-date=9 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Tradition is very open to non-heterosexual orientations and queer identities.<ref name="FWQC" /> Feri practitioner Storm Faerywolf writes:<blockquote>"As any Queer practitioner can attest, there is a definite shortage of Queer-specific models that encourage the strengthening of ourselves as whole beings. In many Neo-Pagan Witchcraft traditions, we are told simply to adopt the pre-existing (and heterosexist) magickal modalities of polarity and fertility. In the Feri tradition we are given certain tools that enable us to have healthier relationships with our Divine natures, devoid of any such baggage."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?id=9173|title=The Amethyst Pentacle|last=Faerywolf|first=Storm|date=8 May 2005|website=WitchVox|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124020507/http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?id=9173|archive-date=24 January 2020|access-date=11 September 2019}}{{Self-published source|date=June 2020}}</ref></blockquote>

* In the video game ''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'', the god '''Vivec''' is referred to in some texts as "the union of male and female, the magic hermaphrodite".<ref>{{Cite web |title=General:Gender and Sexual Diversity |author= |work=The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) |date= |access-date=8 November 2021 |url= https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Gender_and_Sexual_Diversity#Gender}}</ref> Vivec is almost always referred to with he/him pronouns, but in the text "[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:36_Lessons_of_Vivec,_Sermon_37 The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec, Sermon Thirty-Seven]" it is said that Vivec became sick and died, and his mother "gave him her skin to wear into the underworld" and thereafter the book uses she/her pronouns for Vivec.

* Also in Elder Scrolls lore, the Daedric Prince '''Boethiah''' (aka '''Boethia''' or '''Boethra''') is sometimes manifested/referred to as male and sometimes as female. Boethiah's titles include "Prince of Plots", "Queen of Shadows", "Goddess of Destruction", and "He-Who-Destroys and She-Who-Erases".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lore:Boethiah |author= |work=The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) |date= |access-date=8 November 2021 |url= https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Boethiah}}</ref> (Note: "Daedric Prince" is the term used regardless of gender; e.g. Azura and Namira are always female but are still Daedric Princes, not Princesses.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lore:Daedric Princes |author= |work=The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) |date= |access-date=8 November 2021 |url= https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Daedric_Princes}}</ref>