Nonbinary identities worldwide

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The European society is, in general, very binarist. However, there are a lot of cultures that, traditionally, have had more than two genders.

Puang Matoa, a bissu.

Bugis society

The Bugis people are one of the three biggest ethnic groups located in South Sulawesi (Indonesia). They recognise five genders: makkunrai, oroané, bissu, calabai, and calalai. Makkunrai and oroané are the equivalents of cisgender men and women. Calabai is similar to trans women; they are assigned male at birth but take female gender roles and their gender expression is similar to that of cis women. Calalai, on the other hand, is the equivalent to trans men; they are assigned female at birth, but dress and present as cis men.

Bissu is a gender identity similar to multigender: they are seen as a combination of all genders. Usually they are also intersex, but not necessarily. Bissu people handle the roles of a shaman or a priest.

A group of Hijra in Bangladesh.

Hijras

In Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, Hijras are assigned male at birth that take on the traditional roles of women, and they are recognised as a third gender by the government. Traditionally, they act as a spiritual bargainer, and they go to houses with newborns to bless them. Some of the hijras undergo a ritual, the nirwaan, to remove their penis, scrotum and testicles.

Although they are officially recognised, the discrimination against them is still widespread.