Androgyne
See also: Androgyny
 Meaning The red symbolises woman and the blue symbolises man, and they are separated by purple (a mix of them both), yellow (representing non binary-ness) and grey (representing neutrality). | |
| Related identities | Bigender |
|---|---|
| Under the umbrella term | Nonbinary |
| Frequency | 0.7% |
| Click here to see alternative flags! | |
Androgyne(Latin from Greek, andras- "man" + gune "woman", pronounced AN-druh-jin, IPA: ˈan-dɹə-ˌdʒīn),[3] androgyn or androgynous gender, is an identity under the nonbinary and transgender umbrellas. Some writers use androgyne as an umbrella for many nonbinary genders.[4] Androgynes have a gender identity that can be a blend of both or neither of the binary genders. They may describe this as being between female and male, between man and woman, between masculine and feminine or simply 'in between.' They can also identify as neither feminine or masculine, or neither female and male. The symbol ⚨ is used to represent this gender identity.
History[edit | edit source]
Historically, there have been some instances of people using the term bisexual to refer to androgynes, androgynous people, or intersex people. An example of the use of this word, found in pop culture, is in the 50th episode of the 2nd season of Star Trek, "The Trouble with Tribbles", where Dr. McCoy refers to the tribbles (an alien species) as bisexual.[5] The term was also historically used to refer to feminine gay men, with its masculine lesbian equivalent being gynander, around the late 19th century and early 20th century.[6]
The glossary in a 2003 anthology of essays on diversity of sex and gender defined "androgyne" as "someone who considers themselves to be both male and female. It can also mean someone who identifies as neuter."[7]
"Androgyne" has also been used as an umbrella term similar to nonbinary, as in this quote from a 2010 encyclopedia:
| « | Androgyne refers to individuals who assume or possess characteristics of both genders to feel emotionally complete. [...] An androgyne is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical gender roles of his or her society. Androgynes may identify as beyond gender, between genders, moving across genders, entirely genderless, or any combination or all of these. Androgyne identities include pangender, bigender, ambigender, nongendered, agender, gender fluid, or intergender. Androgyny can be either physical or psychological; it does not depend on birth sex and is not limited to intersex people.[8] | » |
In 1918, Jennie June published Autobiography of an Androgyne, which has since been described as "a centerpiece for queer, trans, and gender studies of twentieth-century America."[9]
In the 1980s, a trans-focused organization called the Human Outreach and Achievement Institute defined androgyne as "a person who can comfortably express either alternative gender role in a variety of socially acceptable environments."[10][11]
"Androgyne" as a nonbinary gender identity is mentioned in the preface to The Flock, a 1992 book by Lynn Wilson about dissociative identity disorder: "Some gender-nonconforming individuals call themselves androgynes, pan-gender, or non-binary."[12]
In 2003, Livejournal user 36 created a community aimed at androgynes, defined as people who are "neither female nor male in appearance but something else (both, neither, in between or something else entirely)."[13] The profile also notes that androgynes have a range of gender identities, including third gender and androgynously gendered (between male and female). Some androgynes even find gender identity "something complex, absent, irrelevant or extremely personal".[13] The community used the Necker Cube symbol as its icon. As of 2024, there were 484 members and 399 journal entries; the most recent was in January 2023.[13]
In 2014, when Facebook made 56 genders available for its users, two of these were "androgyne" and "androgynous".[14]
Androgynes and androgyny[edit | edit source]
Some people who call themselves androgynes identify with androgyny as a gender presentation, or have or wish to obtain an androgynous, 'in between', or neutral body, others see this as only a matter of gender identity and may express their androgynous gender through their personality or activities such as crossdressing.
Some use the word androgyne to mean only a gender identity, and use the words androgynous or androgyny for gender expression.[15] An androgyne may or may not look androgynous. Someone who looks androgynous may or may not be an androgyne. A "psychological androgyne" is one term for a person who has an androgynous gender identity, but doesn't necessarily look androgynous,[16] and some such people have created the word "androgyneity" for their inner androgyny, to distinguish it from outward androgyny of appearance.[17] These terms are useful for people who feel they are androgynes, but aren't sure if they can call themselves so, because of how they look. The connection between androgyny and androgynes can cause frustration for some people:
"Those born with androgynous looks -- especially if they are not androgynes -- often wish that their gender presentation was unambiguous so as to not be teased, harassed or mistaken for the opposite sex, while androgynes born without androgynous looks (i.e. psychological androgynes) often wish that their gender presentation was markedly ambiguous so as to convey outwardly what they feel inwardly."[18]
Androgynes who don't look androgynous may wish they looked more androgynous, while non-androgynes who look androgynous may wish they looked less androgynous.
On the other hand, some androgynously presenting people only use 'androgyne' for their presentation, while having a different gender identity. For example 'genderqueer androgyne' or 'agender androgyne', similar to how one may say 'genderqueer woman'. There are also people who describe themselves as a "masculine androgyne" (on the female-to-male or trans masculine spectrum) or a "feminine androgyne" (on the male-to-female or trans feminine spectrum) meaning that they almost but not quite fit into that part of the gender binary.[19]
Some androgynes don't think of themselves as transgender or transsexual (cisgender). Some transgender or transsexual androgynes go on a physical transition to make their body more androgynous.[20]
Androgynes and intersex[edit | edit source]
Historically, an androgyne has been a word for an intersex person, and this use of that word is not obsolete. The sex of a person's body is different than their gender identity. Intersex is a physical sex, and androgyne can mean either that, or a gender identity. One concern about using the word "androgyne" for one's gender identity is that it can be mistaken for saying that one is intersex.[21]
That said, there is a relationship between a person's sex and gender, and the connection between intersex and androgyne might not end there:
"Androgyneity [sic, meaning androgyny of gender identity, rather than of gender expression], when conceptualized as intergender, can be seen as the psychological counterpart to intersex. Androgynes are intermediate in gender, while intersex(ed) folks are sexually intermediate. [...] some intersex activists opine that androgynes have intersex brains (and that transsexuals are intersex on account of the relationship between their brains and their genitalia)."[22]
There may be a connection between intersex conditions and not only androgyne gender identities, but transgender identities of many kinds. This is not known for certain at this time.