Gender heraldry

Gender heraldry is a way to visually represent gender identity and expression which takes inspiration from European heraldry, originally proposed by otherkin writer and researcher Orion Scribner. Coats of arms created in this tradition are often called "coats of gender".

Shield shape and gender

Like in European heraldry, there is a relationship between the shape of a shield on a coat of arms and the bearer's gender. For example, oval-shaped shields suggest the bearer is a woman. Unlike in traditional European heraldry, however, these expectations are less strict; Scribner emphasized that adopting particular gendered symbolism was optional. Scribner also suggested additional shield shapes and orientations which reflect a non-binary view of gender, such as square shields for nonbinary people and tilted shields for demigender people.

External Links

• Gender heraldry tag on Tumblr with examples
• Ilrak's Coat of Gender
• Nova's Coat of Gender
• Orion Scribner's Coat of Gender