Neutrois: Difference between revisions

{{infobox identity}}

'''Neutrois''' is an identity under the [[nonbinary]] and [[transgender]] umbrellas. Generally speaking, neutrois is a [[transsexual]] identity, meaning that it involves [[gender dysphoria]] and a desire to make a physical [[transition]] to a [[gender neutral]] presentation. However, as a result of the diversity of people who identify as neutrois, some of them say they don't have one or more of those traits, and are no less neutrois for it. What is agreed upon is that neutrois is a nonbinary gender identity, and that people of any [[Assigned gender at birth|gender assigned at birth]] can have this identity.<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. "What are neutrois?" ''Neutrois Outpost.'' Last updated November 11, 2000. Retrieved March 2, 2001. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm]</ref> Also, a person of any [[ethnicity and culture|cultural or ethnic background]] can call [[Pronouns#They|themself]] neutrois.

The word "neutrois" was created by a self-identified neutrois person named H. A. Burnham in 1995.<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. “FAQ.” ''Neutrois Outpost''. Last updated 2000-11-23. Retrieved 2001-03-07. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm]</ref> The word "neutrois" is presumably made from French ''neutre'', meaning "neutral" or "neuter," and French ''trois,'' "three," as in [[third gender]]. Because French ''trois'' has sounds that are difficult to Anglicize, some pronunciations of neutrois in use are new-TWA,<ref name="Conlan">{{Cite web |title=Red: "Non-Binary" Person Rejects Male/Female Gender Duality |last=Conlan |first=Mark Gabrish |work=Indybay |date=17 July 2011 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/07/17/18685039.php }}</ref> new-TRAW, new-TROY, new-TROYS, new-TROSS, new-TROZ, or new-TROYZ.<ref name="Cottle">{{Cite web |title=Hallelujah, it’s raining labels |author=Cottle, J.M. |work=jmcottle.com |date=16 July 2011 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://jmcottle.com/hallelujah-its-raining-labels/}}</ref>

In 1995, the word "neutrois" was created by a self-identified neutrois person named H. A. Burnham, who described it in public posts to Internet newsgroups for transgender people.<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. “FAQ.” ''Neutrois Outpost''. Last updated 2000-11-23. Retrieved 2001-03-07. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm]</ref>

In 2014, neutrois was one of 50 genders made available on the social networking site Facebook.<ref name = "Telegraph" >[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/10637968/Facebook-sex-changes-which-one-of-50-genders-are-you.html Facebook sex changes: which one of 50 genders are you?]. ''The Daily Telegraph''. February 14, 2014.</ref>

In 2000, the site ''Neutrois Outpost'' defined neutrois as a transsexual nonbinary identity: "A Neutrois is someone who identifies as being non-gendered and seeks to lose the major physical signifiers that indicate gender to others (breasts, facial and body hair, crotch bulges, etc). Neutrois are not androgynes, but do pursue an androgynous appearance. They are uniquely bound by their gender dysphoria in that they find both male and female orientations wrong. Because of this, transitioning from an assigned gender, to either male, or female identities is not an acceptable solution. [...] Neutrois are trying to lose gender traits, not gain new ones."<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. "What are neutrois?" ''Neutrois Outpost.'' Last updated November 11, 2000. Retrieved March 2, 2001. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm]</ref>

Similarly, Micah of ''Neutrois Nonsense'' defines neutrois as a transsexual identity that moves away from familiar gender markers: "Transition is a process of subtraction: a neutrois wishes to get rid of any and all gendered characteristics so as to achieve as neutral a body as possible. Physical transition may consist primarily in the removal of primary and/or secondary sex characteristics, such as genitals or breasts and body hair. Because the concept and identity of neutrois is relatively new, not all neutrois have undergone surgery, or even seriously want to undergo surgery or physical transition yet."<ref>Micah. "Define." ''Neutrois Nonsense.'' [http://neutrois.me/neutrois/ http://neutrois.me/neutrois/]</ref>

Neutrois people can have had any gender assigned at birth. As such, some neutrois transition in a direction that is female-to-neutrois (FTN), and others are male-to-neutrois (MTN).<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. "What are neutrois?" ''Neutrois Outpost.'' Last updated November 11, 2000. Retrieved March 2, 2001. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010302160052/http://www.neutrois.com/defin.htm]</ref> A self-described FTN neutrois person can be seen using these terms in a newsgroup post in 1997, while talking about their gender dysphoria and their physical transition plans.<ref>Auden, "Comments on the group." January 17, 1997. soc.support.transgendered (newsgroup). [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/soc.support.transgendered/swaXjZvCHt0/glmUrjGYIqMJ https://groups.google.com/d/msg/soc.support.transgendered/swaXjZvCHt0/glmUrjGYIqMJ]</ref>

According to Neutrois.com, there are currently two main definitions of neutrois: 1. Neutrois people use the word to mean that they have a gender identity that is neither male nor female, but neutral.<ref name="whatis">"What is neutrois?" ''Neutrois.com.'' http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/ http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/]</ref> 2. Other neutrois people use the word to mean that they have no internal sense of [[Gender identity|gender identity]]. In this latter definition, it's a synonym for agender or genderless.<ref name="whatis">"What is neutrois?" ''Neutrois.com.'' http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/ http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/]</ref>

Some consider neutrois to be a form of [[Transsexual|transsexuality]]. Some neutrois people feel [[Gender dysphoria|gender dysphoria]], and some don't. Some neutrois people seek to physically [[Transition|transition]] to an ambiguous, androgynous, or neutral [[Gender expression|gender expression]], whereas some don't seek this.<ref name="whatis">"What is neutrois?" ''Neutrois.com.'' http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/ http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/]</ref><ref>"Define." ''Neutrois Nonsense.'' [http://neutrois.me/neutrois]</ref>

Some use the word neutrois as a synonym of [[Agender|agender or genderless]], whereas others say these words mean completely different things, and are not interchangeable words.<ref name="whatis">"What is neutrois?" ''Neutrois.com.'' http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/ http://neutrois.com/what-is-neutrois/]</ref> For more information on this dispute, see the main article at [[Agender#Difference between genderless and neutrois|Difference between genderless and neutrois]].

According to ''Neutrois Outpost'', neutrois isn't another word for [[androgyne]], and the difference between neutrois people and androgynes is gender dysphoria: "While Neutrois seek an androgynous appearance, androgynes aren't Neutrois because being Neutrois involves gender dysphoria. Androgynes don't necessarily have any difficulties with their gender identities."<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. “FAQ.” ''Neutrois Outpost''. Last updated 2000-11-23. Retrieved 2001-03-07. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm]</ref> The origin of the word [[androgyne]] means "male-female," such as a person who is a mix of male and female. For this reason, some neutrois people don't want to also be called androgynes, because their gender identity is an ''absence'' of male and female, not a mix of ''both'' male and female. ''Neutrois Nonsense'' says, "Neutrois is not androgyne, it’s quite the opposite. Androgyny is a combination of female and male characteristics, while neutrois is an elimination of them."<ref>Micah. "Define." ''Neutrois Nonsense.'' [http://neutrois.me/neutrois/ http://neutrois.me/neutrois/]</ref>

File:Neutrois Outpost symbol.jpg|Neutrois gender symbol. The circles represent a null gender, a variation on Venus and Mars symbols. The additional lavender triangle is for pride in [[LGBT]] identity.<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. “FAQ.” ''Neutrois Outpost''. Last updated 2000-11-23. Retrieved 2001-03-07. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm]</ref>

* In a short sci-fi story by Benjanun Sriduangkaew, "[http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/sriduangkaew_12_13/ Silent Bridge, Pale Cascade]" (2013), one of the characters is described as a "[[neutrois]]," and called by "they" pronouns.<ref>Alex Dally MacFarlane, "Post-Binary Gender in SF: ExcitoTech and Non-Binary Pronouns." June 3, 2014. ''Tor.'' [http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/06/post-binary-gender-in-sf-excitotech-and-non-binary-pronouns http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/06/post-binary-gender-in-sf-excitotech-and-non-binary-pronouns]</ref><ref>Benjanun Sriduangkaew, "Silent Bridge, Pale Cascade." ''Clarkesworld Magazine.'' 2013. [http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/sriduangkaew_12_13/ http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/sriduangkaew_12_13/]</ref>

*[http://web.archive.org/web/20090818040039/http://neutrois.0catch.com:80/ Neutrois Outpost] (the original neutrois site, resurrected)

*[https://susans.org/wiki/Neutrois Susan's Place Transgender Resource Wiki: Neutrois]