Nonbinary gender in fiction: Difference between revisions
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* Time Lords in ''Doctor Who'' are able to transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. It should be noted that the new bodies that Time Lords receive after regeneration are usually not chosen intentionally. In addition to possibly changing sex when they regenerate, they may also change gender — in the words of showrunner Steven Moffat, "We must assume that gender is quite fluid on Gallifrey". This process has been depicted several times on television, most prominently with the character of the Master/Mistress, who was introduced in male form in 1970 and took on her first known female form in 2014. Alternate timelines show the Doctor in female form as well, such as in the audio play ''Exile'' and in the telivised parody ''The Curse Of Fatal Death''. | * Time Lords in ''Doctor Who'' are able to transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. It should be noted that the new bodies that Time Lords receive after regeneration are usually not chosen intentionally. In addition to possibly changing sex when they regenerate, they may also change gender — in the words of showrunner Steven Moffat, "We must assume that gender is quite fluid on Gallifrey". This process has been depicted several times on television, most prominently with the character of the Master/Mistress, who was introduced in male form in 1970 and took on her first known female form in 2014. Alternate timelines show the Doctor in female form as well, such as in the audio play ''Exile'' and in the telivised parody ''The Curse Of Fatal Death''. | ||
* "Simoun" takes place in a world that recognizes three genders: male, female, and a feminine "maiden" gender which everyone is assigned at birth. When people in this world come of age, they're required to give up the "maiden" gender and commit to male or female--those who do not choose have it chosen for them. Several of the main characters, including the two leads, decide that they do not want to be men or women, but rather keep their "maiden" gender, which goes against the rules of society. Despite the maiden gender being feminine, the fact that choosing to keep it is regarded as significantly different from choosing to become a woman shows that it is a third gender role and not the same as womanhood. | * "Simoun" takes place in a world that recognizes three genders: male, female, and a feminine "maiden" gender which everyone is assigned at birth. When people in this world come of age, they're required to give up the "maiden" gender and commit to male or female--those who do not choose have it chosen for them. Several of the main characters, including the two leads, decide that they do not want to be men or women, but rather keep their "maiden" gender, which goes against the rules of society. Despite the maiden gender being feminine, the fact that choosing to keep it is regarded as significantly different from choosing to become a woman shows that it is a third gender role and not the same as womanhood. | ||
* ''Steven Universe'' is about an alien kind called Gems, who all look similar to human women, except for the half-human Gem named Steven. The show creator, Rebecca Sugar, says the Gems aren't female: "Steven is the first and only male Gem, because he is half human! Technically, there are no female Gems! There are only Gems!"<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e4gmx/i_am_rebecca_sugar_creator_of_steven_universe_and/cjw8e1p | * ''Steven Universe'' is about an alien kind called Gems, who all look similar to human women, except for the half-human Gem named Steven. The show creator, Rebecca Sugar, says the Gems aren't female: "Steven is the first and only male Gem, because he is half human! Technically, there are no female Gems! There are only Gems!"<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e4gmx/i_am_rebecca_sugar_creator_of_steven_universe_and/cjw8e1p</ref> The Gems are called by [[Pronouns#She|she]] pronouns just because it's easy: Sugar said, "There's a 50 50 chance to use some pronoun on Earth, so why not feminine ones-- it's as convenient as it is arbitrary!"<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e4gmx/i_am_rebecca_sugar_creator_of_steven_universe_and/cjw8ztw/</ref> In a later interview, Rebecca stated outright that "the Gems are all nonbinary women. [...] They wouldn’t think of themselves as women, but they’re fine with being interpreted that way amongst humans." (She also identified herself as a nonbinary woman in this same interview.)<ref>[https://the1a.org/audio/#/shows/2018-07-09/the-mind-behind-americas-most-empathetic-cartoon/114886/ The Mind Behind America's Most Empathetic Cartoon], July 09 2018</ref> Furthermore, Gems can temporarily fuse together to become a combined being. In episode "Alone Together", the aforementioned Steven manages to pull off this skill with human girl Connie, resulting in a fusion named "Stevonnie." When asked about Stevonnie's gender, Rebecca Sugar replied that "Stevonnie is an experience! The living relationship between Steven and Connie," describing them as a "metaphor that is so complex and so specific but also really, really relatable, in the form of a character."<ref>http://io9.com/steven-universe-guidebook-spills-the-secrets-of-the-cry-1704470546</ref> In that episode, the characters don't use any pronouns for Stevonnie ([[Pronouns#No pronouns|no pronouns]]), but [http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/Matt_Burnett Matt Burnett] confirmed on Twitter that Stevonnie uses they/them pronouns.<ref>https://twitter.com/mcburnett/status/620637717731217408</ref>. | ||
* Izana Shinatose in Knights of Sidonia is neither female nor male, but has the ability to eventually choose a sex if they fall in love. Izana's uniform is different from that of her classmates, reflecting her lack of gender (while females have skirts and males wear pants, Izana wears shorts). This gender is given the name of "middlesex" in the second season. Izana's body does eventually become female after falling in love with Nagate, against her conscious wishes and to her dismay. | * Izana Shinatose in Knights of Sidonia is neither female nor male, but has the ability to eventually choose a sex if they fall in love. Izana's uniform is different from that of her classmates, reflecting her lack of gender (while females have skirts and males wear pants, Izana wears shorts). This gender is given the name of "middlesex" in the second season. Izana's body does eventually become female after falling in love with Nagate, against her conscious wishes and to her dismay. | ||