Nonbinary gender in fiction: Difference between revisions
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* Time Lords in ''[[Gender in Doctor Who|Doctor Who]]'' are able to transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. See [[Gender in Doctor Who]] for more information. | * Time Lords in ''[[Gender in Doctor Who|Doctor Who]]'' are able to transform their bodies in order to prevent death, giving them a new personality each time they undergo this process. See [[Gender in Doctor Who]] for more information. | ||
*''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</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> [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> which do get used for Stevonnie in later episodes. Later, in a 2019 public service announcement about self-esteem and social media, which is also part of the canon, Stevonnie is briefly seen scrolling past their Instagram profile, in which they have described themself with the words "nonbinary" and "intersex."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pride.com/geek/2019/6/26/cartoon-network-confirmed-steven-universe-character-intersex|last=Ermac|first=Raffy|title=Cartoon Network Confirmed This ''Steven Universe'' Character Is Intersex|date=June 26, 2019|website=Pride.com|accessdate=September 10, 2019}}</ref> These are both real human identities and conditions, even though Stevonnie's origins are only possible in fiction. | *''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> [http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/Matt_Burnett Matt Burnett] confirmed on Twitter that Stevonnie uses they/them pronouns,<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413004824/https://twitter.com/mcburnett/status/620637717731217408|archive-date=13 April 2016|title=@Tumble234 Stevonnie uses them/they.|date=13 July 2015|url=https://twitter.com/mcburnett/status/620637717731217408}}</ref> which do get used for Stevonnie in later episodes. Later, in a 2019 public service announcement about self-esteem and social media, which is also part of the canon, Stevonnie is briefly seen scrolling past their Instagram profile, in which they have described themself with the words "nonbinary" and "intersex."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pride.com/geek/2019/6/26/cartoon-network-confirmed-steven-universe-character-intersex|last=Ermac|first=Raffy|title=Cartoon Network Confirmed This ''Steven Universe'' Character Is Intersex|date=June 26, 2019|website=Pride.com|accessdate=September 10, 2019}}</ref> These are both real human identities and conditions, even though Stevonnie's origins are only possible in fiction. | ||
*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 their 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 their conscious wishes and to their 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 their 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 their conscious wishes and to their dismay. | ||
*The Sailor Starlights in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime are male in their human form, but they can change to female when transformed into Sailor Senshi. | *The Sailor Starlights in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime are male in their human form, but they can change to female when transformed into Sailor Senshi. | ||
*In the fantasy show ''The Good Place'', Janet is a nonhuman entity who acts as something akin to a superpowered computer-like assistant. Janet uses she/her pronouns but frequently corrects people who call her a girl. Janet's actor Darcy Carden and the show's creator Mike Schur have "unofficially concluded that Janet is [[agender]]."<ref name="Yip" /> | |||
===Webseries=== | ===Webseries=== | ||