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Gender variance in spirituality: Difference between revisions

→‎The six genders in classical Judaism: The source cited had a broken link, so I updated the cite to link to an archived version. Added demographics.
imported>TXJ
imported>Sekhet
(→‎The six genders in classical Judaism: The source cited had a broken link, so I updated the cite to link to an archived version. Added demographics.)
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===== The six genders in classical Judaism =====
===== The six genders in classical Judaism =====
[[File:Tumtum Pride-Flag.png|thumb|A Tumtum pride flag designed by tumblr user tumtum_and_androgynos.]]
[[File:Tumtum Pride-Flag.png|thumb|A Tumtum pride flag designed by Tumblr user tumtum_and_androgynos in 2018 CE. White and blue symbolize Judaism, and gray for genderlessness.]]
Classical Judaism recognizes six categories of sex/gender, instead of a [[gender binary|male/female gender binary]]. According to Rabbi Elliot Kukla, these six are:<ref>http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders</ref>
Classical Judaism recognizes six categories of sex/gender, instead of the [[gender binary|male/female gender binary]] from modern Western culture. According to Rabbi Elliot Kukla, these six are:<ref>Robbie Medwed. "More Than Just Male and Female: The Six Genders in Classical Judaism." ''Sojourn'' (blog). June 01, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714011440/http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders</ref>


* Zachar (זָכָר): This term is derived from the word for a pointy sword and refers to a phallus. It is usually translated as “male” in English.
* Zachar (זָכָר): This term is derived from the word for a pointy sword and refers to a phallus. It is usually translated as “male” in English.
* Nekeivah (נְקֵבָה): This term is derived from the word for a crevice and probably refers to a vaginal opening. It is usually translated as “female” in English.
* Nekeivah (נְקֵבָה): This term is derived from the word for a crevice and probably refers to a vaginal opening. It is usually translated as “female” in English.
* Androgynos (אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס): A person who has both “male” and “female” sexual characteristics. 149 references in Mishna and Talmud (1st-8th Centuries CE); 350 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes (2nd -16th Centuries CE).
* Androgynos (אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס): A person who has both “male” and “female” sexual characteristics. 149 references in Mishna and Talmud (1st-8th Centuries CE); 350 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes (2nd -16th Centuries CE).
* Tumtum (טֻומְטוּם): A person whose sexual characteristics are indeterminate or obscured. 181 references in Mishna and Talmud; 335 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.
* Tumtum (טֻומְטוּם): A person whose sexual characteristics are indeterminate or obscured. 181 references in Mishna and Talmud; 335 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes. In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 5 of the 11,242 respondents called themselves tumtum.<ref name="2019 Gender Census">"Gender Census 2019 - The Worldwide tl;dr." ''Gender Census'' (blog). March 31, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020. https://gendercensus.com/post/183843963445/gender-census-2019-the-worldwide-tldr Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200118084451/https://gendercensus.com/post/183843963445/gender-census-2019-the-worldwide-tldr</ref>
* Ay’lonit (איילונית): A person who is identified as “female” at birth but develops “male” characteristics at puberty and is infertile. 80 references in Mishna and Talmud; 40 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.
* Ay’lonit (איילונית): A person who is identified as “female” at birth but develops “male” characteristics at puberty and is infertile. 80 references in Mishna and Talmud; 40 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes. In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 2 of the respondents called themselves ay’lonit.<ref name="2019 Gender Census" />
* Saris (סריס): A person who is identified as “male” at birth but develops “female” characteristics as puberty and/or is lacking a penis. A saris can be “naturally” a saris (saris hamah), or become one through human intervention (saris adam). 156 references in mishna and Talmud; 379 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.
* Saris (סריס): A person who is identified as “male” at birth but develops “female” characteristics as puberty and/or is lacking a penis. A saris can be “naturally” a saris (saris hamah), or become one through human intervention (saris adam). 156 references in mishna and Talmud; 379 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.


The above six categories of gender are important to consider whenever considering gender in classical Jewish texts, rather than imagining a gender binary.
The above six categories of gender are important to consider whenever considering gender in classical Jewish texts, rather than misinterpreting them in terms of the modern Western gender binary.
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