Neurogender
 Meaning The colored bars are to represent the spectrum of different neurotypes and gender identities that neurodivergent individuals have. The infinity symbol is to represent neurodiversity. | |
| Under the umbrella term | Nonbinary |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 0.2% |
Neurogender (coined by Tumblr user Baaphomett in 2014, in a submission to the MOGAI-archive blog)[1] means any self-identity in which a person feels that their gender identity is somehow linked to-- and best described in connection with-- their neurological type (neurotype), neurological conditions, neurodivergence, mental variation, or mental illness. One's neurotype affects many parts of one's life, including one's gender identity. Neurogenders are not defined in relationship to concepts of male and female, which puts it under the umbrellas of nonbinary gender and xenogender. There are many different neurogenders related to most, if not all, neurodivergencies. Not everyone who is neurodivergent sees themselves as having a neurogender. Some neurogenders are only for people with certain neurotypes.
"Neurodivergent" is a general category for people whose neurological development and state are atypical, and it includes people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or many other neurological conditions or mental illnesses. The word neurodivergent comes from the neurodiversity movement, which was started by autistic rights activists in the late 1990s. The neurodiversity movement seeks civil rights for neurodivergent people, and encourages seeing neurodivergence as a natural part of human diversity.[2]
In her book The Gender Creative Child, psychologist Diane Ehrensaft wrote:
| « | ...when a child shows up with a co-occurrence of gender nonconformity and neuro-atypicality, we are meeting with gender and something else rather than gender as a symptom of something else. It might even be that the gender and the neurodiversity are part and parcel of the same thing.[3] | » |
In order to keep the wiki accurate to the lived experiences of neurodiverse and nonbinary people, identities should only be listed here if they cite from at least two separate external sources, showing:
1. origin (such as a source about how the term was coined, or at least history of the term's use), and
2. evidence that the identity has actually been used as someone's own identity. Acceptable evidence includes presence in at least one Gender Census result, a news article, or published nonfiction book describing an actual person using it.
A design for a pride flag does not count toward origin or evidence of use. A personal blog written by the person who coined the term or claiming to use the term does not count toward evidence of use. A source citation of a web page counts if it is either a live link, or an archive of a dead link, but dead links by themselves are not acceptable.
Neurogenders associated with autism[edit | edit source]
Autism ("Autism Spectrum Disorder" in the DSM-V[4]) is a spectrum of highly variable neurodevelopmental disorders. Psychologists have three main criteria for autism: impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, and repetitive behavior.[5][6][7] Autistic people may be impaired in some respects, but average or better in others.[8] Autism lasts lifelong from birth; behavioral signs can be apparent as early as infancy,[9] and many adults and seniors are autistic.[10][11] The specific causes of autism are unknown, though there is thought to be a substantial genetic contribution).[12][13] Therapeutic goals are not to "cure" autistic neurotypes but to teach functional skills, reduce harmful behaviors, and enhance well-being.[14] The autistic culture and autism rights movement includes those who argue that autism should be accepted as a natural part of the diversity of kinds of people.[15][16] In the 2000s, the number of autistic people was estimated at 1–2 per 1,000 people worldwide.[17] Recent U.S. estimates suggest that approximately 1 in every 36 children is on the autism spectrum (Maenner et al., 2023)[18], and roughly 1 in every 45 adults is on the autism spectrum (Dietz et al., 2020)[19].
Autigender[edit | edit source]
- Name(s): autismgender, autigender, or autgender.[21]
- Origin: Coined on or before Aug 25, 2014 by Tumblr users autismgender and esperancegirl by submissions to the MOGAI-Archive blog.[21]
- Meaning: A gender identity with which some nonbinary autistic people choose to use to describe themselves. As originally defined by Tumblr users autismgender and esperancegirl, autismgender means "autism as part or whole of gender identity; a gender that can only be understood in context of being autistic." When your gender experience is influenced by or linked to your autism, or your understanding of the concept of gender itself is fundamentally altered by your autism.[21]
- Keywords: autism, gender connected with mind or brain conditions (neurogender), genders about things other than connection to female or male,
- Demographics: In the 2016 Nonbinary/Genderqueer Survey, one of the respondents called their gender identity "autistic," and another said "autisgender."[22] In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 66 of the respondents (0.59%) called their gender identity autigender, autgender, autistic, or autiqueer. Several of these included explanations from the survey respondents that they meant that autism was their gender, or had a significant effect on their understanding of gender.[23] In the 2020 Gender Census, 82 people were autigender, five people were autgender, one person reported they were "autigender maybe", two reported "autism gender"/"autismgender", one person was "autiegender", and one person was "autigender male" (total of 92 people whose gender is affected by their autism).[24]
 |
There are 7 alternative pride flags for this identity. Go to gallery! |
Neurogenders associated with Borderline Personality Disorder[edit | edit source]
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)[25] is a mental illness characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable relationships, distorted sense of self, and strong emotional reactions.[26]