Other How many genders?

Project Naiad

Octopus in disguise
Hey, hello, hi!
My name is Nate, I'm a cis gay male. I kind of believe that there are only two genders, and that this whole gender mania is just a trend and not something actually based on facts.
However! I'm also aware that I do not have all the answers in the world (I'm still working on it), and I am open to the possibility of being wrong and changing my mind.
I would like any nonbinary people on this site to come and peacefully share their experiences with and opinions on genders, in order to maybe make the matter clearer to anyone who like me is interested in it.

I don't mean this thread to be offensive to anything or anyone in any way shape or form.
I'm well aware that this thread has the potential to become very inflammatory, however I have faith in all you beautiful and wise roleplayers to be nice and civil to each other and to always be respectful to others, even if you don't share the same opinions.

So yeah, that is all, come take a cookie if you like ^^
 
Alright! Seeing as I do not have to make a single joke about this (I wasn't even going to), I've decided to research for you.

Now, genders are fickle and apparently NYC recognizes 31 in an odd article. But! If we are to talk about genders in the LGBTQ+ , then I can give you the generalization of the numbers.

Cis Male
Cis Female
Trans Male
Trans Female
Intersex (born fem or male with sex organs of the opposite sex)
Genderfluid (conforming to both male or female depending on mood or expressive state)
Queer (in question, undecided)
Non-Binary (deciding no gender role describes them)
Agender (having no gender)


That's..9. I suggest you do some research on RELIABLE LBGTQ+ articles if you want to know further. I hope I was of help!
 
Alright! Seeing as I do not have to make a single joke about this (I wasn't even going to), I've decided to research for you.

Now, genders are fickle and apparently NYC recognizes 31 in an odd article. But! If we are to talk about genders in the LGBTQ+ , then I can give you the generalization of the numbers.

Cis Male
Cis Female
Trans Male
Trans Female
Intersex (born fem or male with sex organs of the opposite sex)
Genderfluid (conforming to both male or female depending on mood or expressive state)
Queer (in question, undecided)
Non-Binary (deciding no gender role describes them)
Agender (having no gender)


That's..9. I suggest you do some research on RELIABLE LBGTQ+ articles if you want to know further. I hope I was of help!
Eeeeh, I already knew most of what you said, what I was interested in was some experience from people who actually identify as such.
However thank you so much for not trolling and restoring my wounded pride! And another thank you for taking time to make researches for a complete stranger!
 
ayo. o/ i'm a transguy that used to identify as non-binary (still not sure if i 100% identify as male, might be a demiboy) and am currently seeing someone who identifies as genderqueer.

i started identifying as non-binary when i realized how disillusioned i felt with the female identity about three-four years ago. it started at with me recognizing moments of gender euphoria in my life, where i was abnormally happy any time that someone called me sir, was included in male groups at school as "one of their own" (ignoring the small anxiety of being a part of something but also separate and held at a distance), or was referred to as "he" online when i stopped using a gender marker on sites.

however, i didn't feel comfortable calling myself a transmale, and felt like it would be an insult to "real" transmen, even, if i were to do so. i hate sports and i never cared about what's between my legs. i still like to dress up and be called cute. none of these things fit quite right in the "male" mold that i saw that men were being forced to fit into.

but then seven or so months ago, i realized i could be non-binary and trans and everything just kind of snowballed from there. i realized the dysphoria that i've had about my chest for so long and how i've always wanted to belong in male spaces. i used to hold very sexist views against women, and i've come to realize this and how it was a response to my frustration of how alienated i felt from female groups yet i kept being forced into them. i resented that i had only dated cisguys in the past, and for that everyone, including the guy i had been dating, kept calling me "basically straight." it made me beyond uncomfortable and the amount of dysphoria/anxiety i was feeling was reaching intolerable levels. i learned that i don't have to want to change my genitals or fit into every male stereotype in order to be male. i realized that "they" just wasn't doing it for me anymore and dropped it as a pronoun.

i'm still not sure if i'm a masculine non-binary or an androgynous presenting man. i just know that i am absolutely not a female, and a lot of times i get so fucking dysphoric when i'm mistaken for one i may have dissociated once ahsjghkg. there's a lot of pressure in society to be one or the other. very few people even within the lgbt community recognize non-binary genders, and just about no one is ever going to look at some gender ambiguous person and call them "mx" in our current society. if gender roles and stereotypes didn't exist and i lived in a world where third genders were recognized and normalized, maybe i would still consider myself non-binary. in the meantime, i live in modern-day america, and the label of transmasculine and male is enough to keep me in a mentally healthy state.

my story isn't to suggest that every non-binary person is simply struggling with internalized transphobia like i was, but it is a key part of my narrative, i feel. i do believe in non-binary genders, because biologically really isn't as simple and black-and-white as males/females have these chromosomes and have this set ratio of testosterone : estrogen. i think it would also, for my part, be disrespectful to cultures that do and have recognized third genders for so long.

but i will say EVEN IF i were to not believe in non-binary genders, i think it's an extremely useful tool for trans people to be able to explore their gender identity, ideally without the pressure of worrying about whether or not they're "trans enough." i also don't see their existence as harmful in any way, and an act as simple as respecting someone's pronouns can literally make someone's day so much better.

as for my datemate, i can't speak too much for them at all, since we haven't talked about this super extensively. i do know, however, that they've talked to me about having fluctuating levels of dysphoria and that their ideal body image is constantly changing. they want facial hair, but they're also terrified of the dysphoria is might cause them some other day while growing it out. i think they're having a really hard time with it all, but i hope one day they can get to a point where they finally feel comfortable in their body.
 
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ayo. o/ i'm a transguy that used to identify as non-binary (still not sure if i 100% identify as male, might be a demiboy) and am currently seeing someone who identifies as genderqueer.

i started identifying as non-binary when i realized how disillusioned i felt with the female identity about three-four years ago. it started at with me recognizing moments of gender euphoria in my life, where i was abnormally happy any time that someone called me sir, was included in male groups at school as "one of their own" (ignoring the small anxiety of being a part of something but also separate and held at a distance), or was referred to as "he" online when i stopped using a gender marker on sites.

however, i didn't feel comfortable calling myself a transmale, and felt like it would be an insult to "real" transmen, even, if i were to do so. i hate sports and i never cared about what's between my legs. i still like to dress up and be called cute. none of these things fit quite right in the "male" mold that i saw that men were being forced to fit into.

but then seven or so months ago, i realized i could be non-binary and trans and everything just kind of snowballed from there. i realized the dysphoria that i've had about my chest for so long and how i've always wanted to belong in male spaces. i used to hold very sexist views against women, and i've come to realize this and how it was a response to my frustration of how alienated i felt from female groups yet i kept being forced into them. i resented that i had only dated cisguys in the past, and for that everyone, including the guy i had been dating, kept calling me "basically straight." it made me beyond uncomfortable and the amount of dysphoria/anxiety i was feeling was reaching intolerable levels. i learned that i don't have to want to change my genitals or fit into every male stereotype in order to be male. i realized that "they" just wasn't doing it for me anymore and dropped it as a pronoun.

i'm still not sure if i'm a masculine non-binary or an androgynous presenting man. i just know that i am absolute not a female, and a lot of times i get so fucking dysphoric when i'm mistaken for one i may have dissociated once ahsjghkg. there's a lot of pressure in society to be one or the other. very few people even within the lgbt community recognize non-binary genders, and just about no one is ever going to look at some gender ambiguous person and call them "mx" in our current society. if gender roles and stereotypes didn't exist and i lived in a world where third genders were recognized and normalized, maybe i would still consider myself non-binary. in the meantime, i live in modern-day america, and the label of transmasculine and male is enough to keep me in a mentally healthy state.

my story isn't to suggest that every non-binary person is simply struggling with internalized transphobia like i was, but it is a key part of my narrative, i feel. i do believe in non-binary genders, because biologically really isn't as simple and black-and-white as males/females have these chromosomes and have this set ratio of testosterone : estrogen. i think it would also, for my part, be disrespectful to cultures that do and have recognized third genders for so long.

but i will say EVEN IF i were to not believe in non-binary genders, i think it's an extremely useful tool for trans people to be able to explore their gender identity, ideally without the pressure of worrying about whether or not they're "trans enough." i also don't see their existence as harmful in any way, and an act as simple as respecting someone's pronouns can literally make someone's day so much better.

as for my datemate, i can't speak too much for them at all, since we haven't talked about this super extensively. i do know, however, that they've talked to me about having fluctuating levels of dysphoria and that their ideal body image is constantly changing. they want facial hair, but they're also terrified of the dysphoria is might cause them some other day while growing it out. i think they're having a really hard time with it all, but i hope one day they can get to a point where they finally feel comfortable in their body.
Thanks for posting!
I also do not believe that everyone can be categorized in 100% male and 100% female. Rather than there being only 2 strict alternative, I kinda believe that gender is a spectrum, where one can happen to be a male with some feminine characteristics (ex: me, I'm not exactly the archetype of manliness myself). However I still believe that it all comes down to male and female, since in my opinion gender originates from society, but also from biology. Hence my problem with non binary, since I don't see how a third gender, or absence of gender could be possible.
(Not sure if I'm making myself clear here :/)
 
To my understanding (As a cisgender lesbian) there's
Cisgender
Transgender,
People who don't identify as either (Agender)
People who feel more masculine/feminine depending on the day (genderfluid, because they flow back and forth on the specturm)
And people who identify pretty strongly as both (bigender)

Honestly the whole "I identify as an attack helicopter" is a joke, as is 'Did you just presume my gender?!?!?!?' because no one actually acts like that irl

I just try to respect pronouns because it makes talking to people easier. When they don't present strongly in either case I'll use they/them just to simplify things.

Human sex isn't a binary, some people who are born XY never have masculine traits develop, some are female up until puberty wherein they will develop a penis.

Some people are born with only one X some people are born XYY, it really isn't a binary there.

Not to mention intersex people.
 
To my conservative understanding, there are males, females, and people who were unfortunately born different than us.
Anything else is silly.
Anything else I say will turn this thread into anything but positive.
So, on that note,
SERPENTINE
*smoke bomb*
Potato, rolling out!
 
To my understanding (As a cisgender lesbian) there's
Cisgender
Transgender,
People who don't identify as either (Agender)
People who feel more masculine/feminine depending on the day (genderfluid, because they flow back and forth on the specturm)
And people who identify pretty strongly as both (bigender)

Honestly the whole "I identify as an attack helicopter" is a joke, as is 'Did you just presume my gender?!?!?!?' because no one actually acts like that irl

I just try to respect pronouns because it makes talking to people easier. When they don't present strongly in either case I'll use they/them just to simplify things.

Human sex isn't a binary, some people who are born XY never have masculine traits develop, some are female up until puberty wherein they will develop a penis.

Some people are born with only one X some people are born XYY, it really isn't a binary there.

Not to mention intersex people.
The ones you are talking about are anomalies, which SHOULD be taken in consideration and not left behind, but are anomalies nevertheless. It's like saying albinos are a race.

So yeah, to me human sex is binary, we are animals after all. Male. Female.
Gender on the other hand is another thing, but I believe it is still deeply linked to sex.
 
Thanks for posting!
I also do not believe that everyone can be categorized in 100% male and 100% female. Rather than there being only 2 strict alternative, I kinda believe that gender is a spectrum, where one can happen to be a male with some feminine characteristics (ex: me, I'm not exactly the archetype of manliness myself). However I still believe that it all comes down to male and female, since in my opinion gender originates from society, but also from biology. Hence my problem with non binary, since I don't see how a third gender, or absence of gender could be possible.
(Not sure if I'm making myself clear here :/)

no, i understand what you're saying. i've heard that argument... a lot, lol. i agree that males can present feminine/androgynous and females can conversely present as masculine/androgynous, all while still being cis. i just don't think that fluidity in gender presentation invalidates gender identities.

i really dont think i have the heart to debate nb genders right now tbh (i have a low threshold for people challenging my identity and an even lower one for invalidating my datemate's identity), but i'll leave you with these things to consider, assuming you REALLY ARE interested in maybe understanding where these people are coming from:

if gender originates from society, then there's a growing population within this society challenging the gender binary. even if they're viewed as counterculture, they nevertheless are a portion of this society, and honestly i only see society progressing to accept non-binary genders with time. i think there's at least one, maybe two states now accepting non-binary identities on driver's licenses? it definitely isn't going to happen overnight, but id be willing to bet that more states are going to start considering this, offering the option, go back-and-forth a little, and like with gay marriage, eventually be taken to the federal level and opened to in all states. give it another century and there's going to be some other hot button issue that people are going to be more angry about than debating gender spectrums. non-binary genders aren't just going to die now that they've reached this point. this is society, at least as i see it.

for biology, i think a lot of scientists are starting to become interested in the spectrum of sex and gender. you may consider intersex people a hiccup in biology, but they nevertheless occur naturally and can be perfectly healthy & functioning people, just as any cisperson born in the binary. something something redheads only being like 1% of the population and coming from a mutation and intersex also being around 1-3% of the population etc.whatever i dont feel like pulling up the exact numbers right now lol.

there have also been studies done on transmen and transwomen showing that the balance of gray:white matter in the brain is sexually dimorphic and trans people match their identified male/female gender in that, rather than their assigned gender at birth. as far as non-binary people, i just don't think enough studies have been done. in fact, there just needs to be way more studies and research into trans things, but the human brain is so fucking complex, and (at least imo) that's where "we" truly originate (the brain being the seat of cognition and all), and if we don't fully understand the brains of cookie-cutter cishets yet then, well... it's going to be a while before science has something to say about non-binary genders, especially with them only now starting to really be brought to the surface. i think to use biology as evidence against non-binary genders is jumping the gun a little. the scientific method takes a while to truly play out.

then finally, i don't think you nor i (even if i identified as it once/identify with it partially) can truly know what it feels like to be non-binary. yes, transtrenders exist, as well as people suffering from schizophrenia and schizophrenic-like symptoms that can be mistaken for gender dysphoria, but i really don't think it's fair to assume every person identifying as non-binary is such. and again... please remember that it's a minor inconvenience to you at most to respect someone's identity, but it could be immensely stressful to that person to be invalidated. (if, as a gay man, you can imagine 99.5% of the people you're around constantly talking to you like you're straight and constantly assuming they know better than you and that you just "haven't found the right woman," then maybe you can empathize a little with what it must feel like to not have your hypothetical non-binary gender constantly questioned/disregarded. i'm sure if you're anything like my friends then this is something you run into a lot, but i'd like to reiterate this as being almost all the time in every single interaction you have.)
 
I apologize if I came off as offensive in one of my posts, it wasn't my intention, and as I stated in my intro I do not claim to be the bearer of all truths (yet).
First, maybe I should have mentioned it, I have no problem believing that trans people actually can and do identify as another gender on an extremely deep level, just as a cis person identifies with its own.
As for society and biology yes there have been some movements and some studies, but all of them are an extremely recent phenomenon. Homosexuality for example has always existed, in men and animals, while non binary genders are a rarity to be found in history.
And finally yeah, I may never fully know what it feels to be non-binary, or female, or an elephant. But trying to understand, and respect, other people around me who are one of these things is the best one can do.
 
I apologize if I came off as offensive in one of my posts, it wasn't my intention, and as I stated in my intro I do not claim to be the bearer of all truths (yet).
First, maybe I should have mentioned it, I have no problem believing that trans people actually can and do identify as another gender on an extremely deep level, just as a cis person identifies with its own.
As for society and biology yes there have been some movements and some studies, but all of them are an extremely recent phenomenon. Homosexuality for example has always existed, in men and animals, while non binary genders are a rarity to be found in history.
And finally yeah, I may never fully know what it feels to be non-binary, or female, or an elephant. But trying to understand, and respect, other people around me who are one of these things is the best one can do.
"I do not claim to be the bearer of all truths (yet)."
"yet"
"Soon my day will come."
 
There aren't even two genders, lol. The human soul (or mind/self, should you march to a slightly-more materialist-but-still-not-entirely-so drumbeat) is without gender. Even if you were inclined to shift around definitions so that it is, it's only as a fixed idea of what one ought to be. And it's not even good at this anymore, as many folk who have put a lot more thought to this than I have established that a man or woman or indeed any individual can act in any number of ways unrelated to their gender. If gender does not describe action, does it describe an aesthetic? Not really, no, as evidenced by those same kind of people. In essence, gender as a concept is superfluous and the entirety of society should discard it as soon as possible. Summed up briefly, my opinions on the matter are:
Man? Feh. Woman? Feh. Trans? Feh. Nonbinary? Feh. It's all just empty words, people are still people for better or worse, and gender doesn't really matter or mean anything ultimately.
 
There aren't even two genders, lol. The human soul (or mind/self, should you march to a slightly-more materialist-but-still-not-entirely-so drumbeat) is without gender. Even if you were inclined to shift around definitions so that it is, it's only as a fixed idea of what one ought to be. And it's not even good at this anymore, as many folk who have put a lot more thought to this than I have established that a man or woman or indeed any individual can act in any number of ways unrelated to their gender. If gender does not describe action, does it describe an aesthetic? Not really, no, as evidenced by those same kind of people. In essence, gender as a concept is superfluous and the entirety of society should discard it as soon as possible. Summed up briefly, my opinions on the matter are:
Man? Feh. Woman? Feh. Trans? Feh. Nonbinary? Feh. It's all just empty words, people are still people for better or worse, and gender doesn't really matter or mean anything ultimately.
Maybe gender's role is to describe what action should be taken, not necessarily what is taken.
 
Maybe gender's role is to describe what action should be taken, not necessarily what is taken.
If that's the case, then it fails at that too. Tell anyone to dictate how a man or woman should act based on their gender and you'll get as many conflicting responses as people. Let's give up the ghost: Gender is a meaningless word. Sex (as a word) still has quite a bit of utility, but gender seems meaningless to me.
 
If that's the case, then it fails at that too. Tell anyone to dictate how a man or woman should act based on their gender and you'll get as many conflicting responses as people. Let's give up the ghost: Gender is a meaningless word. Sex (as a word) still has quite a bit of utility, but gender seems meaningless to me.
So our actions should be defined by sex.
And if we applied that...
I think in a very weird way we agree kind of.
 
So our actions should be defined by sex.
And if we applied that...
I think in a very weird way we agree kind of.
I don't believe actions should be defined by sex. I believe you have misinterpreted me. Appropriate behavior based on sex is as meaningless as gender: thousands of contradictory responses. There is only appropriate behavior for different situations and people.
 
I don't believe actions should be defined by sex. I believe you have misinterpreted me. Appropriate behavior based on sex is as meaningless as gender: thousands of contradictory responses. There is only appropriate behavior for different situations and people.
So there's nothing one can use to define one's own actions?
WOO
*rioting ensues*
 
Today I learned that there are only two things that define a person: sex and gender. Are you being silly at me on purpose?
Somewhat.
And I am kind of confused what your meaning is, but that's probably because I have been doing weird sleep cycles on purpose.
2 much youtube, not enough time.
 
Hey, hello, hi!
My name is Nate, I'm a cis gay male. I kind of believe that there are only two genders, and that this whole gender mania is just a trend and not something actually based on facts.
However! I'm also aware that I do not have all the answers in the world (I'm still working on it), and I am open to the possibility of being wrong and changing my mind.
I would like any nonbinary people on this site to come and peacefully share their experiences with and opinions on genders, in order to maybe make the matter clearer to anyone who like me is interested in it.

I don't mean this thread to be offensive to anything or anyone in any way shape or form.
I'm well aware that this thread has the potential to become very inflammatory, however I have faith in all you beautiful and wise roleplayers to be nice and civil to each other and to always be respectful to others, even if you don't share the same opinions.

So yeah, that is all, come take a cookie if you like ^^

I'm still learning about the whole thing, but I think I can help you out. The first thing that needs to be understood is that when one is making the claim about there being more than two genders, they aren't often saying there's more than two regarding /biological sex./
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#Measurement_of_gender_identity
Gender is a social version of sex identity, and is especially useful in distinction for things like gender studies. I say this because it falls under social science, which studies culture, society, etc. rather than the laws of nature. If they wanted a category of study on gender they would need a different word than 'sex' to avoid confusion. That's just one useful thing about the distinction though, one I've noticed myself. InB4 'gender studies grrrr.'

So the reason there's more than two genders are because the titles are in reference to how the ideals of masculinity and femininity apply to them... Pretty simple really. I don't have much more to say on that. Though on the biological side, there are those born with both sex organs, and there are the odd biological differences between trans and cis people. So honestly, I do think there could be a developing argument against even the biology counter. Then again, study on trans people is... eh... limited. I'll just leave that thought as a possibility.
 
I'm still learning about the whole thing, but I think I can help you out. The first thing that needs to be understood is that when one is making the claim about there being more than two genders, they aren't often saying there's more than two regarding /biological sex./
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#Measurement_of_gender_identity
Gender is a social version of sex identity, and is especially useful in distinction for things like gender studies. I say this because it falls under social science, which studies culture, society, etc. rather than the laws of nature. If they wanted a category of study on gender they would need a different word than 'sex' to avoid confusion. That's just one useful thing about the distinction though, one I've noticed myself. InB4 'gender studies grrrr.'

So the reason there's more than two genders are because the titles are in reference to how the ideals of masculinity and femininity apply to them... Pretty simple really. I don't have much more to say on that. Though on the biological side, there are those born with both sex organs, and there are the odd biological differences between trans and cis people. So honestly, I do think there could be a developing argument against even the biology counter. Then again, study on trans people is... eh... limited. I'll just leave that thought as a possibility.
Again, people whose biology falls out of the sex binary are anomalies.
As for reacting to masculinity and femininity in different ways, it seems to me that is just a personality trait, everyone reacts in their own way to their sex, there's no need to call gender into play.
Finally, all these new wonderful genders still do not emancipate themselves from the gender binary, since they're all just variations of or originating from male and female to me.
 
Gender and sex are NOT social constructs. What I've been told is that Gender and Sex are literally synonyms. I suppose you could argue that there could be a third gender if someone is born without their parts fully developed, half developed, etc. but that's very rare. However, you could argue that certain traits that belong to certain genders are social constructs, like courage or fear or gluttony, etc.

Yet again, you could take this with a grain of salt considering I don't have a degree in Biology or Psychology, but this is what a high-school honors biology class told me, so I'll roll with it.
 
Gender and sex are NOT social constructs. What I've been told is that Gender and Sex are literally synonyms. I suppose you could argue that there could be a third gender if someone is born without their parts fully developed, half developed, etc. but that's very rare/ However, you could argue that certain traits that belong to certain genders are social constructs, like courage or fear or intelligence, etc.
Yet again, you could take this with a grain of salt considering I don't have a degree in Biology or Psychology, but this is what a high-school honors biology class told me, so I'll roll with it.
Sex and gender are not synonyms, although I think they used to be.
Roughly said, sex refers to one's physical characteristics, and gender to one's mental ones.
 
It really depends on what you mean by gender. If by gender you mean the stereotypes associated via culture to a certain sex, then gender is basically an ill-defined set of infinite patterns, and effectively meaningless.


However, if you go by what the word is actually commonly used for, AKA your sex, then I would say there are two to four genders.
I would ordinarily say you can only be a man or a woman in terms of gender. However, I AM open to the idea that transgender people can be considered a separate gender, because the hormonal distribution and organ composition can sometimes be altered, but is never a perfect copy of the gender the person is trying to change into.

My major problem with that idea though is another argument often brought up, people who are born with two genders. The issue here is that people don't realize that being born with a gender is not the same as being born with a certain haircolor. Genders are essential for human reproduction, and a deficiency in how you're born regarding your gender is not just something that makes you different, it's a desease and should be treated as such. It's a genetic error that could harm your life, not a funny gimmic. People can be born with extra fingers, with tails, without eyes, and they can be born with two genders. Even if the scale is very different, it's in essence the same factor. And how that affects my view on transgender people is that what they are doing also goes in a similar vein, or can be seen as such. It may not be a forming of a new gender, just self-mutilation.

So to be, whether or not transgender can be also considered a gender is a question to be posed on whether I have the right to stop someone from self-mutilating. However every other gender apart from the two innitial ones and the transgenders is either an outright genetic desease or is a self-entitled mania, potentially a psychological desease but in that one I don't have enough knowledge to say for sure.
 

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