August 19, 2011
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Genderqueer
I just want to get this straight right away for everyone… GenderQueer has NOTHING to do with who you do or do not have sex with.
Genderqueer is a catch-all term for gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of the gender binary and heteronormativity. People who identify as genderqueer may think of themselves as one or more of the following:
both man and woman (bigender, pangender)
neither man nor woman (genderless, agender)
moving between genders (genderfluid)
third gender or other-gendered; includes those who do not place a name to their gender
having an overlap of, or blurred lines between, gender identity and sexual orientation
Some genderqueer people prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns such as one, ze, sie, hir, ey or singular “they”,”their” and “them”, while others prefer the conventional binary pronouns “her” or “him”. Some genderqueer people prefer to be referred to alternately as he and she (and/or gender neutral pronouns), and some prefer to use only their name and not use pronouns at all.
Despite what we’re force-fed by the media and by society, it really is okay to be inbetween genders if that’s where you feel you need to be. It’s almost preposterous that, depending on the flesh between our legs, we are expected to behave in certain ways;
Gender is not black or white, man or woman. It’s a spectrum – it stretches from the extremes of gender to the grey area in-between.
Comments (9)
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Well, I keep on presenting as cisgendered because it is expected of me but who f###s me could very well be a different story and what you people don’t know can’t hurt you. I am not a blood donor. Thank you very much. Bye now.
someone on datingish argued with me and told me there was no singular form of their. i was baffled.
“Gender is not black or white, man or woman. It’s a spectrum – it stretches from the extremes of gender to the grey area in-between.” – Yes! I totally agree. Sexuality as well. I know, I know, identifying as genderqueer has nothing to do with sexuality, as you said. I only point this out something people probably get equally hung up on – gender, as well as sexuality. People often confuse the two as the same thing, which of course they are not. Maybe one happy day we as a species will move past the barriers and labels we impose upon gender, sexuality, race, etc. Thanks for posting this – things like this educate others and help break down the walls of bias.
Thank you! Thank you So MUCH!
I’m glad someone explained this to me. I couldn’t quite understand it.Thank you! =]
I’m not going to lie. Seeing this greatly saddens me. We were once good friends, and i hate that this has happened to you. There is nothing more heartbreaking than someone losing their faith. I know you’re going to say that its not heartbreaking to you. But it is to me. And one day, it will be to you as well. Well, God bless.
So I am at a loss here and although some might say that is not unusual, (read my sons. I think it is OK to call them my sons. Based on your article I am not sure) what is it that you want Facebook to do? Have a box with the standard M/F that says other?
My love for someone, actually anyone and everyone is unfettered by the box they check so this is not about that, but my not understanding is more at dismay at where do we stop and at how many? If you are Facebook and after making say 15 new boxes to accommodate your gender position, what if someone, say 10,000 out of the total Facebook population have some different category, should they again modify their website? At what point do we just accept that although no one is singling out anyone, somethings are EACH PERSON specific and accommodating every group/person is CRAZY?
I hope I did not loose you there as I may have lost myself. Point is if they just made an “other” box is that alright? And what is the problem with the current system? Does the box that others fit you in bother you? I doubt that very much.
May good thoughts fill your heart and mind and the hearts and minds of all you come into contact with.xo,justmarty
Gender binary is a terrible societal construct that truly yields no positives.
Thank you for this article.