… cultural significance. Hijra, kothi, and panthi are the most commonly used terms for the third gender. They are defined in terms of sexual attraction, position preference, and gender presentation.2
Hijra and kothi individuals tend to be traditionally feminine in their gender presentation. Research on the gender presentation of hijra and kothi individuals found that …
Table of Contents
IntroductionThe Spirituality and Divinity of Two-Spirited IndividualsThe story of We’WhaEurocentric Ideals Imposed on Native Americans due to ColonizationConcluding Remarks: What Two-Spirit’s History Means for Present and Future Generations
Introduction
Western cultures typically ascribe to the gender binary, or the gender system that is characterized by the existence of …
… female, both, or neither.3 It does not necessarily relate to a person’s biological sex. Knowing the difference between these three terms is vital to understanding gender dysphoria.
Gender dysphoria occurs when a person’s biological sex and gender identity do not match up. It is defined as the distress or discomfort that arises …
… lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and asexual. Gender identity, in contrast, is a person’s perception of their own gender, which may be male, female, transgender, genderqueer, agender, or gender fluid. To learn more about the different types of gender identities, please refer to our article “Overview of Gender Identities.”
Pansexuality May Be Expressed Differently by Different …
Sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity are commonly confused terms often used inconsistently and interchangeably. However, there are important distinctions between these ideas that involve both biological and social factors. The complex interaction between them influence a person’s identity, sexual attraction, emotional attraction, and gender expression as the iconic image of the “Genderbread …
… white stripe represents the gender neutral (agender) identity. Finally, the green (the inverse of lavender) represents the third gender and people who do not identify with the gender spectrum at all.
The word “genderqueer” is a term used to describe one whose gender identity does not necessarily fit within the male/female gender binary. Gender …
… is of the third gender, they are considered neither male nor female, which challenges the two-sex model, but this is not to be mistaken for the third sex. Typically, those of the third gender prefer to be referred to with gender-neutral pronouns such as one, ze, sie, hir, or ey.
Is it normal …
… 4
Non-binary: An umbrella term for all gender identities that do not fall into the gender binary. Also used as a gender identity on its own.
Gender Variant: A person who does not conform to the gender expectations of society (e.g. transgender, transsexual, intersex, genderqueer, cross-dresser, etc.).5
Third Gender: An individual …
… this article titled, “Raising Your Children Gender Neutrally.”
Exceptions
Classification within the gender binary does not encompass the vast possibilities for people to experience and identify their gender. Around the world, there are many individuals and subcultures who defy specific gender construct.1
In several North American indigenous cultures, there are third and fourth gender …
