Gender fluidity

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Gender fluidity

Gender fluidity is a non-fixed gender identity that can change over time or in different situations. A genderfluid person may move between genders or show several gender traits at once. They may identify as non-binary, transgender, or cisgender and can use any pronouns. Gender fluidity is different from gender questioning, which is when someone explores their gender to find their true identity.

Gender fluidity has appeared in many cultures around the world. In some Indigenous communities in North America, there have long been identities beyond male or female, often described today as two-spirit. In South Asia, Hijras are recognized as a third gender in traditional culture. In the Philippines, baklâ refers to people who are assigned male at birth but live with a feminine gender expression. Colonialism pushed binary gender rules and often erased these histories.

Modern terms for gender and transgender identities emerged in the mid-20th century. The idea of gender fluidity was first used by Kate Bornstein in 1994. The gender-fluid pride flag, created by JJ Poole in 2012, represents fluidity: pink for femininity, white for lack of gender, purple for androgyny, black for other genders, and blue for masculinity.