Non-binary gender

Genderqueer (GQ) and intergender are catch-all terms for gender identities other than man and woman. The term is considered derogatory by some. People who identify as genderqueer may think of themselves as being both man and woman, as being neither man nor woman, or as falling completely outside the gender binary. They may express a combination of masculinity and femininity, one or the other, or neither. Androgyne is also used commonly to describe this same category. Since there is still relatively little agreed upon terminology, the distinction between the two categories are difficult to pull apart. Genderqueers may have any sexuality/sexual identity, any physical sex, and may or may not identify as trans.

Some genderqueer people see their identity as one of many possible genders other than man or woman, while others see "genderqueer" as an umbrella term that encompasses all of those possible genders. Still others see "genderqueer" as a third gender to complement the traditional two, while others identify as genderless or agender. Genderqueer people, by definition, are united by their rejection of the notion that there are only two genders. The term "genderqueer" can also be used as an adjective to refer to any people who transgress gender, regardless of their self-defined gender identity.

Related gender terminology
People who identify outside the usual binary genders may use any or all of the following terms to describe themselves:


 * Androgyne
 * Bigender
 * Gender bender
 * Genderfuck
 * Gender fluid
 * Metagender
 * Neuter/Neutrois/Agender
 * Polygender
 * Third gender
 * Trigender
 * She-man

Gender and pronouns
Some genderqueers prefer to go by the conventional binary pronouns "he" or "she," while others prefer gender-neutral pronouns such as "ze", "sie", and "hir" or singular "they" instead of her/his. Some genderqueer people prefer to have people alternate between he and she (and/or gender neutral pronouns) in reference to themselves, and some prefer to use only their name and not use pronouns at all.

Other sources

 * Gender Queer. Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary, Joan Nestle, Clare Howell, Riki Wilchins (2002) Alyson Books, New York.
 * The Transgender Studies Reader Susan Stryker, Stephen Whittle (2006) Routledge, New York.