What are the four genders?
The four genders are masculine, feminine, neuter, and common.
There are four different types of genders that apply to living and nonliving objects.
- Masculine gender:
- It is used to denote a male subtype.
- Examples are king, man, boy, father, cock, bull, fox, etc.
- Feminine gender:
- It is used to denote the female subtype.
- Examples may include queen, woman, girl, mother, hen, cow, vixen, etc.
- Neuter gender:
- It is used to denote nonliving and lifeless things. Neuter means neither, which is neither male nor female.
- For example, table, hair, city, etc.
- Common gender:
- It denotes either a male or female sex.
- For example, teacher, student, cousin, parent, etc.
What are the 7 other genders?
The 7 different genders include agender, cisgender, genderfluid, genderqueer, intersex, gender nonconforming, and transgender.
Many people refuse to be classified as male or female, either because they do not identify themselves as male or female or because they are transitioning to the opposite gender.
There are about a dozen broad categories of gender, which include:
- Agender:
- An agender person does not have a gender.
- The body of an agender person does not always correspond with their lack of gender identity.
- They are frequently unconcerned about their physical sex but may strive to appear androgynous.
- An androgyne is a person who identifies as neither man nor woman and/or physically appears as neither.
- Cisgender:
- Many people identify as cisgender; this means that you believe your biological sex, or the one you were assigned at birth, corresponds to your gender identity or how you perceive yourself.
- It is a common gender in society, but it should not be assumed.
- Genderfluid:
- A genderfluid person does not identify as male or female but rather as one or the other depending on the day. This refers to being flexible with one’s gender expression, which is distinct from one’s gender identity.
- Gender expression refers to a person’s physical characteristics, behaviors, and appearance that are associated with masculinity or femininity.
- Individuals who are genderfluid may express one gender through clothing or interests one day and then identify as another the next.
- Genderqueer:
- This person may identify as male or female, as between or beyond genders, or as a mix of the two.
- These people frequently question gender stereotypes and the male-female binary system. They frequently exhibit gender fluidity.
- Genderqueer is another term for someone open about their sexual orientation. They may or may not identify as heterosexual or same-gender-loving.
- This phrase is becoming more popular in society.
- Intersex:
- Intersex refers to a group of medical conditions in which a person is born with chromosomes, genitalia, and/or secondary sexual characteristics that contradict the traditional definition of a male or female body.
- Individuals are not always aware of their condition, but it is an identity that some choose to share.
- Gender nonconforming:
- Gender nonconforming refers to a person who either by nature or by choice does not conform to gender-based expectations of society. This identity goes along with a lot of the ones above.
- Think of all gender stereotypes out there such as pink for girls or guys having muscles. This person chooses to not conform to these or may identify as the opposite sex such as transgender individuals.
- Transgender (trans man, trans woman, or trans person):
- Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the one assigned to their physical sex. It includes transmen, transwomen, genderqueer people, crossdressers, and drag queens/kings, among others.
- In general, it refers to anyone whose behavior or identity deviates from gender stereotypes.
- Transgender people can be straight, gay, bisexual, or of any other sexual orientation. It is sometimes abbreviated as trans.
- It should never be assumed that everyone who dresses like a transgender person has issues with gender identity.
Gender refers to various roles, rights, and responsibilities of men and women, as well as their interactions. It does not simply refer to men or women but to how their characteristics, behaviors, and identities are formed because of socialization.
Gender is often associated with unequal power and access to options and resources. Historical, religious, economic, and cultural realities affect women’s and men’s positions. These roles and responsibilities can and do shift over time.
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What do you mean by gender identity and expression?
Gender is a concept that can be broken down into three categories: gender identity, gender expression, and physical sex. Gender is not fixed and can change over time.
- Gender identity is how a person sees themselves. It is their internal sense and personal experience of gender. Some people whose biological sex does not match their gender identity may make physical and social changes to express their identified gender. It may also involve medical changes, such as taking hormones or getting gender-affirming surgery. This process is called transition.
- Gender expression includes all the ways a person communicates their gender based on societal factors, such as gender norms and perceptions. Some people have the same gender expression all the time whereas others may change their expression over time or based on circumstances. Some play with gender expression for theatrical purposes or “drag” (a Victorian-era theatre slang). People can choose to express their gender identity in different ways at different times. It can be psychologically distressing for some people who do not feel safe or comfortable expressing their gender identity.
- Physical sex is the development and changes of a person’s body over their lifespan. It depends on various factors, such as sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, hormones, and secondary sex characteristics, and related medical care.
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What is gender dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is when a child feels distressed because their gender identity differs from their sex. This distress might affect their school or home life. Not all gender diverse children have gender dysphoria. Some children are comfortable identifying as a gender that is different from what they were assigned at birth. Being gender diverse or experimenting with gender expression isn’t a problem unless the child seems upset or distressed about their gender. However, some children do experience gender dysphoria, especially if they experience bullying, stigma or discrimination at school or other places.
There are many different words and labels that people use to describe their sex or gender characteristics and identities. Here are some of the most common ones
- Cisgender: A word used to describe people whose gender agrees with their body sex or assigned sex.
- Trans and gender diverse: A general word for people whose gender is different from their physical sex, including transgender people.
- Transgender: A person whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to that typically associated with their sex assigned at birth.
- Genderqueer/non-binary: Any gender identity that sits within, outside of, across or between the spectrum of the male and female is binary. A non-binary person might identify as gender-fluid, transmasculine, transfeminine, agender, bigender, etc.
- Intersex: A person born with reproductive organs, hormone levels and/or sex chromosomes that isn’t exclusively male or female. There are many different states of being intersex. They are not always obvious on the outside or even diagnosed.
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What do you mean by sexual orientation?
Sexual orientation refers to a person’s emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female). Sexual orientation is typically divided into four categories:
- Heterosexuality: They are attracted to the opposite sex.
- Homosexuality: They may be attracted to the same sex.
- Bisexuality: They may be attracted to either of the sexes.
- Asexuality: They are not attracted to any sex.
7 types of sexualities
There are numerous ways for a person to be sexually attracted to others of the same gender, others of a different gender, both, neither, or even themselves. There are up to 16 types of sexual orientations yet to be discovered.
The following are the 7 major types of sexual orientations:
- Pansexual:
- Pansexuality refers to sexual attraction to people of all genders, as well as transgendered, transsexual, androgynous, and gender-fluid individuals.
- Demisexual:
- Demisexual refers to someone who is halfway between sexual and asexual.
- Demisexual individuals are those who require a strong emotional bond before becoming sexually involved with someone. They cannot be moved by an initial attraction.
- Monosexual (heterosexual/homosexual):
- Monosexuality refers to a preference for only one gender. It could be heterosexual (attraction to the opposite sex) or homosexual (attraction to the same sex).
- Bisexual:
- Bisexual individuals are attracted to people of both sexes.
- Asexual:
- Asexual individuals are people who have no interest in or desire for sexual activity.
- They may or may not be in a relationship and differ from celibates in that celibates refrain from sexual activities of their own volition.
- Gray-A:
- Gray-A or gray-asexuality refers to the gray area between sexuality and asexuality. These are people who fall somewhere in the middle.
- Under some very specific circumstances, they feel sexually aroused. Sexual desire can be so low that it goes unnoticed.
- Autosexual:
- Autosexuality, also known as autoeroticism, is when you get sexual pleasure from stimulating your own body.
- Looking in the mirror may attract such people, and they frequently fantasize about their appearances and naked bodies.
Sex is usually determined by biological factors such as a person’s reproductive organs, genes, and hormones. Sex, like gender, is not a binary concept.
Although a person’s reproductive organs, genitals, or both may appear to be male or female, their reproductive organs, genitals, or both may appear to be different. These are referred to as sex development differences.
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Medically Reviewed on 3/3/2022
References
Medscape Medical Reference
Institute of Development Studies http://spl.ids.ac.uk/sexuality-and-social-justice-toolkit/1-issues-and-debates/what-link-between-sexuality-and-gender
7 Genders, 7 Typographies: Hacking the Binary: https://walkerart.org/magazine/7-genders-7-typographies-hacking-the-binary
57 genders: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/society/politics-policy-people/society-matters/57-genders-and-none-me-part-two
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions: https://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-terminology-and-definitions