Gender fluidity

Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that may shift over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of both gender identity and gender expression. A genderfluid person might experience fluctuations among different gender expressions throughout their lifetime or express multiple aspects of various gender markers simultaneously. Genderfluid individuals may identify as non-binary, transgender, or cisgender, meaning they identify with the gender associated with their sex assigned at birth. Gender fluidity is distinct from gender-questioning, a process in which people explore their gender to discover their true gender identity and adjust their gender expression accordingly. Gender fluidity persists throughout the lives of genderfluid individuals.

History

Transgender people (including non-binary and third-gender individuals) have existed in cultures worldwide since the pre-colonial era. One notable example is the recognition of gender fluidity in many Indigenous communities. Although colonizers wrote the earliest records of gender fluidity in Indigenous cultures, current research reveals that over 150 pre-colonial groups are known to have recognized, or historically recognized, more than two genders. The Navajo people are one group historically recognizing between four and five gender identities, one of which is nàdleehi ('changing one' in English). In more recent history, the term two-spirit has been adopted by Indigenous gender and sexual minorities. This term challenges binary categories of sex and gender, allowing some Indigenous people to reclaim traditional roles within their societies. According to the 2012 Risk and Resilience study of Bisexual Mental Health, "the most common identities reported by transgender Aboriginal participants were two-spirit, genderqueer, and bigender." Another example of historical recognition of gender fluidity can be found in the Philippines. In the Philippines, the umbrella term baklâ refers to "those born male who currently exist with a feminine gender expression." Although this definition is the most common, a variety of identities exist within the baklâ umbrella.

Impact of Colonization

European colonization strictly enforced the binary gender concept on many groups, including those mentioned above. In the 1500s, Europeans landed in North America and imposed binary gender conformity on the Indigenous communities occupying the land. They criminalized diverse gender and sexual expressions. It is believed that they did this in an attempt to "eradicate the two-spirit identity before allowing it to be documented." As a result, the cultural legacy of many Indigenous groups was nearly erased following colonization. Returning to the Philippines example, the enforcement of a binary gender concept began with the arrival of the Spanish in 1520. The Spanish started to use the term baklâ as a slur to pressure Filipino people into adopting European ideals of gender expression. By forcing colonized groups to embrace European ideals of gender identity and expression, they erased key aspects of each group's history, culture, and traditions.

The Modern Era The modern terms and meanings of "transgender, " "gender, " "gender identity, " and "gender role" emerged only in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result, opinions vary on how to accurately categorize historical accounts of gender-variant people and identities, including genderfluid individuals.

The 1928 Virginia Woolf novel Orlando: A Biography features a main character who changes gender several times and considers gender fluidity:

In every human being, a fluctuation between sexes occurs, often maintained only by clothing that reflects a male or female appearance, while beneath the surface, one's true sex may be the very opposite. The term " gender fluidity " was first mentioned in gender theorist Kate Bornstein's 1994 book, Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. It was later referenced again in the 1996 book, The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader.

Symbols

The genderfluid pride flag was created by JJ Poole in 2012. The pink stripe represents femininity, the white symbolizes a lack of gender, the purple signifies androgyny, the black denotes all other genders, and the blue represents masculinity.

The flag is a representation of the fluidity encompassed within the identity.

External links

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Gender_fluidity ]

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