

Their gender can also vary at random or vary in response to different circumstances." Indeed, what "gender-fluid" means will vary according to each individual. The Gender Wiki defines "gender-fluid" as "a gender identity which refers to a gender which varies over time." It explains, "A gender-fluid person may at any time identify as male, female, neutrois, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities.
Gender fluid meaning update#
(Bustle has reached out to Oxford English Dictionaries for comment and will update this post if/when we hear back.) It's also part of a larger cultural movement away from thinking of gender as a binary and toward thinking of it as a spectrum. The OED's addition of "gender-fluid" is important both for people who identify as the term, as well as for society as a whole to understand that gender itself is fluid. My hope is that, with greater acceptance, gender fluidity will no longer be seen as shameful, either by society or by gender-fluid people themselves.The Oxford English Dictionary just announced several new additions to its 600,000 words, and among them is the word "gender-fluid," a term typically used to signify that someone isn't strict in their gender identity.

He was, in his view, protecting her from his shameful secret. His story was heartbreaking because he sincerely believed his deception had been a good thing for her sake. He was in the habit of hiding his clothes, shoes, make-up and wig in his car. Wearing a cocktail dress and brunette wig, he told me he had cross-dressed throughout his twenty-year marriage, and never told his wife. Not long ago, I met a man at a cross-dressers’ nightclub. In time, I hope it will be easier for people like me to come out. Venturing out in high heels for the first time was among the scariest things I have done, but that was nothing compared to telling my secret to friends and family. George’s first public appearance in female dress Out of the closet

Am I gay? My answer is no however, I do not identify as one-hundred-percent straight either, believing that my sexuality, like my gender, is fluid. There are many alternatives to conventional gender identities, and not all of them require an individual to transition. But not everyone on the trans spectrum – and I include myself in that – feels they were born in the wrong body. My answer is no, though I understand why people ask.Īwareness of transgender issues has grown in the past few years thanks to high profile celebrities such as Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner. For instance, I am often asked if I would prefer to live as a woman full-time. Nevertheless, gender fluidity provokes questions. I use the term gender-fluid instead, because it allows me to affirm my identity without implying I have a mental disorder. Men like me are sometimes called transvestites, a word with connotations of a psychiatrist’s manual. In the past, science has not helped gender-fluid people, as it has tended to pathologize us, treating us as psychologically abnormal. While growing up, my insecurity about gender taught me to conceal my emotions for fear of exposing my feminine side and facing mockery.īeing gender-fluid in a non-accepting world can feel like being imprisoned. Yet trying to conform to rigid gender norms takes a psychological toll on me. Other gender non-conforming people have faced violence. Since building up the courage to leave the house in female dress I have endured harassment, including jeers of “shemale”, while walking down the street. Yet, despite these role models, everyday life can be difficult if you are gender-fluid.
