Genderqueer is a gender identity. A person who identifies as genderqueer is signifying that they are other than man or woman, are both man and woman, or are some combination of the two. In any case, a person who is genderqueer rejects the idea that there are only two genders, woman and man, in the world. They may believe in three genders with genderqueer being the third besides the traditional two; they may view genderqueer as being one of many different genders outside of man and woman; or they may use the term in order to encompass all gender identities outside of the traditional two.

Since genderqueer people have many different views of gender, they also have many different ways of relating to the idea of gender. Some genderqueer people view genderqueer as being on the continuum between the two traditional roles of woman and man. Other genderqueer people believe that there are as many genders as there are people. Still others view the traditional roles of gender as a social construct and refuse to adhere to that construct in any form. Some genderqueer people may fit into their stereotypical gender role but still identify outside of that role and reject the traditional system of gender. Finally, other genderqueer people perceive gender as being fluid. This means that their gender varies from day to day or year to year.

Because genderqueer people have different understandings of gender, their use of pronouns may differ. For instance, some genderqueer people use the traditional pronouns “he” and “she” while others prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns. These pronouns include: “ze,” “per,” “sie” and “hir,” “zhe,” “hir,” and the singular “they.” Some genderqueer people may prefer that people alternate between “he” and “she” when referring to them, and others will prefer that people only use their name without any pronouns at all. Gender-neutral pronouns are appropriate when speaking of a hypothetical person or when speaking to a person who has not indicated their preference. It is always best to find out what a genderqueer person’s preference is rather than using pronouns with which they may not be comfortable.

Finally, genderqueer can be used in a broader context as an adjective for any person who challenges the traditional roles of gender and gender identity. This term is not used as often anymore since genderqueer now refers to a specific group of people. It is more appropriate to use the terms “gender variant” or “gender non-conforming” when speaking about a wide of range of people who do not fit into rigid, traditional gender roles.

Last Modified: June 13, 2007