Identifying As An Agender: What Does It Mean?
So, what is its definition?
An agender is an individual who doesn’t belong to any gender. A considerable number of the people who see themselves as agender say that they “lack gender,” while some other people prefer to call themselves gender-neutral.
Other similar words that express the lack of gender are commonly used, too. You can see some examples of these terms here below:
- genderless
- gender blank
- neutrois
- genderfree
Individuals whose identity is agender fall within the “transgender” and “non-binary” ambit.
Where does this term come from?
Someone came up with the term “agender” more than 20 years ago — back in 2000. The word appeared on a forum where a user wrote something like “God is agender, so it can’t be a gender thing.”
What about gendervoid: is it the same or not?
Yes, the terms “gendervoid” and “agender” have similar meanings. Both are characterized by the lack of gender.
LGBTA Wiki community says that there is a slight difference between gendervoid and agender though.
According to most individuals who identify themselves as gendervoid, they can’t experience gender at all.
Lately, the term “agender” has really become widespread; so many people have been identifying themselves as agender over the past two decades.
Is agender identical to gender-nonconforming?
It’s not hard to guess what the word “gender-nonconforming” means — it’s a person who challenges society’s norms gender-wise speaking and refuses to conform to them.
Not all of the people who present themselves as gender-nonconforming individuals are necessarily also agender. Some are, some are not.
Are you aware that the terms “agender” and “asexual” are commonly confused?
“Asexual” is an individual who has a low interest in any type of sexual activity or is not sexually attracted to others.
“Agender”, as previously mentioned, is an individual who doesn’t have a gender.
The Greek prefix “a-” is confusing, probably because its meaning is not clear; however, these terms unquestionably mean two different things. Some agender individuals may be asexual, but definitely not all of them.
Can anybody present themselves as an agender?
Yes. Absolutely anyone on the planet can be an agender if they perceive themselves as an individual without gender, regardless of their sex assigned at birth and/or their sexual orientation.
What do agender people look like?
Different individuals can give the term “agender” different meanings.
Some of the people who found out to be agender may decide to undergo sex reassignment surgery or use hormone replacement therapy in the event that they want to do that.
Still, a large number of agender people prefer not to choose medical transition.
In some cases, they choose to change their gender expression (clothes, hairstyle, etc.), first name, or pronoun choice.
However, it’s purely a matter of personal choice.
The Pride Agender Flag
The agender flag was created in 2014 by Salem X and has seven horizontal stripes. The black and white stripes represent an absence of gender, the gray represents semi-genderlessness, and the central green stripe represents nonbinary genders.
What pronouns are normally used when talking to an agender?
A person’s gender identity does not make any choice of pronouns mandatory. For instance, a nonbinary individual may use any of these pronouns: he (his, him), they (their, them), or she (hers, her).
They may also ask people around them to use so-called neopronouns that have become popular lately, for instance, xe (xyr, xem), ze (hirs, hir), ey (eir, em).
Obviously, the easiest way to know what pronouns a person prefers is to ask them directly.
“Agender”, “genderqueer”, “non-binary”, “gender-fluid”: what are the differences?
The term “non-binary” refers to gender groups that can’t be categorized as exclusively a woman or a man.
Undoubtedly, agender can be categorized as non-binary too, but not all of the non-binary individuals are agender. Someone who sees themselves as non-binary may also consider themselves polygender, bigender, a demiboy, a demigirl, etc.To be a genderqueer means not to identify oneself as male or female. The meaning of the term “genderqueer” is simple: a certain individual’s gender identity is non-normative.
What does “gender-fluid” mean instead? That a person’s gender can shift anytime. One can be agender and genderfluid, but it’s wrong to think that these two words have the same meaning.
One can identify as an agender as well as a non-binary, a genderfluid, or a genderqueer person simultaneously.
What may make someone choose to use this term over similar ones?
Depending on what people believe, how they feel, and how they identify themselves, they choose respective terms that best describe their gender.
Agender is a good term for an individual who can’t seem to identify with any existing gender.
Some individuals may choose this word over others (for example, gendervoid or genderless) if they feel emotionally or intellectually connected to it.
How do you know if this word is right for you?
Each and every agender, just like every person in general, is unique. It’s only natural that different people may understand the term “agender” in their own way, and, respectively, their experiences may be different.
Whatever term a person chooses to use to describe their gender, there’s nothing wrong with it. Every individual’s personal choice should be respected.
Want to figure out whether or not you are an agender? Take the following steps:
Look for info on gender
To find out more about what being an agender means, we highly recommend you read articles, watch videos, and find different resources that can help you improve your understanding of gender identity.
If you’re asking yourself how to self-identify your gender, one of the best things you can do is to learn what other people in similar positions have experienced. It might help you figure out your gender identity.
Think about your gender
What is the meaning of gender to you? Which gender would you opt for if you could choose it freely? What would your identity be if you were one hundred percent sure you would be accepted by society, no matter your gender? What pronouns would you prefer people to use? You can write down your thoughts on the issue in a journal.
Express your feelings & thoughts, share them with others
In case you are questioning their gender, then meeting other alike people — those who, feel confused about your gender, as well as those who are already sure that they are genderqueer, gender-fluid, or non-binary can be of help to you.
Probably, there are offline meet-ups for individuals with similar gender identity in your area. Otherwise, you can choose another option — meet them on the internet. There are many LGBTQIA+ forums.
Get comfortable with calling yourself agender
Think of yourself as of an agender, call yourself that, write about yourself as about an agender in a journal. Ask yourself: “Am I actually comfortable with this term?”
Sharing this information with others or keeping it secret for the moment is up to you. You are the person who should be satisfied with the word you use.
What if you have a feeling that his term doesn’t fit anymore?
It’s OK to be an agender for some time, and later feel that your gender has changed.
You may identify as an agender and later find a term that fits you more. Don’t worry if your gender shifts over time, always remember that there’s nothing wrong with it.
What can you do for your agender friends or loved ones?
If a friend or family member of yours is an agender, here’s how you can help them:
- It might happen that they decide to change their name or want to be called different pronouns. Be polite and use the name and pronouns you’re asked to use.
- Let them know that you’re always there for them. Ask them if there is any particular way you can support them: they may ask you to do something specific.
- Listen to them when they are sharing with you how it feels like to be an agender without forcing them to talk about it at the same time (because for obvious reasons they might not be willing to do it).