Dyadic: What Does It Mean?
So, a dyadic female is someone whose sex assigned at birth was female because the following characteristics were present: XX chromosomes, high levels of estrogen, vagina, uterus/ovaries. Dyadic people who meet these criteria are normally called AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth); however, not all AFAB individuals are dyadic.
A dyadic male is a person who was categorized as male at birth due to the presence of XY chromosomes, high levels of testosterone, penis, testes. Dyadic individuals with these characteristics are usually referred to as AMAB (Assigned Male at Birth), but not all AMAB people are dyadic.
The basics and some history
The term dyadic derives from the Ancient Greek word duád ("two"); it was originally created by the American mathematician Josiah Willard Gibbs in 1884; its meaning has nothing to do with gender.
According to some people, dyadic is not a gender identity per se. In fact, this term was proposed by some members of the intersex community to describe those who are not intersex, so that they could avoid calling non-intersex people "natural" or "normal" (or using some other similar term). It sounds very reasonable indeed because calling them natural or normal would imply that people who were born with intersex characteristics are "unnatural" or "abnormal".
Individuals who identify themselves as dyadic can belong to any gender identity, for example, non-binary, transgender, etc.
Flag
The dyadic flag was created by the Deviantart user FlagsForCisHets in 2016. It is a diagonally divided bicolor (light blue and pink) flag with a black and white rectangle in the center. Its meaning is unclear.
Dyadic and sexual orientation
Gender identity is an individual’s internal experience of gender. This may include an inner sense of being a female, male, feeling the lack of gender, etc. People’s genders may or may not match their sex assigned birth. Thus, it may or may not conflict with gender-associated societal expectations.
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of emotional/romantic/affectional/physical/sexual attraction (or lack of attraction) to other people. It can be fluid; individuals can use a variety of labels to describe their sexual orientation - straight, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.
Dyadic people, just like everyone else, may be sexually attracted to individuals of any gender or lack sexual attraction toward other people.
What pronouns should be used when talking to a dyadic?
The most common set of pronouns to use in a conversation with a dyadic person is they/them/theirs. But dyadic males may prefer he/him/his pronouns, and dyadic females, she/her/hers.
If this specific dyadic individual is a transgender or non-binary, they may use neopronouns like ne/nem/nir, ze/zem/zir, ve/vis/vir, etc. Basically, the choice of pronouns mostly depends on a specific dyadic individual/s gender identity. All you need to do to find out what set of pronouns your dyadic interlocutor prefers is to ask them in a polite and friendly way.
How can I show my support to my LGBTQIA+ friends, coworkers, relatives?
Over the past few decades, we have seen huge progress in the field of LGBTQIA+ rights. However, unfortunately, we still live in a society where some people spread hateful, anti-LGBTQIA+ messages. So many dyadic individuals who are trans or non-binary still face discrimination, bias, prejudice.
But we can change this together!
Being supportive of dyadic people is easier than you might think:
- Remember that you do not have to understand what it means for someone to be dyadic to respect them and accept them for who they are;
- Do not make any assumptions about someone’s gender - you cannot tell if a person is dyadic-transgender/non-binary by looking at them, so be sure and ask what their gender identity is;
- Communicate with dyadic people, watch YouTube videos, read articles online to learn more about this identity;
- If you want to be a real ally for dyadic individuals and non-binary people in general, attend LGBTQIA+ events and make even just a small donation to an LGBTQIA+ organization.