Polygender

Polygender definition

The sheer variety of gender identity and expression is almost limitless nowadays. Polygender is one of the most frequently encountered non-binary gender identities. It derives from the Greek word poly ("many") + gender, so it can be translated as "many genders". Its peculiarity is that people who describe themselves as polygender feel like they have multiple identities on the gender spectrum.

The basics

Fundamentally, people identifying as polygender experience having many genders either simultaneously or shifting between them over time. These genders may include female, male, or any non-binary gender.

Note that there are two different definitions of polygender. The first one is "anyone who perceives themselves as a person having more than one gender". According to this definition, polygender people may have two genders (bigender), three genders (trigender), or more. According to the other definition, polygender are strictly individuals who have more than three genders. 

Polygender people may also perceive themselves as multigender, transgender, and/or non-binary. Some polygender individuals may feel that their identity tends to change over time. In this case, they may also self-identify as genderfluid.

To learn more about another type of gender identity that implies having multiple genders, see multigender.

Polygender individuals may opt for any gender expression and make any appearance-related choices they prefer. Many people who describe themselves as polygender choose to be seen as androgynous and/or change their presentation to look more feminine (dress in a stereotypically feminine way, wear makeup or even use breast or hip forms to create a more feminine contour) or masculine depending on their current identity. 

Also, individuals who identify as polygender may or may not experience gender dysphoria sometimes or all of the time. 

Where does the term "polygender" come from?

The first usage of the word polygender was recorded in 1995. The author of this term is unknown. Three years later, in 1998 a user wrote on an internet transgender forum called Sphere: "Polygendered people are transgendered. And then there are us, lesser-known transgender people. We identify as bi-gendered, non-gendered, or third-gendered. We may feel we belong to more than one gender, that we have no gender at all, or that we are our own gender, something neither male nor female."

According to this definition, polygender is an umbrella term. It includes people with a multitude of non-binary gender identities, even genderless, who may or may not choose to transition medically/seek feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy.

In the same article, along with "polygendered", the word "queergendered" was also used. The author of this article used them as umbrella terms for individuals who feel like they are outside the gender binary in any possible way. "Queergendered" is a variation of the term  "genderqueer" that is now widely used.

So, what are the main differences between polygender, multigender, pangender, genderfluid, and genderqueer?

Multigender is a term for someone who experiences having multiple genders, normally two or more. Pangender is similar to polygender but while polygender is a person who experiences multiple genders (but not necessarily all of them) pangender people feel like they belong to all genders - all at once or shifting between them.

A genderfluid individual's gender, as the word suggests, is fluid, and it switches between two or more genders either gradually or suddenly. A person who describes themselves as genderfluid and moves between all genders may self-identify as both genderfluid/pangender or polygender. Other genderfluid people might fluctuate between some specific genders only - for instance, agender and female.

Flag and symbols

The polygender flag has five stripes. From top to bottom, the colors are the following: black, grey, pink, yellow, blue. The black color represents all genders and the complete absence of gender at the same time. The grey symbolizes people who are on the agender spectrum.

The pink color represents people with feminine/semi-feminine gender identity. The yellow symbolizes people whose gender identity is outside the binary, and the blue color, people who identify themselves as masculine/semi-masculine.

There is no widely recognized polygender symbol yet. Sometimes, polygender people use the trigender symbol for their gatherings. It comprises the male, the female, and third gender symbols of equal dimensions put together.

Should the polygender community grow, some members of this community will definitely come up with a nice polygender symbol.

Sexual orientation and polygender

There’s a fundamental difference between a person’s gender identity and their sexual orientation. In simple terms, polygender is about who an individual is, while sexual orientation is about who they want to be with. Polygender people can have any sexual orientation, meaning they may experience romantic and sexual attraction toward any binary or non-binary person.

What pronouns should be used?

Just like the majority of other non-binary people, polygender people normally use “they”  pronouns. But different polygender individuals may use different pronouns. Some of them could use “he”, “she”, or even neopronouns.

It may feel awkward at first. But asking a polygender person whether they should be referred to as “he,” “she,” “they,” etc. is the only way to find that out. When someone is addressed with the incorrect pronoun, it can make them feel invalidated and alienated.

Coming out as polygender

Every human being deserves the right to live their life authentically and honestly. Religion, race, gender expression, sexual orientation, or gender identity shouldn’t be barriers to a person living their lives to the fullest and enjoy each day.

Coming out as polygender is often a significant part of claiming this birthright and living in their identity openly.

Coming out isn’t something a polygender person does just once. It’s a decision that they make every single day of their lives. And it’s a very brave decision because coming out can be challenging. And being brave and courageous doesn’t mean a person is not scared - it means they may be scared but they do it anyway. 

If you’re a polygender individual or have a friend or family member who wants to come out as a polygender but is still hesitant, you should know that coming out has many benefits:

• Possibility to live openly genuinely ever after;
• Building self-esteem from being known for being your true self;
• Saying goodbye to the stress of having to hide who you are;
• Connecting with other people who are having similar experiences;
• Being a part of the polygender community.

How can someone support their polygender coworkers, family, or friends?

We live in the 21st century, so we are supposed to be making progress on gender equality. So let’s fight gender discrimination and show our support to polygender people. Remember - if you fail to respect someone’s gender identity, it’s hurtful for them. 

Here are some useful tips if you want to support your polygender friends or family members:

• Don’t make any assumptions about people’s gender. You can’t tell if a person is polygender just by looking at them. The best way to find that out is to ask them politely.
• Talk to polygender people to learn more about the way they feel and who they are. If you want to understand what it’s like to be polygender, listen to them when they tell you about their experiences.
• Be their ally and advocate for polygender-friendly policies. Polygender people deserve to be able to dress the way they want and have their gender identity and expression respected in all public spaces.