Desigender is a term used to describe those who want to be a gender that's different from their own. It is not meant to be a standalone gender, but rather, a descriptive label for one's experience. Those who are cisgender cannot be desigender. Being desigender is not the same thing as rejecting one's gender due to internalized transphobia or external pressure. It is only when the individual acknowledges their gender(s) or lack thereof, but desires to be a different gender anyway.
Examples of desigender individuals may include:
- A genderfluid individual who wants to be a gender they aren't currently experiencing.
- A trans woman who desires to be man-aligned.
- An agender individual who wishes they experienced one or more genders.
- An allogender individual who would prefer not to experience gender at all.
History
The term was coined by Tumblr user synpa-tee on June 8, 2021, after being unable to find a term that fit their experience.[1][2] The flag was created on the same day. It was originally coined through the creation of this page; however, it was later shared through Tumblr on June 13, 2021.[3]
Flag
The desigender flag has seven stripes. There are two greyish-black stripes and two greyish-white stripes. In the center, there is a red stripe, an orange stripe, and a blue stripe. Originally, the center stripe was meant to be blue; however, it bore too much resemblance to the flag of Armenia and needed to be changed.
Blue represents the self, red represents desire or longing, orange represents uniqueness or change, grey represents uncertainty or being in between, white represents the presence of something, and black represents a lack of something. Black and white, together, represent contradiction.
Etymology
The prefix 'desi-' comes from the Latin word, desiderium, which means desire, wish, or longing.