The Dionysian Gender System, or Dionygender, is a gender system exclusively for Hellenic Polytheists who worship Dionysus and feel a connection to his cult. The genders are based on the historical Cult of Dionysus, and any may be used by any worshiper, cisgender or cisn't, that they resonate with. The terms, while fitting into some conventions of a gender trinary, are not adherent to it.
Who Is Dionysus and His Cult?
Dionysus, or Dionysos, was the Ancient Hellenic (Greek) god of wine, madness, gender nonconformity, ecstasy, festivity, theater, and wildness. His cult comprised of various groups, the most known being the Maenads, or Bacchae. These were women known to go into a ritual frenzy in honor of the god induced by wine and dance. His cult also included satyrs, men with a horse's ears and tail. The thyrsos was a staff associated with Dionysos and the Maenads especially.
Genders
- Dionysian Gender/Dionygender: Both an umbrella for anyone using the Dionysian gender system and a gender identity for someone whose gender is influenced by or tied to their worship of Dionysos.
- Maedic/Maegender: Named after the Maenads, the female members of the Cult of Dionysos also known as the Bacchae. Refers to a feminine, female, neutral, or female-associated gender of experience.
- Thyrsoan/Thyrsogender: Named after the thyrsos, a staff associated with Dionysos and his cult. Refers to a neutral, mixed, fluid, or otherwise androgynous or agender experience.
- Satyrian/Satyrigender: Named after the Satyrs, the half-faun male member of the Cult of Dionysos. Refers to a masculine, male, neutral, or male-associated gender of experience.
Flags and History
The Dionysian Gender System, its symbols, and its flags were all created by Tumblr user koraki-pharmakis on June 18, 2021[1].
The Dionygender flag meaning is as follows:
- Black for nonconformity/chaos
- Shades of green for life, nature, viticulture, and masculinity
- White for community and trans, nonbinary and intersex people
- Shades of red-pink for power and femininity
- Purple for blurred lines, wine, and androgyny
Note
On October 24, 2021, the coiner koraki-pharmakis posted a statement to faer Tumblr blog stating that fae no longer wanted faer terms on the LGBTA+ wiki due to members disrespecting closed religious terms and the wiki's lack of adequate moderation and respect for coiners. Fae allowed that the Dionysian Gender System, including Maedic, Thyrsoan, and Satyrian, remain on the site with the requirement that this message be attached and that no flags or symbols created by individuals who were not Hellenist Dionysos worshippers be added to the page.[2]