LGBTQIA+ Wiki:FAQ: Difference between revisions

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* Genderally experiences no difference between genders.

* Generally experiences some difference between genders.

* Attracted to multiple genders. Can be attracted to 2 genders, all genders, or anywhere in between.

===What's the difference between non-binary and genderqueer?===

Non-binary

* Anyone whose gender is not strictly man or woman.

Genderqueer

* Anyone who has a non-normative (queer) experience with gender. Which can include:

* Anyone whose gender is not strictly man or woman.

* Anyone who is gender non-conforming.

The two are often used interchangeably to refer to someone whose gender is not strictly man or woman. However genderqueer can also, sometimes, be used for gender non-conforming binary men and women. This definition of genderqueer is not as common in the modern day but can still be used. Remember that genderqueer is an older term, so the precise distinctions between orientation, gender, and gender presentation that we often use today were not present at the time it was created.

===Can you explain xenogenders?===

If you ask a man to describe his gender he might say his gender is something like "blue, strong, and protective". If you ask a women the same question she might say her gender is "beautiful, powerful, and nurturing". If you didn't know these people's gender this might sound a bit silly, because a gender can't ''literally'' have these qualities. However, we are still able to imagine these genders and associate them with these qualities. Since society has told us what men and women are these seem to make sense to us.

Now, imagine that words like "man", "woman", "masculine", or "feminine" didn't exist. These people would still experience those genders, but they wouldn't have convenient words to describe it. This is the what xenogenders are trying to do. People who have xenogenders know what their gender is, but their gender is not based on masculinity, femininity, or similar terms. Their gender does not have a convenient short-hand word, so instead they have to describe the qualities that are associated with their gender or describe it through metaphor. So, just as an example, instead of being "blue, strong, and protective" and gender might be "yellow, bright, and calming".

The only reason why words like masculine or feminine "make sense" to us is because we have been socialized since birth to recognize masculinity and femininity. If you were to actually stop and try to explain exactly what masculinity or femininity is, you'd find that you can only describe them through metaphor and abstract qualities, just like how xenogenders are described.

===I'm [insert gender here], what pronouns do I use?===