Question and Answer - What is an Androgyne?

[Emerald]

What is an Androgyne?

An Androgyne is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical gender roles of their society.  Androgyne have a unique gender identity which is not of the traditional genders of male or female.  Androgynes may identify as beyond gender, between genders, moving across genders, entirely genderless, and as any combination or all of these.

One way to explain Androgyne as a gender identity is to compare it with Intersex. - Intersex people are born with a physical combination of sexual characteristics or absence of sex determining genitalia.  Androgynes are much the same when it comes to mental gender. The Androgyne gender identity is sometimes referred to as 'Intergender'.

At one time, the word 'androgyne' was primarily used as a synonym for hermaphrodite (a term since replaced by the word Intersex), but this usage has fallen out of favor.  'Androgyne' is derived from the Greek words andras (meaning man) and gyne (meaning woman).  Pronunciation [an-druh-jahyn]

The word 'androgny' can refer to physical, behavioral, or psychological androgyny.  It is a misconception that 'androgyny' is simply a fashion statement, behavior, or a set of visual cues.  Most Androgynes don't look androgynous.  One could say, all Androgynes are psychologically androgynous, but not all androgynous-looking people are Androgynes.

Some people, known as Neutrois, take steps toward transitioning from their birth gender into a physically androgynous form.  They are uniquely bound by their gender dysphoria in finding both male and female gender identification as incorrect for them.  Current trends in gender treatment and surgical intervention (as outlined in the HBIGDA Standards of Care) leave Neutrois with few options in their quest to lose the major physical signifiers that indicate their gender.  Getting the appropriate medical attention is even more difficult for a Neutrois than for those who are Transsexual.   Most cultures only recognize the male and female.  It is generally impossible for an Androgyne or a Neutrois to have their gender legally recognized.

Androgynes sometimes refer to themselves using blended pronouns like Ze, Hir etc, and use Mx instead of Mr. or Ms.  Androgynes may be attracted to people of any gender or sex.  Many Androgynes identify their sexual orientation as pansexual or asexual.  Gender and sexual orientation being two different things, Androgynes may consider themselves straight, gay, bisexual, asexual or more commonly 'none of the above'.  The use of terms such as heterosexual and homosexual are often irrelevant for an individual who does not have a male or female gender identity to begin with.  Because Androgynes do not have an 'opposite' gender, they are often attracted to other Androgynes.

Although Androgynes have a gender identity equal to Male or Female, it is common for Androgynes not to know they are Androgyne!  Often, when asked if they feel like a man or like a woman their answers are, "I'm both.", "I'm neither", "I'm just human", or "I'm just me".  Androgynes are sometimes called the silent majority of the Transgender Community because they rarely desire hormone therapy or surgery to match their physical body with their psychological gender.

-Emerald 

[Kendall]

Nice emerald. Very good combination of sources.

Androgynes are sometimes called the silent majority of the TG world because most do not desire hormone therapy or surgery to match their physical body with their psychological gender.

I am one that is in the process of and will do some physical alteration to fit my gender mix. From what I hear this is only to those that feel around 70 to 80% the opposite gender, where as >80 to 100 would more likely get the full srs. Though like stated , most dont desire this.

[Cin]

Hi all
Yes I learned a lot more about androgynous then thought I knew. I am new here but I was here six years ago when Susan had only the one chatroom. I like this board better then the chatrooms. For years when I was still in drab I used the description of androgynous (only in looks) not (male or female features) not in any other sense of the word as described here. Six years of hormones SRS and gain some weight. All in all the weight gain and the hormones over the past five years has improved my looks more like a female. No surgery on face either. Just let my hair grow down to mid back. After all I am an old hippie 

Cin

[Jillieann Rose]

Thanks for the info Emerald
I've only recently come to realize that I too am androgyne.
But I am one who experience shifts between genders.
I seem I am two people sharing one body.
When I first came to Susan's the male had releast control of this body so that I could express myself.
I began thinking I was Transexual but he came back and we both tried to destroy each other.
It better now we are begining to share and work together.
So I'd say we are 50/50.
We have did some small things to make us look less male but that is enough, for now at least.

Jillieann/JR   

[Kendall]

Hi welcome to the section Jillean.

You did have a troubled time for a bit there, if I remember.

[Jillieann Rose]

Hi Ken/Kendra,
Thanks for the welcome.
Yes one part of me wants to essentially destroy the other part or at least beat it into submission.
I Jillieann won't go back like to the way I have lived for year.
Nor would JR give in so we are now learning to coexist. I believe we both need each other to be complete.

Jillieann/JR

[TheBattler]

Hi Jillieann,

It is good to see you back here at Susans. I am glad you are trying to find answers as to where you fit in the word rather then going with the flow as it is.

Alice

[HelloToYou]

Wow, that was very interesting.

"Many Androgynes identify their sexual orientation as pansexual or asexual."
I didn't realize how common asexuality was among people who are transgendered or androgynous.  I have questioned my own a/sexuality.  I also have come to the conclusion that sex (male versus female) is just a physical characteristic that doesn't mean anything... I suppose that could put me into the pansexual category.

"Androgynes may consider themselves straight, gay, bisexual, asexual or more commonly 'none of the above'."
I like the "none of the above" option.

"Often, when asked if they feel like a man or like a woman their answers are, "I'm both.", "I'm neither" or, "I'm just human"."
Yeah, my answer is just "I just me," which would be equivalent to "I'm just human."

I suppose "androgynous" would be a good adjective to describe myself.

[KrazyKat SO]

Hi! New to this site, loving what I see so far.

This info is so helpful, I'm starting to understand why I don't get what's the big deal about what gender people present themselves.  I tend to think of us as people first, and can see the good and bad in all people, not because of what gender they present, but because of the limits they put onto themselves.

I've had to work through the anger of all my life not being taken seriously by men in the work world, or anywhere else. I'm gaining ground now that I've lost this anger, and just live my own life with my SO, who's now preop TG.

Thanks again, Emerald!! 

[Emerald]

This topic, "Question and Answer - What is an Androgyne?" has been updated and a few minor editing errors that occurred without my knowledge have been corrected.

Would one of our  lovely moderator please 'sticky' this topic again?
Thanks a million!!! 
-Emerald 

[Shana A]

Nice to see this thread, hadn't noticed it before. This definition fits me better than just about any other identity, although I usually tend to reject any label as incomplete. For many years before I identified as androgyne, I erroneously presumed it to mean having androgynous physical characteristics. Understanding it to include mental gender makes perfect sense.

zythyra