A popular term used to describe gender and sexual variants and variancy is the term genderqueer. Some use the term genderqueer as an umbrella term for all gender identities that are outside the heteronormative gender binary system, a system full of assumptions and that entertains only two genders: male/female and man/woman. While there may be a degree of fluidity on the gender spectrum for some, many genderqueers choose androgyny as a location. Many genderqueers use the term to blur some, any, and/or all lines of gender associations, and, additionally, those of sexuality.
The Genderqueer Identity…
Genderqueers most often use the term to situate an internal, self identified, and constructed sense of gender and gender identity. Genderqueers may embrace a range of feminine, masculine, or androgynous sensibilities, reject any gender category, ebb and flow on a gender continuum, and/or create, seek to live within, and be sustained by a third, fourth, or fifth gender identity. Getting even more specific, a sexually variant woman may identify as a dyke, lesbian, queer, trans, trans-identified, transgendered, intergendered, ambigendered, two-spirit, bisexual, pansexual, gay, a fag, or non-binary … including combinations of any of the above.
Pronouns…
Depending on the circumstances, genderqueers may choose to “switch” up their use of pronouns as they switch in their gender identity depending on the circumstances or present preference. Some genderqueers may use one or multiple pronouns such as he or she whereas others prefer they, ze, and/or hir. Some genderqueer or non-binary folks prefer to only use their given or chosen name for all self-references, thus circumnavigating the issue of gender assumptions and designations all together.
Uses of Language in The Political & Activist Spheres…
In active LGBTQ subcultures since the 1990’s the term queer was reclaimed by politically active, younger progressives and leftists, sometimes sexually variant and/or pro-sex, LGBTQ folks to differentiate themselves from mainstream LGBT movements. It was a similar reclaiming as the word dyke was in relation to the word lesbian. Queer also came to be used as a replacement for the term bisexual. Interestingly, the use of bisexual has recently made a comeback, even as the term pansexual might be more accurate considering the work that has been done on dismantling gender binarys. In addition, some individuals may adopt using the terms queer or genderqueer for political reasons, to identify themselves as heterosexist challenging, progressive people, and/or to queer their own gender expressions.
Moving into Spaces of Playful Variancy…
What can be empowering for both ourselves and others is to do our best to resist “strategic essentialism” when it comes to gender and sexuality (Butler, Gender Trouble, 146). My book, Gender and Sexual Fluidity in 20th Century Women Writers: Switching Desire and Identity serves to expand gender and sexual identities in order to create and give space to, by their playful and exploratory nature, a greater freedom in identity play. Genderqueers elicit openings, possibilities, and ambiguities. Allowing more freedom and expression with gender identifications, sexual identities, sex and gender roles, subversive and perverse practices allows more space for variancy in all of life.
© 2013