Genderfluid refers to someone whose gender identity changes over time. A genderfluid person can identify as any gender, or combination of genders at any given time. Their gender can change at random or it may vary in response to different circumstances. One's gender can change over the course of hours, days, weeks, months, or years. For some people their gender changes on a somewhat consistent "schedule", for others their gender changes at random times. Some genderfluid people can be fluid between all genders, or a large amount of genders. Other genderfluid people are fluid between a small handful of genders.
Genderfluid can be a gender identity on its own or it could be used to describe anyone whose gender changes. For example, a bigender person who feels more strongly male sometimes and more strongly female other times may identify as genderfluid.
Genderfluid people may also identify as multigender, non-binary and/or transgender. Genderfluid people who feel as though only part of their gender is fluid may identify as demifluid. People who feel like the intensity of their gender changes or feel they are sometimes agender may identify as genderflux.
In the 1990s and 2000s, it might have been more common for genderfluid people to call themselves bigender or genderqueer. Earlier than that, they may have called themselves cross-dressers. The word "genderfluid" has been in use since at least the 1990s, although with a different meaning. Transgender advocate Michael M. Hernandez wrote in 1996:
"Gender-fluid means that their gender identity and/or expression encompass both masculine and feminine. Gender fluidity is becoming commonly known as transgenderism: the ability to transcend gender, whether biological, emotional, political, or otherwise; truly mixing male and female."
The earliest recorded use of genderfluid, with a definition closer to the modern definition is in the Urban Dictionary "Gender Fluid" entry, which was added in 2007.
Flag and Symbols
The genderfluid flag was created by JJ Poole, or Lostinthoughtspaceandfantasies on Tumblr, on August 2, 2012. Pink represents femininity, blue represents masculinity, purple represents both femininity and masculinity, black represents a lack of gender, and white represents all genders.
The first alternate genderfluid flag was created on the LGBTA fandom by user Blueberryjello on December 17, 2020. Teal signifies masculinity, blue signifies demiboy, black signifies the combination of male and female, white signifies genderless identities, purple signifies demigirl, pink signifies femininity, and the hands signifies having open arms to all genders and sexualities.
The second alternate genderfluid flag was created by LGBTA fandom user FruitIndividual on February 10th, 2021. The lighter blue represents masculine identities, the pink represents feminine identities, the purple represents a blend between masculine and feminine identities, while the white represents indescribable and/or non-binary identities. The wave formation of the lines represents the fluidity and change experienced by those with this identity.
The third alternate genderfluid flag was created by LGBTA fandom user SageTheQueer also on February 10th, 2021. The purple represents the male area of the gender spectrum, the greyish blue represents indescribable genders, yellow represents non-binary genders, and pink represents the female area of the gender spectrum. The symbol in the center of the flag is a commonly used symbol of genderfluidity with black representing all genders.
The fourth alternate genderfluid flag was created on March 2, 2021. The colors represent the same as the original flag, with a butterfly emblem added to symbolize change.
- Hernandez, Michael M. (1996). "Boundaries: Gender and Transgenderism". The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader.