Genders in tradition and nature
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Disclaimer
This page documents when and where gender categories beyond a strict male–female binary have appeared in human tradition and in animal (biological) knowledge. It is presented for reference. None of this is asserted as proven at a realm-to-realm level of permissions or management within the human realm.
When and where (human cultures)
Documented recognition of third or non-binary genders in human cultures—ancient to modern.
- South Asia: Hijra — recognized third gender category in South Asian cultures.
- Zapotec (Mexico): Muxes — third gender (e.g. Juchitán, Oaxaca); assigned male at birth, distinct social gender; admired for crafts, cooking, caring for elders; annual festival (e.g. La Vela de las Auténticas Intrépidas Buscadoras del Peligro).
- Indigenous North America: Two-spirit — contemporary umbrella term for gender-variant traditional identities in Native American communities; many nations had (and have) distinct roles and names.
- Pacific: Faʻafafine (Samoa); fakaleitī (Tonga); vaka sa lewa lewa (Fiji); fakafifine (Niue); pinapinaaine (Kiribati, Tuvalu); akavaʻine (Cook Islands); māhū (Tahiti, Hawaii). Pre-colonial spiritual and cultural roles (e.g. keepers of knowledge, dance, art).
- Māori (New Zealand): Whakawāhine, takatāpui — traditional and contemporary gender identities.
When and where (animal knowledge)
In biological and zoological knowledge, many species exhibit sex or gender diversity beyond a fixed binary.
- Sequential hermaphroditism: Individuals change sex during life. Clownfish: born male; dominant male can transition to female when the breeding female is lost (irreversible). Wrasses, groupers, and other fish; some mollusks and invertebrates.
- Simultaneous hermaphroditism: Individuals have both male and female function (e.g. many earthworms, some fish).
- Other diversity: Sex determination and social roles vary across species (e.g. temperature-dependent sex in some reptiles; same-sex behavior in many species).
Glossary
For a short glossary entry on when and where these have been documented, see Genders in tradition and nature (beyond binary).