Are There More Than 2 Genders?

By
Hannah Andrews
When a child is born, he or she is given a label of their
gender, based on their genitalia. A baby with a vagina is
referred to as female, whereas a baby with a penis is referred
to as male. Also known as a "girl" or a "boy".

By the age of 2, children can notice physical differences

between both genders. By the age of 3, children can label
their own gender. By the age of 4, children have a stable
sense of their gender identity. And by the age of 6, children
can believe and start to follow gender stereotypes.

The differences of the two genders are made clear from a young
age, mainly through having boys toys and girls toys.
Girls are usually given dolls, makeup, and unicorns. Whereas
boys are given footballs, superheroes, and dinosaurs. From a
young age, children believe they should only play with their
own gendered toys, so boys may feel like they cannot play with
barbies, and girls may feel they won't be good at football.

As children grow up and become adults, most people are

accustomed to their gender stereotypes. A majority of women
feel more comfortable wearing makeup, with dresses or skirts.
And prefer to apply for jobs such as teachers, nurses, or
cleaners. A majority of men on the other hand feel more
comfortable wearing trousers and shirts, as well as having
shorter hair. And apply for jobs such as mechanics, builders,
or drivers.
This stereotype is carried on through the family, and is the
most common type of stereotype we see today. It is easy to
distinguish who is male and who is female.

But are there more than two genders?

Although there are people who believe there are countless
genders.
Let's explore the labels, transgender, intersex, non-binary,
and gender fluid.

Transgender. The term transgender has become more accepted in

the current generation. Though usually confused with terms
such as transsexual or drag. Whereas these terms usually mean
a person who dresses as the other gender, usually for a hobby.
Someone who is transgender realises that they are instead
"born in the wrong body". A trans man may feel that they are a
man stuck in a woman's body, and trans woman may feel that
they are a woman stuck in a man's body. Some transgender
people may dress differently or get surgery to change their
appearance, but it is not a necessity and does not make a
person any more or any less trans.

Intersex. There is a 1% chance a child can be born intersex.

When a child is born intersex, this means that they were born
with anatomy that is neither male or female. A doctor may
determine their gender by taking a variety of different tests,
and start to investigate their chromosomes. If an intersex
baby is born with chromosomes that are closest to a female,
she will be raised as a girl. If an intersex baby is born with
chromosomes that are closest to a male, he will be raised as a
boy. Though there is a chance that a baby could have strong
chromosomes of both sexes, and so the gender could not be
determined. This may now be up to the doctors recommendation,
parents preferred gender, or can even be left up for the child
to decide when they are older. Some people might be completely
unaware that they were born intersex, whereas others might
start to see signs later in life.

Non binary. Someone who is non binary (also known as

genderqueer or agender) does not feel they are male or female,
and uses they/them pronouns, instead of the usual she/her and
he/him. Non binary people feel more comfortable identifying in
the middle of the gender spectrum. A spectrum designed to help
people understand what they feel about their gender, and make
It easier to label themselves. It is possible to feel a
mixture of male and female, or entirely distant from any
gender stereotypes.

Gender fluid. Though this is an uncommon and modern label,

some people may even identify as gender fluid. This describes
a person whose gender may change over time, for either a long
or short duration. One day they feel non binary, and another
they may feel and identify as female. Their pronouns will rely
on their current gender at that moment in time, if they are
currently identifying as female then the most respectful thing
to do would use she/her pronouns, whereas if they then changed
to identify as male their pronouns would be he/him. This may
sometimes be confusing for others, so it would be best to use
they/them pronouns if you are unsure.

Even though some people may believe there are only two
genders. There are many different labels to describe people
that do not fit into the usual female and male binary. Some of
which are becoming more and more common every day. And this
doesn't even include labels about sexual orientation! But
that's a whole other story...