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Androgynous

'Androgynous' describes a combination of masculine and feminine traits in appearance, expression or identity. The word comes from Greek (andros = man, gynē = woman) and has been used since Antiquity — including in Plato's philosophy and the alchemical tradition.

What is meant by it?

The term is used in three ways. (1) As an external description: a person whose sex cannot be read directly from clothing, hair or facial features — think of fashion figures like Tilda Swinton or David Bowie. (2) As gender expression: deliberately dressing or presenting somewhere between man and woman. (3) Sometimes as an identity label, comparable to non-binary, although that is now less common.

Distinction and overlap

Androgynous classically refers mainly to expression and appearance, not necessarily to inner experience. That distinguishes it from non-binary, which is an identity label. A man can look androgynous without feeling other than a man; the same for a woman. The term also overlaps with gender-neutral as an aesthetic choice.

Social and practical context

Androgyny has been established in the worlds of fashion, art and music for decades and is generally uncontroversial. It is one of the oldest publicly accepted forms of departure from the prevailing man/woman presentation and has no medical or legal implications.

Critical perspectives

Because androgyny is primarily an aesthetic and social category, the term escapes much of the criticism levelled at newer identity labels. At the same time, androgyny shows that it is possible to deviate from prevailing gender presentation without undertaking a medical or legal transition. For those who doubt whether medical steps are appropriate, that is a relevant observation: external and social variation is separate from physical procedures.