Genderfae
'Genderfae' is a non-binary label for someone with a fluid sense of gender within the feminine spectrum — fluctuating between woman, demigirl, agender and other feminine or neutral variants, but never reaching 'man'. The masculine mirror variant is called 'genderfaun'. The terms emerged in 2018 on Tumblr.
What is meant by it?
The idea is that the sense of gender moves, as with genderfluid, but within a delineated part of the 'spectrum'. With genderfae it stays within the feminine domain; with genderfaun within the masculine. For people who never experience themselves as (fully) the opposite gender, it offers a more precise label.
Distinction and overlap
Genderfae overlaps with demigirl and some variants of genderfluid. The emphasis is on the fluctuation between feminine variants without ever touching the masculine side. In practice the choice of label depends on self-description and community.
Social and practical context
Genderfae and genderfaun appear only in specific online communities. They do not appear on official documents. Pronouns vary.
Critical perspectives
Whether it is meaningful to distinguish 'fluidity within one half of the spectrum' as a separate category is questionable. The labels seem mainly to be an ongoing refinement of an endless line of micro-categories, driven by online group dynamics. For the bearer the label may feel personally fitting; that does not automatically make it a distinct category.
See also
Sources
- Tumblr archives (2018): early definitions of 'genderfae' and 'genderfaun'.
- Diamond, L.M. (2020). "Gender fluidity and nonbinary gender identities among children and adolescents." Child Development Perspectives, 14(2). DOI
- Richards, C. et al. (2016). "Non-binary or genderqueer genders." International Review of Psychiatry, 28(1). DOI