Bigender - meaning and definition
Alsobi-gendertwo genders
Definition
Describes a person who has two gender identities, either at the same time or moving between them.
At a glance
- A bigender person has two gender identities.
- They may feel both at once or move between them.
- The two genders are often woman and man but can include a non-binary identity.
- Bigender is a gender identity, not a sexual orientation.
In detail
The two genders are often woman and man, but they can include a non-binary identity as well. Some bigender people feel both at once, while others shift between them, which overlaps with being genderfluid.
Bigender falls under the non-binary umbrella and is a gender identity, not a sexual orientation.
In a sentence
- Being bigender, I feel like both a woman and a man, often at the same time.
- They explained that bigender is different from bisexual.
Where the word comes from
Bigender combines the prefix bi-, meaning two, with gender. It has been used within gender-diverse communities since at least the 1990s.
Not to be confused with
- Bisexual
Bisexual is about attraction to more than one gender; bigender is about one's own gender identity.
Common questions
Is bigender the same as genderfluid?
They overlap. Genderfluid people may move between many genders over time. Bigender people have two specific genders, which they may feel together or in turn. Some people use both words.
Is bigender related to bisexual?
Only through the prefix bi-, meaning two. Bigender describes gender identity, while bisexual describes attraction. A bigender person can have any sexual orientation.