Gender Nonconforming Definition: Gender Terms to Know

Gender nonconforming means going against the societal standards of what a person’s assigned sex and gender at birth entails. You might also occasionally hear gender nonconforming abbreviated to the acronym “GNC.”

Keep in mind that while nonbinary and transgender people are often gender variant or nonconforming as well, it’s also possible for cisgender people to exhibit signs of nonconformity. For example, until recently in the United States, women with short hairstyles transgressed against gender norms even if they were otherwise cisgender.

While sex refers to the reproductive organs a person has at birth, gender refers to the long list of cultural norms, expectations, fashions, and other attributes that individual societies expect people assigned those sexes to embody. Some people feel happy and completely themselves following these societal gender scripts; others take a different approach to bringing their gender expression in line with their authentic and innate identity.

For example, suppose someone assigned female at birth spends their childhood with a deep sense of gender dysphoria. They might try to act in gender-conforming ways only to feel like they’re denying something fundamental about who they are. As they grow older, they might discard the gender norms people associate with their biological sex and begin to hew closer to those people associate with being a man. By bringing their outward gender presentation in line with their internal gender identity, they stand to greatly maximize their sense of well-being and inner peace.

Keep in mind a person’s gender identity has no bearing on their sexual orientation. For instance, someone who identifies as bigender does not necessarily also identify as bisexual. Nor does gender nonconformity or identity have anything to do with assigned sex at birth, whether male, female, or intersex.

The term “gender nonconforming” can act as an umbrella term for many different kinds of identities. Here are five you should know:

1. 1. Agender: Certain folks feel no need to abide by gender expectations of any sort. Agender people might dress in gender-neutral clothes or refrain from acting in a particularly masculine or feminine way. To people of this identity group, gender is a script they have no interest in following in any respect.
2. 2. Bigender: Perhaps you feel at home exhibiting the traits of both binary gender norms. Bigender people feel there’s no need to choose between expressing themselves as a man or a woman specifically, as they identify with both masculine and feminine traits. Certain Indigenous North Americans called bigender folks “Two Spirit” people to poetically express this sense of duality.
3. 3. Gender fluid: For some, the experience of gender morphs over time, so they might identify as being gender fluid. For example, certain young people might feel like they most identify with the norms people associate with the opposite gender for a while, only to then feel more comfortable with the gender roles assigned to them at birth at another time.
4. 4. Nonbinary: It’s possible you might feel like neither pole of the gender binary manages to encapsulate your true identity. Nonbinary people—who also sometimes go by the terms gender creative or genderqueer—might seek to define a third gender for themselves, rest contentedly in ambiguity, or take a different approach entirely to expressing themselves.
5. 5. Transgender: Some people feel more comfortable inhabiting the opposite gender than the one assigned to them as children. For example, someone assigned male at birth might identify as a woman later in life. Some trans people might seek out gender-affirming medication or surgery at some point, while others might choose to only change their outward gender expression.

If you are not personally gender nonconforming, you can still do your part to support those who are. Keep these three tips in mind to make the world a safer place for those who identify outside traditional gender norms:

1. 1. Accept everyone as they are. There’s nothing wrong with your own gender expression falling along more traditional lines; at the same time, make sure you allow others to live as their authentic selves. Gender-nonconforming youth and adults often face a high amount of cruelty and resistance simply for being who they are, so do your part to create a more accepting climate for everybody.
2. 2. Respect a person’s stated identity. Follow the other person’s lead when it comes to referring to them accurately. Use the pronouns they identify with and avoid deadnaming them if they’ve changed their name to better reflect their gender identity.
3. 3. Stand up to discrimination. A person’s gender identity can lead to an unfortunate and unjust amount of victimization and oppression. Transgender youth, for instance, have an exceptionally high suicide rate because of rejection and lack of access to physical and mental health care. Stand up to discrimination on a personal level at the same time you advocate for gender-nonconforming people on a societal scale.

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