Rosemary Tea
Auror
I've already started doing this, and I'm curious to know what people think. Especially wondering if the way I'm going about it feels respectful enough to individuals who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, transgender, or any variant thereof. If that's you, please weigh in. If that's not you, feel free to weigh in.
It all started when an important character in one of my wip's refused to tell me their gender. Seriously. I tried writing this character as a man, and that didn't quite work. I tried writing them as a woman, and that didn't quite work either. (Or maybe it was the other way around, I forget which.) Finally, it dawned on me that this person is neither. Or both. I settled on using "they" pronouns for this character (singular they may be clunky, but I sense it's what they'd prefer). After working with them for the better part of a year, I have a strong sense of their personality and their backstory, but still no idea what biological sex they are. They aren't telling, and as far as the story is concerned, it really doesn't matter.
But out of that emerged a world in which a third gender exists, is acknowledged, and is considered special. Several other non-binary characters also appeared. Most of them are, to me, clearly biologically male or female, but they identify as neither/both, and they get "they" pronouns.
I realize that my depiction of this third gender probably does not cover every nuance of gender queerness. I'm under no illusion that if this society were our reality, everyone who, in our world, identifies as non-binary, trans, or genderqueer would necessarily put themselves under that umbrella (or would they?).
In this world, nobody alters their body to fit their gender identity (no hormones or surgeries needed) but everyone can read a person's gender accurately based on the energies they manifest. There are slight variations in the ways the different genders dress, although clothes alone aren't necessarily enough to tell gender. Roles vary slightly, but there's a lot of overlap between male and female roles, and the third gender folks can mix and match as it suits them. Children have their genders divined (divination is accurate in this world!) when very young, and are officially named after that (before, they have a temporary baby name). So, basically, everyone is raised with the kind of solid gender identity that cisgender people can take for granted.
I've described the third gender as neither male nor female and both at once. That works for me, as I envision these characters, but as a cisgender individual, I wonder if it works for people who are not cis.
It all started when an important character in one of my wip's refused to tell me their gender. Seriously. I tried writing this character as a man, and that didn't quite work. I tried writing them as a woman, and that didn't quite work either. (Or maybe it was the other way around, I forget which.) Finally, it dawned on me that this person is neither. Or both. I settled on using "they" pronouns for this character (singular they may be clunky, but I sense it's what they'd prefer). After working with them for the better part of a year, I have a strong sense of their personality and their backstory, but still no idea what biological sex they are. They aren't telling, and as far as the story is concerned, it really doesn't matter.
But out of that emerged a world in which a third gender exists, is acknowledged, and is considered special. Several other non-binary characters also appeared. Most of them are, to me, clearly biologically male or female, but they identify as neither/both, and they get "they" pronouns.
I realize that my depiction of this third gender probably does not cover every nuance of gender queerness. I'm under no illusion that if this society were our reality, everyone who, in our world, identifies as non-binary, trans, or genderqueer would necessarily put themselves under that umbrella (or would they?).
In this world, nobody alters their body to fit their gender identity (no hormones or surgeries needed) but everyone can read a person's gender accurately based on the energies they manifest. There are slight variations in the ways the different genders dress, although clothes alone aren't necessarily enough to tell gender. Roles vary slightly, but there's a lot of overlap between male and female roles, and the third gender folks can mix and match as it suits them. Children have their genders divined (divination is accurate in this world!) when very young, and are officially named after that (before, they have a temporary baby name). So, basically, everyone is raised with the kind of solid gender identity that cisgender people can take for granted.
I've described the third gender as neither male nor female and both at once. That works for me, as I envision these characters, but as a cisgender individual, I wonder if it works for people who are not cis.