Demigender

**Demigender** is an umbrella term for non-binary gender identities that feel a partial, but not full, connection to a particular gender. Anyone can be demigender regardless of what gender they were assigned at birth, and demigender individuals may identify as another gender in combination with their demigender identity.

## Etymology

"Demigender" is derived from the prefix *demi-*, meaning "half" or "partially". The prefix is derived from the Old French word *demi*, meaning "half", which was derived from the Latin word *dimidius*.

## Community

### Identities under the umbrella

The prefix *demi-* can be added onto various gender labels to denote a person who has "a partial connection to the gender(s) in question". Demigender identities include, but are not limited to, the following examples.

#### Demigirl

**Demigirl:** A person who is partially girl; someone who partially, but not entirely, identifies as a woman or otherwise feminine. Alternative terms for this label include demiwoman, demilady, demifemale, and demigal. In particular, demiwoman can sometimes be used if a person is an adult, and is uncomfortable with the implication of young age with the use of "girl" in demigirl. June 21st is Demigirl Pride Day.

#### Demiboy

**Demiboy:** A person who is partially boy; someone who partially, but not entirely, identifies as a man or otherwise masculine. Alternative terms for this label include demiman, demimale, and demiguy. Demiman in particular is sometimes used by adults who otherwise feel uncomfortable with the implication of being a young age from the "boy" in demiboy. June 22nd is Demiboy Pride Day.

#### Demifluid

**Demifluid:** A person whose gender is fluid through other demigenders; a person with multiple genders, some static and some fluid.

#### Demiflux

**Demiflux:** A person who has multiple genders, some static and some fluctuating in intensity.

#### Deminonbinary

**Deminonbinary** or **deminon-binary:** A person whose gender is partially non-binary.

#### Demiandrogyne

**Demiandrogyne:** A person whose gender is partially androgyne.

#### Demiagender

**Demiagender:** A person whose gender is partially agender.

#### Demineutrois

**Demineutrois:** A person whose gender is partially neutrois.

### Flag

The demigender pride flag has seven stripes: two outer stripes in gray, two in lighter gray, and two in yellow with one white stripe in the center. There is no widely confirmed meaning, but it is thought that the varying shades of gray may represent different levels of genderlessness and the partial connection to a certain gender, the white may represent all genders as it does in the non-binary flag, and the yellow may represent non-masculine and non-feminine genders.

Other common variations of the demigender flag include the demigirl pride flag, demiboy pride flag, and demifluid pride flag. The meanings are assumed to be the same as the demigender flag, except the yellow stripes are instead replaced with pink, blue, and yellow stripes. The pink stripes in the demigirl flag symbolize femininity/feminine genders, while the blue stripes in the demiboy flag symbolize masculinity/masculine genders. It is assumed that the gradient pink, yellow, and blue stripes in the demifluid flag represent fluidity between feminine, masculine, and non-binary genders. There is also the demiflux flag, which appears to be a combination of the demigirl, demigender, and demiboy flags.

### Distinction

#### Agender

Main article: Agender
Agender and demigender are both under the non-binary umbrella, but there are differences between the two identities. Agender people typically feel like they have no gender at all, with some defining their gender as being neither a man nor a woman. Demigender people, on the other hand, still feel a partial connection to certain genders, and may feel tied to being a man or woman in some way, like demigirls and demiboys. However, because demigender people may identify as another gender in combination with demigender, a demigender person can still partially identify with the agender identity.

#### Genderfluid

Main article: Genderfluid
Genderfluid and demigender are both considered non-binary identities, but genderfluidity often gets confused with being demigender. Genderfluid people feel like their gender fluctuates and changes over time, causing them to move between different genders; they can feel like a certain gender one day and another gender the next day. Demigender people, however, are always tied in some way to a particular gender, while other aspects of their gender identity may be fluid or in flux.

#### Demisexual

Main article: Demisexual
Demisexual and demigender, although they share the same prefix, are two completely different terms. Demisexuality is a sexual orientation, while demigender is a gender identity. A demisexual person is someone who does not experience sexual attraction to others until they form a strong emotional bond with someone first. Even though these terms are not related, someone who is demigender may also be demisexual and vice versa.

## References

1. ↑ "LGBTQIA+ Terminology" [PDF]. umass.edu. (Archived on October 6, 2021).
2. ↑ "Semi-, hemi-, and demi-". grammarist.com. (Archived on October 28, 2021).
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hardell, Ash. *The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2016. ISBN 9781633534087.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 McNabb, Charlie. *Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources*. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. ISBN 9781442275522.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "What Does Demigirl Mean? + Other Demigirl Information To Help You Be A Better Ally!". queerintheworld.com. (Archived on December 21, 2021).
6. ↑ Piñeiro, Sophia Melissa Caraballo: "Demigirl Definition and Meaning" (2021-01-25). cosmopolitan.com. Cosmopolitan. (Archived on November 22, 2021).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Dupraw, Calistos Nicolas: "Identity Vocabulary: Nonbinary Edition" (2019-08-14). thecenterbak.org. The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity. (Archived on August 13, 2022).
8. ↑ "Meaning of demiwoman". queerundefined.com. Queer Undefined. (Archived on April 16, 2021).
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Calkins, Isabel: "Demiboy" (2021-01-18). cosmopolitan.com. (Archived on December 1, 2021).
10. ↑ "Trans\* Identities and Lives Glossary". web.uri.edu. The University of Rhode Island Gender & Sexuality Center. (Archived on June 5, 2022).
11. ↑ "Meaning of demiman". queerundefined.com. Queer Undefined. (Archived on April 16, 2021).
12. ↑ "What Does Demiboy Mean? + Other Demiboy Information To Help You Be A Better Ally!". queerintheworld.com. Queer in the World. (Archived on June 24, 2022).
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Green, Jamison; Hoskin, Rhea Ashley; Mayo, Cris; and Miller, sj. *Navigating Trans\*+ and Complex Gender Identities*. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN 9781350061064.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "What Does Demigender Mean? + Other Demigender Information To Help You Be A Better Ally!". queerintheworld.com. Queer in the World. (Archived on August 28, 2022).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Demiagender (everything You Need To Know)" (2022-08-30). optimistminds.com. OptimistMinds. (Archived on October 21, 2021).
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "The Ultimate Guide to Non-Binary Gender Identity Flags". mygenderisx.com. (Archived on November 4, 2021).
17. ↑ The Trans Language Primer: "Agender". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on October 24, 2021).
18. ↑ Varina, Rachel: "Demigender" (2021-09-29). cosmopolitan.com. (Archived on November 22, 2021).
19. ↑ Caraballo Piñeiro, Sophia Melissa: "Demigirl" (2021-01-25). cosmopolitan.com. (Archived on November 22, 2021).
20. ↑ The Trans Language Primer: "Demisexual". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on October 24, 2021).