Xenogender

A **xenogender** is a gender that cannot be contained by human understandings of gender. Xenogenders are more concerned with crafting other methods of gender categorization and hierarchy such as those relating to animals, plants, or other creatures/things.

The "human understandings of gender" are generally femininity and masculinity, as well as androgyny (sometimes also seen as neutrality, though not all androgynous people like that being applied to their gender). Xenogenders, while still being capable of encompassing those experiences, also relate to things which completely fall out of gendered concepts, like objects, aesthetics, animals, concepts, etc.

Xenogenders are very diverse in their usage. Gender is very personal, and different people interpret xenogenders in different ways. Many people solely identify with xenogenders, while many others view xenogenders as more of metaphors for their gender, rather than their gender itself. For some people it may be both or another reason, but whatever the case, they are used for diverse reasons.

## Xenogender Categories

Since its coining in 2014, xenogender has become one of, and arguably the most, defining terms of the MOGAI community and mogai coining. Because of that, xenogenders have branched into many different categories and concepts. The following are the most common/broad of the categories which can be found under the xenogender umbrella.

### Aesthetigenders

**Aesthetigenders** are xenogenders which are related in some way to the aesthetic of a certain thing or to some sort of sensory experience. Aesthetigenders are often related to certain sights, feelings, tastes, sounds, aromas, textures, and generally things which define sensory and aesthetic experiences.

### Noungenders

**Noungenders** are xenogenders which are related to certain nouns- this includes both tangible, physical items/objects (objectgenders) and abstract nouns/concepts, as well as other kinds of nouns/archetypes.

### Fictigenders

**Fictigenders** are xenogenders which are related in some way to fiction. This relation could be to anything in fiction- fictional characters, universes, specific books, shows, games, movies, and any other things found within the domain of fiction!

### Kingenders

**Kingenders** are xenogenders which are related in some way to one's kintype/being otherkin. They can be related to any form of otherkinity/alterhumanity, but each kingender is exclusive to those of the kintype specified by the term (for example, only angelkin can use kingenders related to being angelkin).

### Neurogenders

**Neurogenders** are xenogenders which are in some way related to one's neurodivergence. They can be influenced by/related to any form of neurodivergence like ASD, ADHD, DID/OSDD, etc. Genders in this category can only be used by people with the specific neurodivergency specified in the term.

## History

The term xenogender was first coined in 2014 by tumblr user baaphomett. The flag was created approximately 3 years later on DeviantArt by pastelmemer, followed by a popular alternate design by Mod Hermy of the Pride-Flags DeviantArt and an anonymous user, also in 2017.

While the term xenogender itself is new, people exploring their gender in terms which reflect xenogenders isn't new at all. In fact, one of the most revered Persian poets, Hafiz, once said that "Once a young woman asked me, 'How does it feel to be a man? And I replied, 'my dear, I am not so sure.' Then she said, 'Well, aren’t you a man?' And this time I replied, 'I view gender as a beautiful animal that people often take for a walk on a leash and might enter in some odd contest to try to win strange prizes. My dear, a better question for Hafiz would have been, ‘How does it feel to be a heart?’ For all I know is love, I find my heart infinite and everywhere!".

Though that's just one person, this concept of gender is not new as many people who oppose xenogenders claim. Additionally, both manhood and womanhood, as well as masculinity and femininity, are often also associated with things beyond the human scope of gender. For example, though based on gendered stereotypes, manhood and masculinity are often associated with colors like blue, green, and red, as well as with things like the sun, stone, cars, etc. In a similar way, womanhood and femininity are often associated with colors like pink and purple, as well as with things like the moon, flowers, gentleness, and emotions. Our understanding of gender is inherently xenogender-esque in many ways, so inherent that we don't even realize it until confronted with xenogenders themselves.

## Flags

Created by DA user pastelmemer in 2017, the main xenogender flag's symbolism is as follows. The central symbol is the astronomical sign for the asteroid Iris, a Greek goddess of rainbows. The colors chosen are common colors present in iris flowers. The central stripe is yellow, a common non-binary color. It is opposed to purple, which usually stands for androgynous non-binary genders which have some combination of male and female identities, yellow is often used to symbolize genders which have nothing to do with the binary in any way, which includes xenogenders.

## Resources

xenogender coining

main flag designing

hafiz's quote and the science and spirituality of gender fluidity