Aliagender

**Aliagender**, or **aliusgender**, is a gender that is simply "other", or stands apart from existing social gender constructs. It is a specific non-binary identity which is not a mixture of male and female, nor an absence of gender, but instead a strong, specific gender identity that is not man or woman. It is removed from common gender descriptors and guidelines. The term is often used by people who would identify as "third gender," but don't want to appropriate any culture-specific gender identity implied by the term "third gender".

## History and Controversy

A moderator on the Askanonbinary Tumblr blog created the word "aliagender" in response to an ask by the user ZoboTheHobo. It was coined some time before January 20, 2014. ZoboTheHobo later described this event: "i was there when aliagender was coined. actually, i was the reason it was coined. I sent messages to askanonbinary and beck came up with the word. we defined it then as a gender experience other from the traditional spectrum. I always meant for this to be a term for a specific positive gender that was not associated with the man/woman spectrum, but was a gender that existed and NOT genderless."

Soon after, there was a conflict about whether the word was politically problematic. Some people of color reportedly said "that aliagender is racist in that it is basically just a whitewashed version of third gender." In response, another person coined aporagender as an alternative to aliagender, due to concerns that aliagender might be "racist or appropriative." ZoboTheHobo said they did not intend for aliagender to be harmful in anyway, and was created to describe an "othering" concept of gender.

Vesper H., the blogger and vlogger behind Queer as Cat, has written against claims that terms such as aliagender, aporagender, and maverique (which they coined) are racist. According to Vesper, themself black, where third gender is "a prescriptive term forced onto others without their consent" used to other cultural identities, terms such as aliagender were specific gender identities that were not used to contain and erase cultural identities.

## Flag and Symbols

The aliagender flag was designed by pride-color-schemes on July 10, 2016. Green and orange were used because they’re not pink and blue, which are typically associated with men and women.

The alternative aliagender flag was designed by an anonymous wiki user on October 13, 2020. It is based on the original aliagender flag, but it has less stripes and softer colors. This is meant to be easier on the eyes. It is also meant to be easier to reproduce.

The aliagender symbol was designed on October 4, 2014 by a group of non-binary Brazilians. It is based on the male and female symbols but on the end it has an A shape. The symbol can be shown facing any direction.

## Resources

1. ↑ https://askanonbinary.tumblr.com/post/74027274913/alia-is-wonderful-wow-i-love-the-way-it-sounds
2. ↑ https://zobothehobo.com/post/91716663005/epochryphal-throws-up-hands-im-getting-really
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://queerascat.tumblr.com/post/137554950446/re-maverique-aporagender-aliagender-and-third
4. ↑ https://pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/147175991905/aliagender-aliusgender
5. ↑ https://www.deviantart.com/cari-rez-lobo/art/Gender-Symbols-486052086