Third gender
A gender identity beyond the binary, recognized in many cultures.
The concept of a third gender, or third sex, describes people who identify—or are identified by their culture—as neither male nor female. Around the world, many societies recognize three or more genders, drawing either on longstanding traditions or on more recent developments within the LGBTQ community, where third gender is often considered a non-binary identity. The word "third" typically means "other," though some cultures extend the idea to include fourth and fifth genders.
Whether someone is seen as a man, a woman, or something else usually depends on their personal gender identity and the gender roles expected in their particular society. Most cultures operate on a gender binary of men and women. In those with a third or fourth gender, these categories can mean very different things. For Native Hawaiians and Tahitians, the *māhū* represents an intermediate state between man and woman, known as gender liminality, and is part of a broader MVPFAFF spectrum. Many Indigenous North American traditions include third or fourth gender people in ceremonial roles, often grouped today under the umbrella term Two-Spirit to honor their spiritual and Indigenous roots. The term "third gender" has also been applied to South Asia's *hijras*, Polynesia's *fa'afafine*, and the sworn virgins of the Balkans. Such traditions can arise to fill ritual or religious roles and may confer positive social status, but a culture recognizing a third gender does not automatically mean those individuals are valued; some practices developed as direct responses to the devaluation of women in that society.
Although common in many non-Western cultures, ideas of third, fourth, and fifth genders are still relatively new to mainstream Western thought. Western scholars—especially anthropologists studying *hijras* or Native American "gender variant" and Two-Spirit people—have often tried to explain third gender using modern LGBT terminology. However, Indigenous scholars argue that this lack of cultural context leads to widespread misrepresentation of both the individuals and the cultures involved, including whether the concept of a third gender even applies to them at all.
Since at least the 1970s, anthropologists have described gender categories in some cultures that a two-gender framework could not adequately explain. Around the same time, feminists began distinguishing between biological s
- field
- Gender studies, anthropology
- known_for
- Recognition of individuals as neither man nor woman across cultures
- related_cultures
- Native Hawaiians, Tahitians, Indigenous North American, South Asian, Polynesian, Balkan
- examples
- Hijras, fa'afafine, sworn virgins, māhū, Two-Spirit
Lore & Background
The concept of third gender appears in numerous non-Western cultures, often fulfilling ritual or religious roles. To Native Hawaiians and Tahitians, māhū is an intermediate state between man and woman known as 'gender liminality', part of a wider MVPFAFF spectrum. Many Indigenous North American traditions recognize third or fourth gender people in ceremonial roles, sometimes categorized under the umbrella identity of Two-Spirit. The hijras of South Asia, the fa'afafine of Polynesia, and the sworn virgins of the Balkans are also described as third gender.
Reader's Guide
Third gender traditions highlight that gender systems are not universally binary. While most cultures use a gender binary, societies with third or fourth genders may represent very different things, and a culture recognizing a third gender does not in itself mean they were valued by that culture. Some practices developed as direct reactions to the devaluation of women. Mainstream Western scholars have often sought to understand third gender solely in the language of the modern LGBT community, but Indigenous scholars stress that lack of cultural understanding has led to widespread misrepresentation. In recent years, some Western societies have begun to recognize non-binary or genderqueer identities, and reports from organizations like the Open Society Foundations argue that third sex/gender options should be voluntary and that a more inclusive approach would increase options for self-definition.
Did You Know?
- The term 'third gender' traces back to the 1860s.
- Some traditional Dineh of the Southwestern US recognize a spectrum of four genders: feminine woman, masculine woman, feminine man, masculine man.
- In a study of people in the United States who thought themselves members of a third gender, 93% reported 'paranormal'-type abilities.
- The hijras of South Asia have gained legal identity as a third gender.
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