clarify inclusion of nonbinary gender beyond a linear spectrum by heaventwig · Pull Request #200 · GenderDysphoria/GenderDysphoria.fyi

heaventwig · 2026-01-23T17:02:01Z

Summary

Expands language in public/en/what-is-gender.md to explicitly note that spectrum-based models are useful but incomplete.
Affirms nonbinary experiences that are multidimensional, non-linear, or not meaningfully referenced to the male/female binary.

Motivation / Context

Addresses issue #198 by improving conceptual coverage for nonbinary/agender/genderfluid readers without removing existing spectrum models.

What changed

Adds a short paragraph near the spectrum discussion acknowledging non-linear / multidimensional experiences.
Updates the “What does it mean to be Non-binary?” section to distinguish binary-relative vs binary-independent nonbinary experiences (additively).

Scope

Text-only change; no images/layout changes.
Additive and compatibility-minded: keeps existing framing while clarifying limits.

Testing

N/A (documentation change)

Adds language to “What is Gender?” acknowledging limits of linear spectrum models and affirming nonbinary experiences that are multidimensional or not binary-referential. Keeps existing spectrum framing while expanding it to better match lived experience of some persons whose gender doesn't fit on or within any spectrum models.

aliengeo

Couldn't look at GitHub for a bit due to the winter storm; taking a look now. Here are my thoughts.

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:11:06Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md

 Gender is part social construct, part learned behaviors, and part biological processes which form very early in a person's life.

-Present evidence seems to suggest that a person's gender is established during gestation while the cerebral cortex of the brain is forming (more about that in the Causes of Gender Dysphoria section). This mental model then informs, at a subconscious level, what aspects of the gender spectrum a person will lean towards. It affects behavior, perceptions of the world, the way we experience attraction (separate from sexual orientation and hormonal influences) and how we bond with other people.
+Present evidence seems to suggest that a person's gender is established during gestation while the cerebral cortex of the brain is forming (more about that in the Causes of Gender Dysphoria section). This mental model then informs, at a subconscious level, what aspects of the gender spectrum a person will lean towards. It affects behavior, perceptions of the world, the way we experience attraction (separate from sexual orientation and hormonal influences) and how we bond with other people. For individuals whose gender is not experienced as a position on a binary or spectrum, dysphoria may arise not from being “too far” toward one end, but from being misclassified into a framework that does not match their internal sense of self.


With all due respect, I disagree with the placement of this addition. I've read your justification, and I think I understand where you're coming from. I still believe this is significantly more pertinent to the Social Dysphoria and Societal Dysphoria pages. Here it feels a bit non sequitur to me; no discussion of a specific position on the spectrum was previously established to refute.

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:11:41Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md

 ## What does it mean to be Non-binary?

-Non-binary can basically be simplified as a lack of exclusive affinity to male or female. This may be a lack of affinity to either identity ([agender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Agender)), a total affinity to both ([bi-gender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Bigender)/), a balanced affinity to both ([androgyne](https://gender.fandom.com/wiki/Androgyne)), an affinity that changes from day to day ([genderfluid](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Genderfluid)), a partial affinity ([demigender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Demigender)), or even an affinity to the entire gender spectrum at once ([pangender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Pangender)).
+Non-binary is often described as a lack of exclusive affinity to male or female, but this framing does not capture all non-binary experiences.


Everything before the "but" I understand. I'm somewhat confused about what the second clause is meant to add, though. Like, okay, say someone identifies as maverique. They don't have an exclusive affinity to maleness, check. They don't have an exclusive affinity to femaleness, check. Maybe I might reframe the first clause as "Nonbinary identities are outside an exclusive affinity to either male or female," to avoid the "lack" phrasing, but I don't see what the second clause is adding, and I wouldn't be able to explain to another person what your intent is here.
(EDIT: added to the review so it's all together)

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:22:35Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md


 Gender, however, is a lot more... esoteric. There are a lot of different ways in which people have attempted to illustrate the gender spectrum, but none have quite thoroughly captured it because the spectrum is itself a very abstract concept.

+It is important to note that while spectrum-based models are useful for many people, they do not describe all lived experiences of gender. Some people experience their gender as a position between male and female, some experience it as a mixture of the two, and others experience gender in ways that do not meaningfully reference the male/female binary at all.


This feels redundant to the additions at line 116.

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:29:45Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md


+It is important to note that while spectrum-based models are useful for many people, they do not describe all lived experiences of gender. Some people experience their gender as a position between male and female, some experience it as a mixture of the two, and others experience gender in ways that do not meaningfully reference the male/female binary at all.
+
+For these people, gender may be better understood as multidimensional, non-linear, or relational rather than as a single axis. No single diagram or metaphor fully captures the breadth of human gender experience.


I believe the second sentence here is already what line 58 is trying to convey. This feels like a partial restate.

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:33:52Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md

 The short of it is: some people are very male, some people are very female. Some people feel no gender at all, some people feel both. Some are smack in the middle, some land along the edges. Some people oscillate all over the spectrum in unpredictable ways, changing like the wind. Only an individual can identify their own gender; no one else can dictate it for them.

+
+Some people find spectrum language useful to describe these experiences. Others find that their gender exists outside of, orthogonal to, or independent from such frameworks entirely.


I don't understand why this is separate from line 82?

aliengeo · 2026-02-04T07:35:15Z

public/en/what-is-gender.md

-Non-binary can basically be simplified as a lack of exclusive affinity to male or female. This may be a lack of affinity to either identity ([agender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Agender)), a total affinity to both ([bi-gender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Bigender)/), a balanced affinity to both ([androgyne](https://gender.fandom.com/wiki/Androgyne)), an affinity that changes from day to day ([genderfluid](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Genderfluid)), a partial affinity ([demigender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Demigender)), or even an affinity to the entire gender spectrum at once ([pangender](https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Pangender)).
+Non-binary is often described as a lack of exclusive affinity to male or female, but this framing does not capture all non-binary experiences.
+
+For some people, non-binary gender is relational to the binary (such as being between, mixed, fluid between, or partially connected to male and/or female identities). For others, non-binary gender exists outside of and without reference to the binary entirely, or is experienced as an absence of gender, a multiplicity of genders, or something that does not map cleanly to binary-derived categories.


With this addition, lines 118-120 feel a bit imbalanced. If the entire section is going to be reframed, then I think the entire section needs to be rewritten.

Twipped · 2026-02-07T17:27:24Z

I second pretty much everything @aliengeo noted in their review. This PR doesn't actually add anything to the document, it's just stretching out some sentences to reiterate already established points. Closing in favor of #201

This was referenced Jan 23, 2026

Expand “What Is Gender” to Better Reflect Nonbinary Experiences Beyond a Linear Spectrum #198

Open

Dead links in what-is-gender.md #199

Open

aliengeo reviewed Feb 4, 2026

View reviewed changes

aliengeo mentioned this pull request Feb 4, 2026

Nonbinary-inclusive framing + more nonbinary content #201

Open

Twipped closed this Feb 7, 2026

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Uh oh!

clarify inclusion of nonbinary gender beyond a linear spectrum#200

clarify inclusion of nonbinary gender beyond a linear spectrum#200
heaventwig wants to merge 1 commit intoGenderDysphoria:masterfrom
heaventwig:multiplex-gender

heaventwig commented Jan 23, 2026 •

edited

Loading

Uh oh!

aliengeo left a comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Uh oh!

Twipped commented Feb 7, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants


		Gender, however, is a lot more... esoteric. There are a lot of different ways in which people have attempted to illustrate the gender spectrum, but none have quite thoroughly captured it because the spectrum is itself a very abstract concept.

		It is important to note that while spectrum-based models are useful for many people, they do not describe all lived experiences of gender. Some people experience their gender as a position between male and female, some experience it as a mixture of the two, and others experience gender in ways that do not meaningfully reference the male/female binary at all.


		It is important to note that while spectrum-based models are useful for many people, they do not describe all lived experiences of gender. Some people experience their gender as a position between male and female, some experience it as a mixture of the two, and others experience gender in ways that do not meaningfully reference the male/female binary at all.

		For these people, gender may be better understood as multidimensional, non-linear, or relational rather than as a single axis. No single diagram or metaphor fully captures the breadth of human gender experience.

		The short of it is: some people are very male, some people are very female. Some people feel no gender at all, some people feel both. Some are smack in the middle, some land along the edges. Some people oscillate all over the spectrum in unpredictable ways, changing like the wind. Only an individual can identify their own gender; no one else can dictate it for them.


		Some people find spectrum language useful to describe these experiences. Others find that their gender exists outside of, orthogonal to, or independent from such frameworks entirely.

Uh oh!

Conversation

heaventwig commented Jan 23, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Summary

Motivation / Context

What changed

Scope

Testing

Uh oh!

aliengeo left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

aliengeo Feb 4, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Twipped commented Feb 7, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

heaventwig commented Jan 23, 2026 •

edited

Loading