Multigender Identity: Meaning, Types, and Gender Experience

For example, someone may feel:

• like both a man and a woman;
• partly nonbinary and partly male;
• connected to three or more genders;
• different genders at different times;
• several genders at once;
• one gender strongly and another more weakly.

There is no required number, combination, or pattern. The word simply indicates that more than one gender is part of the person’s experience.

• multi-, meaning many or more than one;
• gender, referring to gender identity, experience, or classification.

Multigender usually functions as an adjective:

• Alex is multigender.
• Sam has a multigender identity.
• The organization supports multigender people.

The full noun phrase may be countable:

• A multigender identity may involve simultaneous or changing genders.
• The study discussed several multigender identities.

When referring to people, multigender people is generally more natural than using multigenders as a plural noun.

Common expressions include:

• identify as multigender;
• have a multigender identity;
• experience multiple genders;
• move among several genders;
• express more than one gender;
• use multigender as an umbrella term.

Simultaneous Genders

Some people experience two or more genders at the same time.

For example, a person may feel both male and female, or may experience a combination of masculine, neutral, and nonbinary genders.

Changing Genders

Some people move among different genders over time. One gender may become more noticeable while another becomes weaker or temporarily absent.

This experience may overlap with genderfluidity.

Different Intensities

A person may experience several genders with unequal strength. For example, someone may feel strongly connected to one gender and only partly connected to another.

Contextual Experiences

Some people notice different genders in different situations, relationships, cultures, or emotional states. The change may be intentional, predictable, irregular, or difficult to explain.

No single pattern is required for a multigender identity.

Possible identities under this umbrella include:

• bigender, involving two genders;
• trigender, involving three genders;
• polygender, involving several genders;
• pangender, involving many, all, or a wide range of genders;
• some forms of genderfluid identity;
• some demigender combinations.

Not everyone with one of these identities uses multigender. Similarly, a person may use multigender without choosing a more specific label.

Multigender is broader and may involve two, three, or many genders.

Therefore, a bigender person may also consider themselves multigender, but not every multigender person is bigender.

For example:

• A person who experiences womanhood and a nonbinary gender may use bigender.
• A person who experiences four genders may prefer multigender or polygender.

Multigender is a broader descriptive term for any identity involving more than one gender.

The words may overlap considerably. Some people prefer polygender because it feels more specific, while others choose multigender because it is easier to understand.

A multigender person does not need to experience all genders. They may experience only two or several.

A pangender person may consider themselves multigender, but the terms should not be treated as automatically identical.

Multigender describes the involvement of more than one gender, whether those genders change or remain simultaneous and stable.

For example:

• A multigender person may consistently experience three genders at once.
• A genderfluid person may move between genders without experiencing several simultaneously.
• A person may identify as both multigender and genderfluid.

The main difference is that multigender emphasizes number, while genderfluid emphasizes change.

Many multigender people identify as nonbinary because their experience cannot be described as exclusively one binary gender.

However, the terms are not identical:

• nonbinary identities may involve one gender, several genders, no gender, or changing genders;
• multigender identities specifically involve more than one gender.

A person may use both labels or prefer only one.

Gender expression is how someone presents through clothing, hairstyle, voice, behavior, movement, or appearance.

A multigender person may express:

• several genders at once;
• one gender at a time;
• an androgynous or mixed presentation;
• a consistent appearance despite internal changes;
• different styles in different settings.

Expression does not always change when identity changes. A multigender person may wear the same clothing and use the same hairstyle regardless of which gender feels strongest.

Appearance alone cannot confirm that someone is multigender.

• she/her;
• he/him;
• they/them;
• neopronouns;
• more than one pronoun set;
• pronouns that change over time.

Some people use different pronouns for different genders. Others keep one pronoun set because it feels comfortable across their entire identity.

A person may also prefer changing or multiple terms such as man, woman, person, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. These preferences should be learned from the individual rather than guessed.

Possible choices include:

• changing a name or pronouns;
• using flexible clothing or presentation;
• altering voice or hairstyle;
• changing official records where possible;
• using hormones;
• choosing selected procedures;
• making no physical changes.

A person may want physical characteristics associated with different genders. They may also prefer an androgynous, neutral, masculine, feminine, or personally defined body.

There is no standard multigender appearance or transition path.

They may also experience gender euphoria, or comfort and happiness, when:

• several genders are acknowledged;
• preferred pronouns are used;
• clothing reflects multiple aspects of identity;
• their body or voice feels affirming;
• others avoid forcing them into one category.

Dysphoria and euphoria may change depending on which gender feels strongest. Not every multigender person experiences either.

A multigender person must experience all genders.
No. The identity may involve only two or several genders.

Multigender and genderfluid are identical.
No. Multigender emphasizes more than one gender, while genderfluid emphasizes change over time.

A multigender person must change pronouns frequently.
No. Pronouns may change or remain consistent.

Multigender people must look androgynous.
No. Appearance does not determine identity.

Multigender identity determines sexual orientation.
No. Gender identity and attraction are separate.

1. Alex uses multigender identity to describe experiencing three genders.
2. A multigender identity may involve simultaneous or changing genders.
3. Can someone have a multigender identity without being genderfluid?
4. Her multigender identity does not require her to change pronouns.
5. The glossary distinguishes multigender identity from bigender and pangender.
6. A multigender identity may include binary and nonbinary genders.
7. Sam’s multigender identity remains valid regardless of clothing or appearance.
8. Understanding multigender identity helped the family respect more than one aspect of the person’s gender.

However, multigender identity describes gender rather than sexual or romantic attraction. A multigender person may have any orientation and may use one consistent sexuality label or several personally meaningful terms.

Understanding multigender identity supports respectful communication about attraction, intimacy, bodies, and relationships. It allows people to describe complex gender experiences without being forced into one fixed category.