Study finds more than 30 shades of gender

From gender-fluid and non-binary to genderqueer, the world has grappled in recent years with the growing spectrum of how people identify themselves.

Now, an Australian study has found more than 30 separate gender definitions available on social media platforms or offered by government institutions.

These include “pangender”, “poligender”, “transgender”, “androgyne” and “demigirl” alongside the traditional male and female.

Women on top

The research, based on Queensland University of Technology’s Australian Sex Survey, found women had more choice than men, according its author Stephen Whyte.

“While gender can no doubt be a complex issue for males, our research showed just how many factors can influence a female’s decision, including reproductive pressure, labour market inequality and disproportionate levels of education,” he said. Even height could be a defining factor, “with taller females more likely to identify as non-binary”, Whyte said in a press release.

Most older respondents opted for the binary definitions of male and female.