What is third sex or third gender?
The term third sex or third gender is used for people who do not feel at home within the binary gender system. In some cultures, there is a specific social or spiritual role for such people. They do not fall under “man” or “woman,” but are a recognized part of the community. Often they have a name in their own language, such as hijra in South Asia, māhū in Hawaii, fa’afafine in Samoa and Two-Spirit in North America. These cultures allow for multiple genders, sometimes even four or five.
The term “third sex” does not come from these communities themselves. It is a Western name, usually coined by anthropologists or colonizers. They used the term to denote something they did not understand well. As a result, there is often an outsider’s view in the term. Consequently, many people feel that one should not use this designation lightly. Only someone who belongs to such a gender role themselves can describe what it really means.
In some cultures, the term does get reused as a sign of pride. People reclaim the word to make themselves visible. In other cases, the term is rejected because it generalizes too much or pigeonholes people. For example, those who live in a culture where no third gender is recognized sometimes use a term like aporagender or genderqueer. These are more modern words for genders outside the binary system.
Ravi grew up in a Tamil community, where hijras were at once visible and complicated. As a child, Ravi watched in admiration as hijras appeared at weddings. They sang loudly, wore bright colors and walked upright, as if no one should ever doubt them. Ravi didn’t know why, but felt drawn to that power.
At school, Ravi didn’t feel at home anywhere. They didn’t fit into the boxes that others took for granted. Not as a boy, not as a girl. But that wasn’t talked about. It remained something that carried them deep inside.
Years later, while visiting a distant aunt, Ravi watched an old TV broadcast about hijras. Ravi asked hesitantly, “So are they male or female?” The aunt smiled and said only, “They are different. But they are no less.”
The conversation was brief, but something stuck. Ravi began to look into the role of hijras, as well as other forms of gender outside the binary system. Not to find a label, but to make sense of a feeling that had always been there. Now Ravi sometimes says they belong to the third sex. Not because it explains everything, but because it gives space.
History and origins
The term “third sex” was first used in the West to refer to homosexuals. In the nineteenth century, there was no neutral word for people who were attracted to people of the same sex. A term like “Uranian” was then used for men with female souls. Later this meaning was broadened, for example by feminists who broke away from traditional images of women. In Germany, the term “drittes Geschlecht” was even used to mock women who acted independently.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that scholars began to pay more attention to gender roles outside the West. Anthropologists discovered indigenous cultures in which multiple genders existed. Yet even there they were often viewed with a Western lens. The cultural and spiritual significance of these roles fell into the background. Instead, people tried to place these identities within the familiar schema of being homosexual or trans.
In many cases, things went wrong. Hijras were seen as men who acted feminine. Two-Spirit persons were interpreted as homosexuals. This ignored the fact that these people often performed ceremonial, social or religious duties. Their gender roles were not derived from sexual preference, but embedded in the structure of the community.
Indigenous scholars point out that these Western reinterpretations displace the original meaning. By translating everything into “sexuality” rather than “role” or “status,” many cultures are losing part of their identity. As a result, many people no longer want to use the label “third sex. They prefer to opt for the original terms, such as fa’afafine, māhū or muxe.
Cultures with third genders
There are many cultures worldwide that recognize other genders. In Samoa, fa’afafine are people who act feminine but do not live as women. They often take on caring responsibilities and are simply part of society. They are not seen as “less” or “weird,” but as a natural part of the community.
In Hawaii and Tahiti, people speak of māhū. These people are seen as between male and female. They are often attributed a spiritual gift, such as healing or teaching. They have existed in the oral tradition of the islands for centuries.
Hijras in South Asia form a distinct social group. They often live together in their own communities, with their own rules and rituals. They are asked to pronounce blessings at births and marriages. At the same time, they experience much discrimination. Governments sometimes recognize them legally, but that does not mean they are also protected from exclusion.
In Mexico, there are muxe: people who behave like women and often have a central role in the community. In Albania, there is the custom of “sworn virgins”: women who live as men and thus gain access to male rights. Some Buddhist traditions saw men who had passive sex as female. This shows that gender in many cultures is separate from biological characteristics.
Two-Spirit and indigenous identity
The term Two-Spirit is used by some Native North American people to refer to traditional genders. It does not refer to a single role, but to many forms of gender expression within tribes. In some tribes there are four genders; in others there are even more. Two-Spirit persons often perform ritual roles and are seen as bridges between worlds. Only people from tribal communities can call themselves Two-Spirit.
In some communities, they have a special role in education, healing or ceremonies. They are not seen as “in between,” but as their own complete form. In many colonial writings, these roles were erased or misrepresented. This is still a source of frustration today.
Intersex persons
Intersex people are born with physical characteristics that do not fit well within the usual distinction between male and female. These include chromosomes, hormones or genitals that are not clearly “male” or “female” according to medical standards. Some intersex persons call themselves male or female, others choose a different term or do not want to be pigeonholed at all. Not everyone sees themselves as part of a so-called third gender. For many intersex people, it is primarily about being accepted as they are, rather than being pigeonholed into a new box.
In Australia, since 2003 there has been the possibility of getting a passport with an “X” instead of an M or V. The first person to get one was Alex MacFarlane. That brought more attention to the question of how people are legally registered. In 2013, the International Intersex Forum argued that people should decide for themselves how they are referred to in official documents. According to them, gender should even disappear completely from passports, for example, in the future.
Many intersex people are not looking for a third category, but for equality. It’s about the right to adjust your documents, protection from medical coercion, and social recognition. They do not want an extra box, but the freedom not to have to think in boxes. That requires a different system, in which choices remain open. It is about self-determination, not about new labels.
In 2017, groups from Australia and New Zealand wrote a joint statement on the issue. In it, they argued that legal registration of gender should be abolished. Both binary and third options, they said, are restrictive because they still push people into categories. They also called attention to intersex children, who often receive medical procedures without their consent. According to them, that should be banned.
Gender and spirituality
In many non-Western cultures, gender has not only a physical or social but also a spiritual meaning. Some people are seen as mediators between the world of men and the world of spirits. This gives their presence in rituals or ceremonies a special value. Instead of being seen as deviant, they are seen as important to the balance of society. They have a task that contributes to harmony and connection.
In the West, the approach is often the exact opposite. There, people who do not fit the male-female model are usually labeled as “different. They are given labels like “disorder” or subjected to medical treatments. This stems from a culture in which being normal equals being binary. In other parts of the world, on the contrary, there is respect for people who move between categories.
A survey in the United States of people who saw themselves as third gender revealed interesting patterns. Many participants said they had felt they were different since childhood. They worked remarkably often in healthcare, the arts or other professions where empathy is important. Some even spoke of spiritual experiences or feeling that they lived “between worlds. Their stories indicate a deep connection to meaning, identity and role.
In such contexts, third gender is not an abnormality but a form of knowledge and understanding. These people often have an important position in their environment. They are not excluded, but rather asked for advice or support. This gives their identity a very different connotation than in cultures where deviance is seen as a problem. It shows that gender is always related to how a society is built.
Criticism and variation
Not everyone thinks the word “third gender” is appropriate. Some critics say it traps people in a limited frame of mind. They warn that it gives the impression that there are only three options: male, female or third sex. In reality, gender is much more complex and does not allow itself to be captured in fixed categories. Especially in indigenous cultures such as the Inuit, it is emphasized that numbering gender actually distracts from true diversity.
Yet some people use the term with pride. For them, it is a way to name themselves in a world that often leaves no room for other forms. In the 2019 Gender Census, 2.17 percent of those surveyed called themselves “third gender. That seems small, but it involves hundreds of people worldwide. Their choice makes it clear that the term does mean something to some.
Western science has tried to summarize all these forms under one name. But that attempt often ignores what people themselves say about their experience. Gender is not a fixed thing that works the same everywhere. It varies by culture, by time, by history and by person. Those who want to understand this richness must learn to listen.
The concept of third gender can be useful for starting conversations about gender diversity. But then it must be used carefully. It should not become a label imposed by others, without regard for what people themselves want to say. The stories behind the label are always more important than the label itself.
Examples
Examples of some genders described as being “third genders” are:
- Fa’afafine
- Māhū
- Hijra
- Muxe
- Two Spirit
Other uses
In some countries, “third gender” is a description of legal categories for genders other than male and female, as in Germany for the third legal category, “diverse.”
Flag
The flag was created on Aug. 9, 2018 on the Tumblr blog beyond-mogai-pride-flags for people who choose to reclaim the term as an identity.
Symbol
The symbol was created by a group of Brazilian non-binary people on Oct. 2, 2014. A triangle was probably used to represent “third.”
asiapacific.anu.edu.au/
archive.org/details/femaleofspecies0000mart
beyond-mogai-pride-flags.tumblr.com/post/176824180045/third-gender-pride-flag
intersections.anu.edu.au/issue6/schmidt.html
rewirenewsgroup.com/article/2016/10/13/two-spirit-tradition-far-ubiquitous-among-tribes/
sourcebooks.fordham.edu/pwh/carpenter-is.asp
www.deviantart.com/cari-rez-lobo/art/Gender-Symbols-486052086
www.dw.com/en/german-cabinet-approves-third-gender-identity/a-45090243