Androgyny

Merriam-WebsterDictionary defines “androgynous” as “having the characteristics of both male and female.” Someone who is androgynous cannot be defined as male or female, but rather lives in a “spectrum” of gender. Some androgynous people are mentally between the state of man and woman, and would rather not make a definitive choice. Some decide to live without gender at all. Through media attention and pop culture, androgyny has gained more attention. Androgyny is seen often in pop culture, coming into view through fashion, name choices, and so on. It is becoming popular in the fashion industry to use androgynous models in order to not assign articles of clothing to certain genders.

Wikipedia explains the history of this term, going all the way back to ancient Greece. The philosopher Plato considered gender many times, creating categories in which an individual could be organized into. There were three groups, male-male, female-female, and male-female. Each of these groupings was thought to have descended from a different heavenly body, which is how Plato connects astronomy and androgyny. Plato’s gender studies focused much on the sorting and grouping of genders, but those who are androgynous defy these gender boundaries.

The FreeDictionary defines “androgynous” as “Having both female and male characteristics; hermaphroditic.” This definition refers more to the anatomical side of androgyny. Some people are born with both forms of genitalia, making them androgynous by birth. Certain individuals choose to have surgical procedures in order to decide on one exact gender, while others live in the gender “spectrum.” The term “hermaphrodite” was also discussed by Plato in his gender studies. 

Bibliography

"Androgynous." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2015.

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2015.