What does it mean to be gender fluid?

Terms like transgendered, bi-gendered, androgyny, neutrois, binary and non-binary come under the huge umbrella term, ‘gender’. But of course, this was not so a couple of centuries ago. Many cultures and ethnic groups have concepts of traditional gender-variant roles, with a history of them going back earlier than the 18th century. There are the examples of the Hijra, which is a very ancient tradition of non-binary gender role, specifically in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Two-Spirit, which is the Native American alternative to the westernised label of ‘third gender’.

In recent times, there is increased social and political awareness in India about transgender and intersex citizens in our midst. But we are yet to be concerned about something that defies the set standards of ‘female’ and ‘male’ roles guided by the social mainstream. But there is a change in the youth of the country who are rebelling and not limiting themselves to the set rules. The current generation has started to expand the horizon of what it is to be a male or female; hence violating and breaking the gender binary. Artists like Ruby Rose are talking about Breaking Free and exploring the fluidity of the way humans embody the concepts of gender. 

In November 2015, during the promotions of Bajirao Mastani, actor Ranveer Singh made a bold statement by showing up in skirts designed by couturier Anju Modi. This brought androgynous fashion trends into the spotlight. But the same young audience of these artists find it funny when a guy wears a sari and are not bothered when a girl wears jeans and T-shirts. This irony can be seen almost everywhere, in every region of the world. It is important to understand and accept the gender identity of every individual. 

So, what exactly is being ‘gender fluid’? By the dictionary definition of it, ‘A gender fluid person may at any time identify as male, female, neutrois, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities’. But there is more to it. For example, what do you say when you are not comfortable with the gender given to you because of your sex? You tend to deviate between the two, you accept what you like about the gender aligned with your sex, and you accept what you like about the gender that is not aligned with your sex. The bottom line is, you cross-over between two ‘binary’ genders which are set by the standards of the society. It goes beyond cross-dressing and neutralising between the two binary genders. It is to accept the identity that you want to be portrayed as and live with. 

To understand “gender fluidity” more psychologically, we can try understanding the three gender dysphoria which people face generally. Social dysphoria is when the person has the need to be identified, accepted and included as the gender they experience. Body dysphoria is when their bodies have a need to reflect the gender they experience and Gender Expression is a need to express themselves in the manner of clothing, image, behavior, and conversation which aligns with the gender they experience.  

But is the Indian society ready to accept this kind of a cross-over attitude? Where a girl may not prefer to be identified as a female but also does not feel the need to undergo transition as a male. 

In India, does being ‘gender fluid’ become a way to disguise ourselves, or are we tired of fulfilling the said roles respectfully?

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