What is gender fluidity?

• Gender-fluid people fall under the broad umbrella of non-binary genders.
• Gender-fluid people can fluctuate between genders at different times.
• Some gender-fluid people are transgender, and others are not.

Prominent celebrities like Demi Lovato and Elliot Page have come out recently as nonbinary and trans.

Their visibility has prompted mainstream conversation about what it means to be gender fluid and how it fits into the conversation on trans and nonbinary identities.

While some celebrities have come out with fixed genders that do not change over time, others like Ruby Rose are gender-fluid.

Here's a breakdown of what gender-fluidity means and how to correctly use their pronouns.

What does it mean to be gender-fluid?

Gender-fluid people fluctuate in their gender identity over periods of time. For example, someone who is gender-fluid may say they are a boy one day and align themselves more with being femme the next day.

Unlike fixed identities that do not change over time, gender-fluid people acknowledge their gender identity can be different depending on when you ask and how they are feeling internally.

While there are gender-fluid people who can fit under the umbrella of nonbinary gender identities, not all nonbinary people are gender-fluid.

Some nonbinary people have a fixed gender identity that does not change or shift over time, while others who are fluid do have a gender that changes over time.

Who can be gender-fluid?

A wide range of people are gender-fluid and not all of them have the same understanding of their gender.

Some gender-fluid people are trans and others are not. Some gender-fluid people refer to themselves as a fluid man or a fluid woman and others fluctuate between nonbinary genders.

What's important to remember is gender is very personal and no two gender-fluid people have to have the same identity or way of thinking about their gender.

What pronouns should I use when addressing a gender-fluid person?

People should always ask a person for their pronouns before assuming. There are no fixed set of pronouns for gender-fluid people, as no pronouns are tied to a specific gender.

A gender-fluid person may ask you to switch the pronouns you use for them depending on how they are feeling about their personal gender at a given time.

Make sure to practice if you have trouble switching pronouns for people and correct yourself without over apologizing if you mess up.