Androgyny

According to Wikipedia, Androgyne derives from two Greek words, but makes its first appearance as a compound word in Rabbinic Judaism, most probably as an alternative to the Greek Pagan-related usage of hermaphrodite.

The Online Etymology Dictionary dates its appearance in English to 1552, although it is sometimes (incorrectly) claimed to have been coined by Sandra Bem, who helped to popularise the concept.

An androgyne in terms of gender identity, is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical masculine and feminine gender roles of their society. They may also use the term ambigender to describe themselves. Many androgynes identify as being mentally "between" woman and man, or as entirely genderless. They may class themselves as non-gendered, genderneutral, agendered, between genders, intergendered, bigendered, or genderfluid^.

Sandra Bem's work on androgyny preceded the current widespread use of the term as a gender identity, and uses the term more in terms of character traits than core gender identity. She considers an androgynous balance of traits to be desirable, stating that those who are able to draw on both traditionally masculine and feminine emotions and behaviours are best able to cope with life's challenges in a well-rounded way.

One of the most common mis-definitions of bisexuality is to confuse it with androgyny. Most writers before the 1050s used the word 'bisexual' to mean duel-sexed, to describe the co-existence of masculine and feminine components of the self, or to designate behavior traditionally classed as masculine in a woman, or as feminine in a man.

At the same time, the idea of the co-existence of male and female characteristics within the psyche of every person was being explored by psychologists, most notably Carl Gustav Jung. He believed that the female unconscious contains a male element or animus, while men have a female element or anima. For Jung, 'bisexuality' was a balance between the masculine and feminine elements of the psyche of everyone, rather than a sexual drive.

his concept of androgyny was very fashionable in some circles in the early twentieth century with writers like D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce believing that people were man-womanly or woman-manly.

Today, it is appearance rather than psychological make-up that is the most frequently explored aspect of androgyny. Androgyny is still connected to sexuality within the popular imagination and is perceived by traditionalists as threatening in its potential to break down gender roles.

Some gays choose an androgynous image as part of the expression of their sexuality. Other people see androgyny as a reconciliation between the sexes, allowing male and female attitudes to come together within one person.

The confusion between androgyny and bisexuality seems to have arisen from the idea that one can only respond to a person of the same sex if one has or takes on aspects of the other. In the case of bisexuals, the capacity to respond to people of both sexes is seen as implying that the bisexual must be both 'masculine' and 'feminine' simultaneously.

The words 'masculine' and 'feminine' have strict and inflexible meanings, connected exclusively to either men or women, and are not terms that can be applied equally and non-judgementally to people of both genders. In addition, power differences between men and women mean that it is not such a simple project for women to express their 'masculine side' by dressing and/or acting as men--power is not so easily grasped. A powerful group can voluntarily 'give up' power; a less powerful one cannot get it simply by taking on the characteristics of a more powerful one.

Androgyny then becomes an interesting concept to interweave with sexuality, gender roles, power differentials and other terms. Masculine and feminine attitudes are found in everyone, regardless of their sexual preference or identity. Androgyny is inclusive of internal psyche workings as well as practical things such as dressing and personal actions and attitudes. It is a concept and a reality that deserves more thought.