Gender variant

The term “gender variant” describes people whose gender expression, gender role, or gender identity does not match the social expectations associated with the sex assigned at birth. It can serve as a broad description for gender-nonconforming or nonbinary ways of living and mainly refers to departures from traditional gender norms.

Unlike “trans,” the term “gender variant” often emphasizes less the transition from one gender to another and more the fundamental questioning or rejection of binary gender norms. However, the term is not sharply separated from other queer self-descriptions and should always be understood in the way the person themselves uses it.