The topic of gender has been hotly debated in recent years with terms like nonbinary coming into mainstream use in the Western world. There is loud opposition rooted in fear of change to a system of language and behavior that many have grown up in, but just a little digging will prove that this familiar system of gendering isn’t as long-standing or ubiquitous as it seems.
Contrary to the argument that the binary gender—man and woman—is the “natural” and historically “true” way of identifying, many cultures around the world actually recognize more than two genders (sometimes even four or five) and have done so for many, many years. These nonbinary genders have also often historically held unique positions in their societies, ranging from artists to religious figures.
Intrigued? Click through to learn more about these cultures, and burst the familiar binary bubble.