@cassolotl then how do we appease the human desire to categorize things and base expectations on archetypes? What are the new archetypes? (I can't argue for getting rid of them altogether, because that would be really confusing.)
The webcomic Leif and Thorn has a spectrum of masculine to feminine, with like five major presentation aesthetics. Maybe that's a useful basis?
http://leifandthorn.com/comic/thorn-explains-gender-and-clothing/
@DialMforMara @cassolotl@dev.glitch.social my shape-shifty dragon species has seven genders: male, female, agender, undecided, transitioning, child, and unknown/undeclared. "unknown/undeclared" is usually reserved for other species, or situations where there's no "signals" to decode which of their species-gender a person is. "transitioning" is specific to shapeshifters, and has to do with magical mechanics of reproduction.
@green @cassolotl At what point is an individual expected to stop being the child gender and start being one of the others?
@DialMforMara @cassolotl@dev.glitch.social given that they're shapeshifters, they can change genders at whim and will. some "settle" on one configuration and keep it most or all of their lives, but most go through "phases" of trying various ones out. technically, an adult non-breeding member of this species has four genders to choose from--male, female, agender, and undecided.
@DialMforMara @cassolotl@dev.glitch.social ooooh! I haven't read much of the Chanur series, but I like this very much, yes. :D
@green @cassolotl I was really into them in high school, and I should read them again. Not sure whether my copies are with my parents or my partner; maybe I'll just get them from the library
@green @cassolotl This actually reminds me of a species in C. J. Cherryh's Chanur series, who have three adult sex/genders, a child gender, and a rare "elder" gender. Adults can transition between the three major genders in moments of extreme stress, and it's usually accompanied by physical changes.
Also, as I noted in my blog post yesterday, they have a taboo against referring to previous identities, and that's how I learned about deadnaming.