Term proposal: gender sodality
As is, we have terms like:
Intergender: when your gender is connected, linked, or influenced by being intersex
Neurogender: when your gender is connected, linked, or influenced by being neurodivergent
Somatogender: when your gender is connected, linked or influenced by having a somatic disability
Indigender: when your gender is connected, linked, or influenced to being part of an Indigenous culture
These aren't gender modalities. While sometimes they get used as gender identities, they often aren't: they're descriptors of the influence(s) on one's gender identity.
I'd like to propose that we call them gender sodalities. 🎉
The word "sodality" is used in theology and anthropology as a contrast to "modality". It comes from Latin sodalis ("companion") and is used to refer to non-kin groups organized a shared purpose or affiliation. I like it here because these gender terms indicate that one's gender is in conjunction with being part of a community.
Right now these gender terms tend to get grouped under exclusive genders, and they are exclusive, but I want a way to talk about the the influence descriptors that doesn't apply to the exclusive gender identities and/or exclusive gender modalities.
I considered calling them "gender influences" but that word pair gets used a lot to refer to things like how one's gender influences what occupation you pursue and stuff. Also: "gender identity", "gender modality", and "gender quality" all end in -ity and so I wanted to keep the trend going. @GoingRampant helped brainstorm ideas for terms with me and helped pick "sodality" out of the options.
Gender sodalities can be combined: for example, one who feels like their gender is a function of being both intersex and autistic could then say their gender sodality is interautigender.
I'm also going to coin two non-exclusive gender sodality terms:
1. Coenogender for when one has a sense of gender that feels connected, linked, or influenced by being part of the common hegemonic zeitgeist of Global North / Western society. Coeno- is used in scientific terminology to denote something is common or general. Does *not* mean the individual approves of Global North binarism! One can be influenced by something and also feel like it is a negative/restrictive influence! (Coeno- is usually pronounced /si:no/ in English, like see-no. It comes from Greek, and in Greek it's pronounced closer to kee-no. I personally consider both correct.)
2. Eigengender for when one has a sense of gender that feels inherent to one's self and unrelated to their intersex status, disability status, culture, etc. So one is not intergender, not neurogender, not somatogender, not indigender, nor coenogender. Eigen- in reference to the prefix used math: an eigenvector is one which is unchanged under transformation. It comes from German, meaning "one's own", characteristic of a given individual. Pronounced /ˈaɪ̯ɡən/ (like eye-gun - sound recording here)
Note: I am intergender, and do not identify as eigengender, though I do feel at least partly coenogender. Eigengender is coined in response to an anonymous ask for a term more general than extergender (not-intergender). Coenogender is coined as an option for those who feel none of the above and/or the "default" sodality.
Note for Americans: the spelling of coeno- with the o is intentional. This is because a different scientific prefix, caeno- (new/recent) gets Americanized as ceno- (e.g. Cenozoic). The two prefixes have different etymologies. It's standard to spell coeno- with the o to avoid confusion, including in the US.
Tagging for archival: @liom-archive @radiomogai @themogaidragon
