Gender Euphoria
Gender Euphoria, sometimes referred to as just euphoria, is a term that describes a feeling of joy, comfort, satisfaction, or relief when being perceived as one's own gender identity, or when practicing gender-affirming actions.[1][2][3] The term euphoria means "an excited state of joy; a feeling of intense happiness".[4]
Transgender individuals may experience gender euphoria when they are passing as their gender identity.[5] Not every transgender experiences gender dysphoria, but many do experience gender euphoria. Gender euphoria is not exclusive to transgender individuals, as cisgender individuals may also experience the phenomenon when being perceived as their gender identity.[1] Some individuals experience gender euphoria when being perceived neutrally, or without the regarding of gender. For example, one may feel euphoria when being seen as a person, rather than a woman or a man.[5]
Types of Euphoria
Body Euphoria
Body euphoria is a type of gender euphoria that specifically relates to one's own physical body, especially towards their own sex characteristics. Many individuals with body euphoria tend to either contemplate or pursue sex reassignment procedures. This may appear in the form of liking or feeling comforted by having female breasts, or when binding one's own chest in order to appear as a typical male chest. Individuals may also use body prosthetics (such as penis prosthetics) to feel body euphoria.[1]
Social Euphoria
Social euphoria is a type of gender euphoria that specifically relates to one's socially perceived gender. This may include experiencing joy of comfort when:
- being referred to by a particular gendered noun such as a man, or woman, or a non-gendered noun such as an individual;
- being described using certain language (such as feminine term: pretty, masculine term: handsome, or neutral term: attractive);
- being referred to by one's correct set of pronouns;
- being referred to by one's chosen or preferred name(s);
- being referred to by one's correct honorifics (sir, miss, mx, etc.);
- being treated by others as one's own gender, particularly in traditional cultural manners (such as being invited to play sports, an activity traditionally expected of a man);
- being compared to others of the same gender;
- being welcomed to participate in certain gendered groups, communities, or spaces;
- experiencing correct assumptions by others about one's own gender role in society.[1][5]
Mind Euphoria
Mind euphoria is a type of gender euphoria that specifically relates to one's own internal perception of gender. This may include feeling joy or comfort when experiencing emotions or personality traits that typically align with one's gender role, partaking in tasks or activities traditionally assigned with one's gender, or when acknowledging or accepting one's own gender.[5]
History
Gender euphoria as a concept is known within social and community circles more than clinical and medical areas. The term has been used in LGBT communities since as early as 1976, but has became more popular during and after the year 2018.[5][2]
Related Terms
| Label | Relationship | Description | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender Envy | Counterpart | A feeling of envy towards an individual's gender presentation. | Gender euphoria is not inherently an envy of others' experiences, and may be experienced on an individualistic and personal basis. |
| Gender Dysphoria | Opposite | The discomfort or distress experienced when one does not present or is not perceived as one's own gender identity. | Gender euphoria is based on joy and comfort, not distress. |
| Paraphoria | Counterpart | The state of being between or beyond dysphoria and euphoria. | One may not experience any euphoria or may have a complicated relationship with euphoria. |
| Quoiphoric | Counterpart | One who is unaware of their experiences of gender or sex sonance. | One is who quoiphoric may not know if they experience euphoria. |
Flag
The gender euphoric flag was coined by Tumblr user arco-pluris on the 20th of May, 2018. "The colors is meant to represent dysphoric and euphoric people regardless if they are cis or transgender, unleashed from what the manicomial medicalism says".[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hodshire, Soren. "Your Guide to Understanding Gender Euphoria". Healthline, Medically reviewed by E. Mimi Arquilla, DO, 13 Mar, 2023, https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/gender-euphoria#definition.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Beischel WJ, Gauvin SEM, van Anders SM. "“A little shiny gender breakthrough”: Community understandings of gender euphoria". National Library of Medicine, 3 May, 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9255216/.
- ↑ Bird, Liz. "Gender Dysphoria vs Gender Euphoria". Ramona Magazine, https://ramonamag.com/2023/05/gender-dysphoria-vs-gender-euphoria/.
- ↑ "euphoria". Wiktionary, Wiktionary contributors, 2 Sep, 2024, https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=euphoria.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Affirming Actions and Gender Euphoria Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young People". The Trevor Project, 15 Nov, 2023, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/affirming-actions-and-gender-euphoria-among-transgender-and-nonbinary-young-people/#:~:text=Gender%20euphoria%20is%20defined%20as,they%20were%20assigned%20at%20birth..
- ↑ Arco-pluris. Tumblr, 20 May. 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20221230045044/https://arco-pluris.tumblr.com/post/174068465867/would-u-consider-making-a-gender-dysphoria-and. Archived on 30 Dec. 2022..
