Quoigender

Quoigender is a non-binary gender identity or self-description for people who find the concept of gender difficult to relate to or who cannot meaningfully place their own gender within existing categories. The element “quoi” comes from French and means “what.” The term can express that the question of one’s own gender feels unclear, hard to understand, unsuitable, or not meaningfully answerable.

People may describe themselves as quoigender if they do not identify with existing gender labels, have a complicated or contradictory relationship with gender, feel frustrated by the concept of gender, or do not wish to engage with it in detail. Some also use the term when they do not yet know what their gender is, or when common distinctions between male, female, non-binary, agender, or other categories do not feel helpful.

Quoigender is not a diagnosis and does not describe a lack of identity, but rather a personal way of naming one’s relationship to gender. For some people, the term remains fitting over time; for others, it may be a transitional or exploratory label. Respectful interaction means taking a person’s self-description, name, and pronouns seriously without pressuring them to give a more precise explanation or choose a “clearer” label.