Demiguy, also called a demiboy, demiman or demimale person, refers to someone whose gender is only partly male, regardless of their assigned gender at birth. It may also refer to an individual who was assigned male at birth, but does not wholly identify with this gender. While a demiguy may identify partially as a boy or man, the label suggests they do not subscribe to the gender binary. Because a demiguy sees themselves as only part boy or man, the other part could be girl or woman, or even something that falls under the non-binary umbrella, such as agender or genderqueer.
The term demiguy is believed to have emerged along with demigirl in 2010; it was added to the Gender Definitions Masterlist maintained by the Asexuality Visibility & Education Network (AVEN) on December 12, 2010. By 2014, "demi" as a gender prefix had become relatively common.
A few Pride flags have been proposed to recognize demiguy as a gender identity. Although no official flag exists, most include blue and gray or blue and white strips.
More About Demiguy
For some people, the binary gender identity fails to allow them to fully express themselves, whether that's in their physical appearance, their behavior or both. For example, a demiguy might wear clothes we'd typically consider masculine, but may also wish to wear nail polish and makeup, or to comport themselves in a way that we typically associate with being female. Gender, like sexuality, exists on a spectrum. This leaves room for lots of diversity between the binary poles of "man" and "woman" or "boy" and "girl."
For some demiguys, the identity can also be a way to let go of some aspects of masculinity they find to be distasteful or even toxic. Rather than redefining masculinity, they may choose to embrace an identity with less baggage. Identifying as a demiguy, demiboy or demiman, therefore, allows people to identify with the parts of masculinity that are a fit for them. Alternatively, it can allow a person who may not identify strongly as male, or who is uncomfortable with how society defines what it means to be male, to accept masculinity as a part of themselves.
As an identity, demiguy differs from genderfluid, in which a person's gender identity may shift over time. It is also distinct from bigender, which is when a person identifies as both male and female at the same time. Unlike people who identify as transgender, a demiguy may be assigned male at birth and still identify, in part, as male. A transgender person does not identify with their assigned gender at birth. However, it is important to note that gender identity is something that a person chooses for themselves. People tend to choose the term that best connects with their own experience. Because personal experience is unique and diverse, the way each individual defines and explains a gender identity may vary.
