androgyny

androgyny is the physical and/or psychological state of being neither clearly male nor clearly female. it can also be used to describe some atypical combination of male and female characteristics. if a genetic male is androgynous he will seem to possess more typically female traits, and a genetic female more typically male traits. this can be unintentional, however, such as a boy or girl who simply has a naturally androgynous appearance, or as a result of an intersexed condition. it is more typically a conscious decision, though, either as part of a subcultural fashion, or, for those who do not identify with any specific gender, in order to align the mind with their physical appearance. a lot of bisexual and pansexual people cultivate an androgynous appearance in order to be sexually attractive to people of any gender or sexuality. in regards to fashion, androgyny seems to be growing in popularity amongst the younger generations, especially prevalent within the goth and alternative scenes, where effeminate androgynous males are common. this is a direct response to the masculine alpha male stereotype which is strongly rejected by a large section of the goth/alternative crowd.