What It Means to Identify as a Demigirl & How to Tell If You Are One

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A comprehensive breakdown of the demigirl identity & its significance
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Are you wondering what the term “demigirl” means in terms of gender identity, or if there’s a chance it could apply to you? You’ve come to the right place. Demigirl is a term for someone who only partially identifies as a woman; they may also partly identify with another gender (or multiple genders). In this article, we’ll give you a complete overview of what demigirl means and how to tell if you might be demigirl, with expert input from Dr. Inge Hansen, PsyD, the Director of Well-Being at Stanford University and the Weiland Health Initiative.

Demigirl Quick Definition

Demigirl is a demigender identity. It refers to someone who partly (but not wholly) identifies as a woman. A demigirl can identify as partly a woman and partly any other gender or combination of genders. Alternate terms for demigirl include demiwoman, demifemale, and demilady.

Section 1 of 9:

Demigirl Meaning

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  1. Demigirl is considered a nonbinary gender, or demigender. Demigirls identify partly as women or with feminine characteristics but not entirely; they also feel partly outside the gender binary. The other part of a demigirl’s gender can be any gender, a combination of genders, or even a lack of gender (agender). [1]
    • For example, a demigirl might feel like they’re partially a woman, but also partially nonbinary.
    • “Demigirl” is the main term, but demiwoman, demifemale, and demilady are alternate names for this gender identity. Someone who identifies as a demigirl might use any of those terms (or all of them).
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Section 2 of 9:

History of the Demigirl Identity

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  1. In 2010, user bristrek87 asked about the term “demigirl” on the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network. Another user, Am I Human, stated that the people who wrote wiki entries on demigenders had come up with the term, although that can’t be verified. [2] Later, in December 2010, “demigirl” and “demiboy” were added to the AVEN Gender Definitions Masterlist. [3]
    • The original definition for demigirl was someone assigned female at birth (AFAB) who slightly associated with womanhood, or a nonbinary person assigned male at birth (AMAB) who feels associated with femininity.
    • Then, by October 2011, demigirl and demiguy has been added to the Genderqueerid blog’s Genderqueer Identities & Terminology page. [4]
  2. In early 2014, “demi-” was a common prefix for terms related to gender and sexuality—and between demigirl’s origin and 2014, the term’s definition shifted to someone who simply identifies partially as a woman or girl. [5] In October 2014, Cari-Rez-Lobo created a symbol for the demigirl identity, and by 2015, the main demigirl flag was also created. [6]
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Section 3 of 9:

Demigirl vs Demiboy

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  1. Demiboy is essentially the male counterpart to demigirl. Someone who partially identifies as male might use demiboy, while someone who partially identifies as a woman might use demigirl. Demigirl and demiboy are just two out of several demigenders, or partial gender identifications, under the nonbinary umbrella. [7]
    • Because nonbinary refers to someone whose gender identity doesn’t fall within the male-to-female gender binary, a demigirl or demiboy might also consider themselves nonbinary.
    • However, both terms are distinct from “demisexual,” which refers to someone who only feels sexual attraction after making an emotional connection with a partner.
    • Demisexual is a sexual orientation, while demigirl (and demiboy) are gender identities. While they all use “demi” as a prefix, they’re still very different things!
Section 4 of 9:

Demigirl vs Genderfluid

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  1. So, a genderfluid person might partially associate with femininity as a demigirl sometimes, but they might not always feel that way. A genderfluid woman might feel like a male one day, nonbinary the next, and female the week after. Thus, being genderfluid is different from being a demigirl—although the two aren’t mutually exclusive. [8]
    • According to Dr. Hansen, a person may shift from a binary to a non-binary identity or vice versa; this is a reflection of gender’s ability to be fluid.
    • Someone who is transgender (meaning their gender identity doesn’t correspond to their gender assigned at birth) could identify as a demigirl—but they could also identify with any other gender identity instead.
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Section 5 of 9:

Who can use the demigirl label?

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  1. Although demigirl’s original definition referred specifically to people assigned female at birth, the current definition of demigirl isn’t restricted by anyone’s assigned gender or the pronouns they use. Demigirls may use she/her pronouns, or they may prefer they/them (or different pronouns) instead. [9]
    • Because gender identity is such a personal thing, nobody can tell you that you’re a demigirl except you!
    • You might use the term as a self-identifier or as a way to talk about LGBTQ+ gender identity.
Section 6 of 9:

Demigirl Flag & Color Meanings

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  1. There are 7 horizontal stripes total; the four outermost stripes are darker gray and lighter gray, representing uncertainty with one gender identity or a partial connection to womanhood. The two stripes bordering the innermost stripe are pink, representing femininity, and the innermost white stripe represents agender or nonbinary identities. [10]
    • There are multiple alternate versions of the demigirl flag, including:
      • Two created by an unknown Tumblr user and Tumblr user transrants, respectively, in August 2015
      • One made by a DeviantArtist in 2016 [11]
      • Another made by lesbian_ocean in 2020 [12]
      • Two made in 2021 by Transfeminine and azeythegoat [13]
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Section 7 of 9:

How to Tell if You’re a Demigirl

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  1. Take some time to think about how you feel and how you see yourself. [14] Do you feel wholly like a woman, or do you ever experience any disconnect with the traditional gender roles associated with womanhood? If you feel uncomfortable when people expect you to act in a way typically associated with femininity, you could be a demigirl.
    • Similarly, you might be a demigirl if you sometimes exhibit or experience feminine traits but other times gravitate more toward nonbinary or gender-neutral traits.
    • You may even experience gender dysphoria (discomfort with your assigned sex) at times if you only feel partially feminine.
    • According to Dr. Hansen, if you notice persistent discomfort with multiple aspects of your assigned gender (not limited to aspects that are due to sexism or limited gender roles within a given culture of community), you may be experiencing gender dysphoria.
  2. If you’re a demigirl, you may experience a shift in your gender identity over time. For example, you might feel more connected to your womanhood around certain people or contexts but identify more closely with being non-binary in other situations or around different people. [15]
  3. Since demigirls only identify partially as women, they don’t always use she/her pronouns. [16] If you feel like you might prefer they/them pronouns (or different gender-neutral pronouns), or you want to use both she/her and they/them pronouns to reflect your partial association with femininity, you might be a demigirl.
    • Sometimes, figuring out the right label to self-identify with is as simple as following your instincts.
    • Did you feel a sense of relief or belonging when learning about the term “demigirl”? It might be an internal signal that you’ve found a label that works for you!
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Section 8 of 9:

Related Terms

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  1. If you find the term demigirl intriguing, but it doesn’t quite feel like it matches who you are, one of the terms below might be a better fit! There are actually a couple of terms that fall under the demigirl umbrella and related gender identities that can apply to people outside the traditional binary, including: [17]
    • Demifemme: This is a subset of demigirl referring to someone who feels partially feminine but isn’t comfortable with gendered terms like female, woman, or girl in their label.
    • Paragirl: This is another subset of demigirl referring to someone whose feminine identity makes up 50% to 99% of their gender, with the rest being any other gender (or combination of genders).
    • Librafeminine: This is another subset of demigirl referring to someone who is mostly agender, but experiences a slight attachment to femininity.
    • Agender: Agender is a term for someone who lacks a connection to any gender or has very little experience with gender.
    • Genderqueer: This is an umbrella term for anyone who has a queer or nontraditional experience with gender outside the binary, encompassing identities from nonbinary and transgender to agender, genderfluid, and of course, demigirl or demiboy.
    • Xenogender: Xenogender refers to someone whose gender goes beyond the human understanding of gender.
Section 9 of 9:

How to Support People Who Identify as Demigirl

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  1. The most important thing you can do to make someone feel safe and loved is simply tell them that you accept them for who they are—and support them 100%! Ask them what, if anything, they need from you going forward, and be sure to acknowledge the strength it took them to come out to you in the first place. [18]
    • If you have a child who identifies as demigirl (or another genderqueer identity), Dr. Hansen says the best thing you can do is to listen to and believe your child.
    • Dr. Hansen notes that they may or may not be ready for (or interested in) any type of medical transition, so it’s okay to go slow and take things step by step!
    • Acceptance also builds more trust and stronger relationships; the more you show up for them and make it clear that you support your demigirl friend or partner no matter what, the more solid your relationship will be.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.transyouthequality.org/glossary
      2. ↑ https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/52633-transwhatevers-of-aven/page/728/?tab=comments#comment-1733093
      3. ↑ https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/159465-gender-definitions-masterlist-forum-ettiquette-and-faq/
      4. ↑ https://genderqueerid.com/gq-terms
      5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20111014042115/http://genderqueerid.com:80/gq-terms
      6. ↑ https://www.deviantart.com/cari-rez-lobo/art/Gender-Symbols-486052086
      7. ↑ https://www.transyouthequality.org/glossary
      8. ↑ https://www.thecenterbak.org/blog/identity-vocabulary-nonbinary-edition
      9. ↑ https://www.thecenterbak.org/blog/identity-vocabulary-nonbinary-edition
      1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220127042747/https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Demigirl-1-543925418?q=sort%3Atime%20((demigender)%20AND%20(by%3APride-Flags))&qo=51
      2. ↑ https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Demigirl-7-620630891
      3. ↑ https://x.com/lesbian_ocean/status/1268629104422719489?lang=en
      4. ↑ https://www.deviantart.com/transfeminine/art/Demiwoman-Flag-Redesign-867034900
      5. ↑ https://genderqueerid.com/gq-faq#0000C
      6. ↑ https://genderqueerid.com/gq-faq#0000C
      7. ↑ https://genderqueerid.com/gq-faq#0000C
      8. ↑ https://www.transyouthequality.org/glossary
      9. ↑ https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/a-guide-to-being-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/

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