Ay'lonit
Ay'lonit (איילונית) is a gender identity used in Jewish culture to describe those (who were assigned female at birth) who develop male characteristics later in their life. This was likely used to describe individuals with certain intersex conditions in which, upon puberty, one does not develop common female characteristics and is infertile. In modern terms this can be interpreted either as a transgender man, or an intersex individual. Some trans, non binary, or intersex Jewish people find that the term ay'lonit fits their experience.
History
UNDER CONSTRUCTION[1]
Terms
In Jewish sacred texts there are six different genders identified[2]. These are:
- "Zachar", This term is derived from the word for memory and refers to the belief that the man carried the name and identity of the family. It is usually translated as "male" in English.
- "Nekeivah", This term is derived from the word for a crevice and probably refers to a vaginal opening. It is usually translated as "female" in English
- "Ay'lonit", is a female who does not develop at puberty and is infertile.
- "Saris", is a male who does not develop at puberty and/or subsequently has their sexual organs removed. A saris can be “naturally” a saris (saris hamah), or become one through human intervention (saris adam).
- "Androgynos", someone who has both male and female sexual characteristics. This would refer to certain intersex conditions, but in terms of gender in the modern day it is closest to androgyne or bigender.
- "Tumtum" A person whose sexual characteristics are indeterminate or obscured.
Flag
The ay'lonit flag was designed by Tumblr user Bigfootrights on November 8, 2019[3]. The colors were chosen with homage to the daytime and dawn. The gradient reflects the spectrum of identities that people who may be an ay'lonit can possess.