Genderpunk

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Genderfuck, also known as genderpunk, can describe a gender identity and/or gender expression where gendered expectations are deliberately played with to combine gender-specific signals.^[2]^[3] The act of engaging in this identity or expression is sometimes referred to as genderfucking.^[4]^[5] Individuals who genderfuck are sometimes referred to as genderfucks or genderfuckers.^[5]^[6]

Some genderfuck people transition socially, physically, and/or legally. Individual drag performers may or may not additionally identify as genderfucks.^[2] In the 2020 Gender Census, 42 people described their identity as "genderfuck", 11 described their identity as "genderfucked", and 3 described their identity as "genderfucker".^[6]

Common Definitions

“	Genderfuck is a form of gender expression that seeks to subvert the traditional gender binary or gender roles by mixing traditionally masculine (such as a beard) and traditionally feminine (such as a dress) components. It literally means to "fuck with" or mess with traditional notions of gender expression or gender roles. For some it is their gender identity, for others it is a label for a certain event's clothing or outfit. This may also extend to the belief that the social construct of gender does not exist.	”
–nonbinary.wiki, 10 April 2025^[7]

History

Genderfuck is a form of identity politics that stems from the political movement in the 1950s and 1960s, when "the personal is political" became popular.^[8]

The term genderfuck is also used for the name of a party event held regularly on the Swarthmore College campus. Similar to the term it was named for, the event has a focus on students wearing gender-bending outfits. It was originally just the after-party for the college's Sager Symposium, which was focused on LGBTQ issues. The event start sometime after 1988, and by 1995 it "became an event featuring gender-bending themes much looked forward to by students". It continues to be held on campus since then, and is seen as "one of Swarthmore’s strangest, most exciting traditions".^[9]

Genderfuck as a form of expression

Some binary identifying trans people or nonbinary people may choose to intentionally dress up in a genderfuck outfit for an event or photoshoot. This usually consists of using secondary sexual characteristics of different sexes such as a beard and breasts, or another expression of traditionally male and female identifiers together. This may be to intentionally confuse the audience and to set traditional gender roles and expression into question, leading to discussion under the umbrella of "what is masculine/feminine?" or similar discourse.^[1]^[10]

Genderfuck also seeks to break down the rigid binary space and create a new fluid space where people can express and qualities they want of themselves without being ridiculed for "not fitting in your box." More open room to express oneself however you find comfortable. This is also often used by Drag Queens and Drag Kings when performing as they do not use just feminine or masculine qualities in their outfits and intentionally dress up in a way that cannot be limited to feminine or masculine qualities.^[11]

Although this is often associated with queer identities, you do not have to be queer to want to or to participate in genderfucking.^[1]