Male or female; we've all had to fill out forms that have asked us this seemingly simple question. But the gender box is being broken and this question might not be so simple anymore, as half of millennials believe gender exists on a spectrum. This finding was reported by Fusion, as part of their results from the media companies annual Massive Millennial Poll, which surveys 1,000 young people ages 18-34 on various social and cultural issues.
Exactly 50 percent of those who were polled believe that gender isn't just limited to male or female, but they also analyzed the results according to education level, gender identity of the participants race, and political ideology. 57 percent of women compared to 44 percent of men said gender exists on a spectrum, African Americans were the most likely of any race to believe this, and interestingly those with the least amount of education were the most likely to have viewed gender this way.
While this concept might seem radical, there are actually many societies around the world that recognize more than two genders. For instance, India legally legitimizes three genders, as the country's Supreme Court says, "It is the right of every human being to choose their gender." While this is not yet an option in the states, more progressive policies on gender are starting to be implemented. In San Francisco and Oakland, you can get ID cards that do not have gender markers on them, which is a clever way to validate the existence of other genders besides male and female.
Universities have also made great strides in this area of policy, since many colleges across the US have gender-neutral restrooms, ID's and on-campus housing options. Gender-neutral housing is a fairly new practice, which doesn't give students room assignments that are at all based on gender. Forty universities in the United States have implemented this practice and the list is quickly growing and includes schools like Harvard, Oberlin, and Stanford.
Do you believe that there are more than two genders? If so, it seems that you're on the side that is quickly growing in numbers and support, so consider yourself to be in good company.
Images: Getty, Fusion/Twitter, Giphy
