Third gender was used from the late 19th century to describe people who did not fit into the then existing gender categories:
- female genitalia = female identity = female behavior = desire male partner
- male genitalia = male identity = male behavior = desires female partner
The third gender included (in modern terms):
- Intersexuals
- Gays and lesbians
- transgendered people
Non-Western cultures often had or have accepted gender roles for third-gendered people, for example the American Indian berdache and two-spirit people, or the Indian Hidschras (a.k.a. arivanna).