Demiboy

A demiboy is a gender identity described as partially, but not wholly, a boy or man. The term is used within nonbinary and gender-queer communities to express a partial alignment with male gender while not identifying fully as male. The prefix demi- means half or partial, signaling that the feeling of being male is incomplete or situational for the person.

Demiboy is about self-perception rather than any fixed attributes such as biology or appearance. It does not dictate a specific set of pronouns, and individuals may use he/him, they/them, or a mix of pronouns. Pronoun choices, like all aspects of gender, are decided by the person describing their own identity. Some demiboys may also use additional identities, or consider themselves part of a broader demigender or nonbinary spectrum.

The term is distinct from being a binary transgender man, but it is possible for a person to identify as both a demiboy and a trans man or to move between identities over time. In practice, demiboy describes a personal sense of partial male identity rather than a fixed category of experience.

Origin and usage: the term emerged in online LGBTQ+ communities during the 2010s as part of the broader family of demigenders. It remains a voluntary self-designation that may carry different nuances for different people. As with all gender identities, respect for how someone self-identifies and which pronouns they prefer is essential.