In 2022, Emily Skvarch introduced her trigender identity to the world, and she has since taken the time to clarify what this means for herself and others who identify similarly.
Emily, a well-known TikTok content creator, first came out as trigender to her followers in 2022, sparking discussions about lesser-known gender identities and shedding light on this unique experience.
However, this understanding of gender identity sharply contrasts with recent actions by former President Donald Trump, who signed a controversial executive order that recognizes only two genders—male and female. The executive order, titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, states: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two s#xes, male and female. These s#xes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
As a result of this policy, transgender women can no longer be housed in female prisons, and the option to mark gender as ‘X’ on U.S. passports for non-binary and inters#x individuals has been removed.
While these measures reinforce a binary view of gender, they haven’t deterred individuals like Emily from embracing their trigender identity. Policies may dictate official recognition, but they cannot change how people perceive or identify themselves.
Emily, who uses she, he, and they pronouns, recently revisited her trigender identity in a new TikTok video, prompted by the resurgence of her original 2022 video that reignited discussions online. In the updated clip, Emily addressed her followers, saying, “A little birdie told me that Facebook trumpets have come to my comment section yet again, all based on that same two-and-a-half-year-old video of me first coming out on the internet.”
To clarify for those unfamiliar with her initial announcement, Emily reintroduced herself and elaborated on her unique identity. “Hi, I’m Emily, and I go by any pronouns because I am trigender. Like a triangle, I am trigender: it means three,” she explained. “I am a man, a woman, and non-binary, all at once and all the time.”
Further expanding on her experience, Emily noted, “I suppose it’s similar to being gender fluid in that you feel a range of gender, but for me, I feel a significant portion of that range at all times rather than flowing through it like a gender fluid person would.”
According to health resource VeryWellMind, trigender is one of several identities where individuals relate to more than one gender. Other similar terms include bigender, pangender, and gender fluidity, though each has its own nuances.
Emily has also addressed the backlash she’s faced online, mentioning that some critics mockingly call her a “triangle.” However, she finds humor in the nickname, calling it “adorable.” She stated, “I kinda like who I am as a person,” and added, “So I am not planning on changing my triangleness anytime soon, and you will never be able to take that away from me.”
Since sharing her explanation, Emily has received an outpouring of support for her openness and for confronting negativity. One fan commented, “Your trigender video made me really think about my own gender identity. So thank you for that!” Another person remarked, “I don’t understand why people care so much about how others live their lives. Why not focus on promoting happiness instead of conformity?” Meanwhile, someone else encouraged Emily, writing, “Never change! You’re amazing!”