Agender

Q: Does agender differ from a cisgender person who experiences no identity?

That is an open question. Supporters see agender as an identity; critics point out that there is no measurable marker that distinguishes agender from cisgender. See self-report as a source.

Q: Is agender a diagnosis, or does it appear in the DSM, ICD or WPATH SOC8?

Agender is not a diagnosis. The DSM-5-TR has the diagnosis gender dysphoria and the ICD-11 gender incongruence. WPATH SOC8 does name agender as an example of a non-binary identity.

Q: What is the philosophical impact?

Critics say that self-identifying as agender undermines the claim that gender identity is universal or innate. Supporters point out that 'no gender identity' is also a way of describing one's gender.

"Agender" is a label for people who say they have no gender identity. Critics argue that the label undermines the claim that everyone has a gender identity; supporters see agender as an identity in its own right.

Definition according to proponents

An identity in which someone states they have no gender identity, no sense of gender, or no gender self-image. WPATH SOC8 counts agender among the non-binary identities: people who have no gender identity or a neutral gender identity (source). Not the same as gender non-conforming presentation, where someone does have a gender but deviates from conventional expression.

Criticism: self-destruction of the construct

If some people have no gender identity, then gender identity is not universal. If they lack it and yet function normally, then it is not a necessary psychological structure either. According to critics, both implications are problematic for the claim that everyone has a gender identity, a claim on which policy and medical protocols partly rest.

Supporters resolve this by saying: "agender is also an identity". Critics reply that "identity" then becomes so broad that it no longer excludes anything: see unfalsifiability and circular reasoning. There is no measurable marker that distinguishes agender from cisgender; only self-reporting.

What the sources say about treatment

The Cass Review recommends 'extreme caution' with masculinising and feminising hormones from age 16, with a clear clinical reason not to wait until 18 (recommendation 8) (source), and in its foreword calls the field 'an area of remarkably weak evidence' (source). SBU (2022) found the evidence insufficient to assess the effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones (source); the NICE reviews (2020) rated all outcomes as very low certainty (source). These sources concern young people with gender dysphoria in general; they do not mention agender separately. See also detransition research.

Related identities

Genderless — synonym.
Neutrois — related but body-oriented.
Non-binary — umbrella.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does agender differ from a cisgender person who experiences no identity?

Is agender a diagnosis, or does it appear in the DSM, ICD or WPATH SOC8?

What is the philosophical impact?

Sources

Coleman, E. et al. (2022). Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8. International Journal of Transgender Health. PMC
Cass, H. (2024). Independent Review — Final Report.
SBU (2022). Hormone treatment of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria, report 342.
NICE (2020). Evidence review: GnRH analogues for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria.