What Can We Learn About Gender Diversity From Other Parts Of The World?

This piece argues that understanding third-gender traditions around the world can offer valuable insights for improving sexual health, especially in the context of HIV and STI prevention among marginalized populations. Many cultures recognize gender categories beyond the man–woman binary, creating social spaces that can buffer stigma and promote well-being. Ethnographic work in Myanmar shows that gender-nonconforming spirit mediums gain social respect and economic opportunity through religious roles, softening the effects of homophobia and transphobia and even enabling cis-heterosexual men to have sex with gender-diverse partners without stigma. In French Polynesia, long-standing recognition of māhū and raerae identities creates a cultural environment where gender diversity and sexual fluidity are more socially integrated, while Zapotec communities in Oaxaca include the Muxe identity—though acceptance varies. These examples illustrate how cultural frameworks that legitimize gender diversity can reduce minority stress, foster belonging, and support healthier sexual outcomes. At the same time, the piece cautions against romanticizing these societies, noting that discrimination, violence, and inequality persist, even where third-gender categories are recognized.