Changelings are a non-binary society

[Ittoni 538]

I'm really not sure about this one but i kinda want to believe that since changelings have always look kinda similar in terms of physical appearance, have always had one single purpose as a swarm, they have no real social gender differences or roles, even post reformation they are all different but sex difference wasn't part of that equation, then they might be a non-binary society. 

What i mean is that gender with them (maybe even sex) is not as well defined and the vast majority of them do follow this vagueness in every sense (voice, height, color (though in the latest episodes they kinda want to make them be differentiated by blue and pink to imply gender, which.. is kinda not cool but whatever)) you can't say that horn differences or neck crystals are the defining characteristics for identifying their sex when you suddenly get contradicted by the show and have to start over. That doesn't mean that all of them follow this rule though since there are some characters that are a bit more clear on what gender/sex they are like Pharynx, Thorax, Ocellus and Chryssi of course. but as a whole theres far more that could be anything or nothing at all (sexless). And well, we have the whole color identity issues scene, and Ocellus identity issues too when she wanted advice from Starlight. So i will assume that Ocellus is having this thing because she is spending more time in a binary based society and kinda wants to find herself on it.

and well, they are insects too, so wouldn't you know that bees can change their sex according to what's needed. Of course this is when they are developing but changelings could have that later in their lives if needed to perform a certain task that involves their sex change or gender change.

It's cool. I want to believe that. 

but what do you think?

 

also, now that i think about it, if they had any gender or sexual taboos it would be counter productive to their deceptive abilities. 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Ittoni

[Latecomer 441]

6 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

I'm really not sure about this one but i kinda want to believe that since changelings have always look kinda similar in terms of physical appearance, have always had one single purpose as a swarm, they have no real social gender differences or roles, even post reformation they are all different but sex difference wasn't part of that equation, then they might be a non-binary society. 

What i mean is that gender with them (maybe even sex) is not as well defined and the vast majority of them do follow this vagueness in every sense (voice, height, color (though in the latest episodes they kinda want to make them be differentiated by blue and pink to imply gender, which.. is kinda not cool but whatever)) you can't say that horn differences or neck crystals are the defining characteristics for identifying their sex when you suddenly get contradicted by the show and have to start over. That doesn't mean that all of them follow this rule though since there are some characters that are a bit more clear on what gender/sex they are like Pharynx, Thorax, Ocellus and Chryssi of course. but as a whole theres far more that could be anything or nothing at all (sexless). And well, we have the whole color identity issues scene, and Ocellus identity issues too when she wanted advice from Starlight. So i will assume that Ocellus is having this thing because she is spending more time in a binary based society and kinda wants to find herself on it.

It's cool. I want to believe that. 

but what do you think?

Hmm... it's certainly possible. The ones we've seen have generally had gendered identities, but they're pretenders by nature - just because they seem like something doesn't mean they are. (I think genderfluid might fit more than non-binary, but it could vary.)

[Jeric 46,880]

There is design ambiguity with unnamed Changelings, but if you account for bug biology and the fact that all the named characters have gender and sex, it’s a slight stretch to suggest that they are genderless. They are also adopting familial patterns seen in other Equestrian cultures so I guess it is still somewhat up to the audience to interpret. 

[Will Guide 21,371]

I know my post here talks more about sexuality than Changelings being a non-binary society but, I made my OC Changeling Will Guide Gay so that it would allow reason for him to seek out love, sexually or romantically, from those who are makes. Still having the ability to shapeshift into almost anything is a cool power. So I can adapt to any story possibility.

[Ittoni 538]

58 minutes ago, Jer said:

There is design ambiguity with unnamed Changelings, but if you account for bug biology and the fact that all the named characters have gender and sex, it’s a slight stretch to suggest that they are genderless. They are also adopting familial patterns seen in other Equestrian cultures so I guess it is still somewhat up to the audience to interpret. 

according to the wiki save very few ones like the ones i've mentioned, but the other ones were decided by the wiki users. and yeah, i suppose

Edited October 6, 2019 by Ittoni

[cuteycindyhoney 13,335]

They aren't Earthly life forms. I don't think you can take them being genderless as canon to the show. We have seen male and female reformed Changelings, after all.

[Latecomer 441]

3 minutes ago, cuteycindyhoney said:

They aren't Earthly life forms. I don't think you can take them being genderless as canon to the show. We have seen male and female reformed Changelings, after all.

Male and female presenting ones. But that's not always clear even in races that aren't born pretenders.

[Xe__or 4,378]

Why would we care anyway to be honest?

Edited October 6, 2019 by Xeltor

[cuteycindyhoney 13,335]

1 minute ago, Latecomer said:

Male and female presenting ones. But that's not always clear even in races that aren't born pretenders.

I think you're stretching a bit here.

[Latecomer 441]

Just now, cuteycindyhoney said:

I think you're stretching a bit here.

Well, it's not my theory. Just saying we don't know enough about changelings to refute it, save in the "no way the writers intended that" sense.

[Misty Shadow 8,197]

They separate the rulers of their society by gender with words like "queen" and "king". Pretty sure it's safe to say that the male and female Changelings we've seen genuinely are male and female. 

[Ittoni 538]

3 minutes ago, CloudMistDragon said:

They separate the rulers of their society by gender with words like "queen" and "king". Pretty sure it's safe to say that the male and female Changelings we've seen genuinely are male and female. 

Ehhhh so does bees. The highest positions like Queen, guards and nurses are gendered or sexed but all others are gender-dormant.

[Limestone-Pie 188]

I wouldn't say Changelings are genderless, they do have very defined genders for themselves and they generally seem only able to transform into ponies of the same gender as themselves unless perhaps I am misremembering that. Regardless I'd just say that Changelings don't have any high degree of sexual dimorphism which allows us to easy distinguish them as we might ponies or birds based on their physique or color. 

[Latecomer 441]

Just now, Limestone-Pie said:

I wouldn't say Changelings are genderless, they do have very defined genders for themselves and they generally seem only able to transform into ponies of the same gender as themselves unless perhaps I am misremembering that. Regardless I'd just say that Changelings don't have any high degree of sexual dimorphism which allows us to easy distinguish them as we might ponies or birds based on their physique or color. 

I don't think they have any gender-bsed limitations on transformation. (The writers may prefer not to show them "crossdressing" though.)

[ggg-2 3,555]

The changelings aren't genderless because being genderless is a biological impossibility whether you're human, equine, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, yak or changeling.

[Latecomer 441]

6 minutes ago, ggg-2 said:

The changelings aren't genderless because being genderless is a biological impossibility whether you're human, equine, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, yak or changeling.

Huh? For starters, gender is a social construct, so biology has nothing to do with it. And second, there are many creatures who aren't divided into male and female in a conventional sense.

[Here No Longer 5,286]

I honestly do not really care enough to invest into figuring out whether that's the case or not, and frankly it isn't for us to say.

[Ittoni 538]

22 minutes ago, ggg-2 said:

The changelings aren't genderless because being genderless is a biological impossibility whether you're human, equine, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, yak or changeling.

I think you ment to say sexless instead if genderless, and by that definition I agree with you because reproduction would be not impossible in the land of magic but improbable. 

36 minutes ago, Limestone-Pie said:

I wouldn't say Changelings are genderless, they do have very defined genders for themselves and they generally seem only able to transform into ponies of the same gender as themselves unless perhaps I am misremembering that. Regardless I'd just say that Changelings don't have any high degree of sexual dimorphism which allows us to easy distinguish them as we might ponies or birds based on their physique or color. 

Throax has transformed into Starlight for To Where and Back Again, and Twilight too.

In Twilight's fantasy, another changeling transformed into Starlight too to cause trouble. 

[Jeric 46,880]

58 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

Ehhhh so does bees. The highest positions like Queen, guards and nurses are gendered or sexed but all others are gender-dormant.

All Bees have sexual differentiation. Unfertilized are male. Anyway haplodiploid-sex-determination and Fibonacci isn’t the same as gender. 
 

 

[Ittoni 538]

19 minutes ago, Spider Demon said:

I honestly do not really care enough to invest into figuring out whether that's the case or not, and frankly it isn't for us to say.

Why did you felt the need to make me know about it then?

[Jeric 46,880]

4 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

Throax has transformed into Starlight for To Where and Back Again, and Twilight too.

In Twilight's fantasy, another changeling transformed into Starlight too to cause trouble. 

That’s also not exactly a gender on several fronts. Playing a different gender absolutely which makes Changelings a very interesting species, and probably hyper empathic in some way to be able to mimic personality so well. 

2 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

Why did you felt the need to make me know about it then?

It’s called a conversation relax

32 minutes ago, ggg-2 said:

The changelings aren't genderless because being genderless is a biological impossibility whether you're human, equine, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, yak or changeling.

No. There are several asexual animal species. Some are obviously extinct because sexual reproduction is actually a phenomenal way to ensure the best genome survives. That said ... stick bug bro. Stick bug. 

[Jeric 46,880]

So huh. There is an insect that is biologically asexual. So add a lack of genderless social construct and whatever mechanism in the brain that triggers the traditional connection, but then toss in ability to strongly mimic gender .... it’s certainly plausible. 

[Ittoni 538]

6 minutes ago, Jer said:

That’s also not exactly a gender on several fronts. Playing a different gender absolutely which makes Changelings a very interesting species, and probably hyper empathic in some way to be able to mimic personality so well. 

It’s called a conversation relax

No. There are several asexual animal species. Some are obviously extinct because sexual reproduction is actually a phenomenal way to ensure the best genome survives. That said ... stick bug bro. Stick bug. 

Thanks, jer. I appreciate it.

[Jeric 46,880]

2 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

Thanks, jer. I appreciate it.

[Ittoni 538]

1 hour ago, ggg-2 said:

The changelings aren't genderless because being genderless is a biological impossibility whether you're human, equine, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, yak or changeling.

you know. that really hurt me for some reason. congratulations.

still, it doesn't change what i think.