Over the Thanksgiving break, I took a trip outside the United States to London, and while there I was alternately called "sister," "sir," "miss," and "mister" to name a few. In the space of one sentence, someone referred to me as "him," "her," and "they." While I generally consider myself a man, there is something rather delightful about walking that narrow and mystical tightrope between genders. It got me pondering what I actually like about it so much, and I came up with three answers.

First, being androgynous helps avoid assumptions. I had to pass through airport security on my trip, and was pulled aside to pass through the full-body x-ray. The officer manning the machine asked to see my passport before he could pick the appropriate setting (it varies based on biological sex, I've learned) in order to see what box I checked. The officer couldn't make an assumption about me based on sight alone. While this might seem impractical in a security setting, it comes in handy other times. I can be as masculine or as feminine as I choose to be at any given moment, and people can't box me in to one set of rules based on my appearance alone. I can be "one of the guys" on sports night, or talk nails with the doctor's secretary while I wait.

Second, and closely related, being androgynous means avoiding stereotypes. Because no one can box me up in a binary setting, I am not bound by the stereotypes that are the hallmarks of those settings. I can pick and choose the behaviors, fashions, and mannerisms from each that suit me as I please. Suits and nail polish, backwards ball caps and full makeup, men's jeans and high heels. Anything goes, and there's an incredible freedom of expression and boost of self-confidence that's gained when you can wear anything you like, and present any way you like.

Finally, and most importantly, being androgynous is downright fun. There's something nice about walking down the street and getting two "sirs" and a "miss." You're fluid, living in the gray area and mixing things up, and it's a fun concept to experiment with.

Many people I know believe that androgyny is somehow synonymous with non-binary, but it's really not. Androgyny is a grand experiment and a form of expression that is not limited to the LGBTQ+ community, but is entirely open to anyone. In fact, I would encourage it. Being androgynous comes with plenty of advantages, only a few of which I talked about here, but most importantly it's about freedom: the joys of being free to express yourself in ways you see fit, rather than in ways others tell you is fit.