This is Donna, the gender nonconforming Chimpanzee. Please say hello & compliment them in the comments
World renowned primatologist Frans De Waal, who has observed apes for over 5 decades, discusses gender diversity in primates in his 2022 book titled "Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist"
Chimpanzee society has certain gendered behavioral patterns for males and females. Donna was a natal female who, since a young age, adopted the societal role of the natal male while rejecting the roles of their birth sex.
Donna would wrestle with males, engage in male hunting patterns, walk with a wide-legged swagger, and participate in other male typical social activities such as puffing up hair, hooting, and running around during status displays. They would not engage in typically female roles such as maternal care or associating closely with infants. Donna was asexual with zero interest in mating with males or females.
In his talk at Pioneer Works, De Waal estimates that around 5-10% of apes exhibit gender diverse behavior like Donna. (https://youtu.be/_oZ2fYnFYmw At around 10:00) He also says "Of course I cannot ask her about her identity, but I would say she was probably trans."
Unlike in many human societies, gender non-conforming primates are fully accepted by their communities.
Sources & more information: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/natured-nurture/202208/what-primates-can-teach-us-about-gender
https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/frans-de-waal-isabella-rosselini-apes-gender
De Waal, F. B. M. (2022) "Different: Gender through the eyes of a primatologist."
Photo Credits: Victoria Horner
World renowned primatologist Frans De Waal, who has observed apes for over 5 decades, discusses gender diversity in primates in his 2022 book titled "Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist"
Chimpanzee society has certain gendered behavioral patterns for males and females. Donna was a natal female who, since a young age, adopted the societal role of the natal male while rejecting the roles of their birth sex.
Donna would wrestle with males, engage in male hunting patterns, walk with a wide-legged swagger, and participate in other male typical social activities such as puffing up hair, hooting, and running around during status displays. They would not engage in typically female roles such as maternal care or associating closely with infants. Donna was asexual with zero interest in mating with males or females.
In his talk at Pioneer Works, De Waal estimates that around 5-10% of apes exhibit gender diverse behavior like Donna. (https://youtu.be/_oZ2fYnFYmw At around 10:00) He also says "Of course I cannot ask her about her identity, but I would say she was probably trans."
Unlike in many human societies, gender non-conforming primates are fully accepted by their communities.
Sources & more information: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/natured-nurture/202208/what-primates-can-teach-us-about-gender
https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/frans-de-waal-isabella-rosselini-apes-gender
De Waal, F. B. M. (2022) "Different: Gender through the eyes of a primatologist."
Photo Credits: Victoria Horner