#stagcore

what are stag/fox/swan?

in 2017, tumblr user marlowelune outlined a three-way system of nonbinary presentation labels, named after animals, in this post [link]. (they also provided a separate axis of ostentation or drama in presentation, but we’re focused on the first three labels for now.) the terms were further expanded on by tumblr user nonbinary-culture, including flags and more formal definitions [link]. the three proposed terms were stag, fox, and swan. what do they mean?

stag is a gender presentation interpreting masculinity through a nonbinary lense, without necessarily conforming to cis concepts of maleness or masculinity. it taps into concepts and expressions of nonbinary strength, courage, and boldness.

fox is a gender presentation interpreting androgyny, fluidity, or mixed presentation through a nonbinary lense, without necessarily conforming to cis concepts of these terms’ definition. it taps into concepts and expressions of nonbinary rebellion, transformation, and independence.

swan is a gender presentation interpreting femininity through a nonbinary lense, without necessarily conforming to cis concepts of femaleness or femininity. it taps into concepts and expressions of nonbinary beauty, softness, and grace.

these terms were always intended to be agnostic of individual sexuality or gender identity, to reject cis ideas of what it means to be masculine or feminine, and to be defined by the people who identified with them. they are not genders (except in the way that ‘butch’, for example, can be used as a gender), and they are available to all nonbinary people.

sadly, these labels enjoyed a brief period of popularity, circa 2017-2018, and then seem to have largely faded into obscurity. this blog argues that they should be readopted and popularized, and is specifically aimed or centered on a stag presentation.

why use these terms?

regardless of your stance on discourse, or your agreement or disagreement with the terms’ creators, stag/fox/swan labels offer nonbinary people a useful tool: concrete ways of identifying our presentation without labeling ourselves as ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. think of them as similar to a term like ‘butch’, which is usually used to express that the bearer has a ‘masculine’ presentation that is explicitly centered in WLW identity, is not cis male, and does not conform to cis men’s ideas of what it means to be masculine. 

there are certainly nonbinary butches, and this post isn’t to say they should all call themselves stags, it merely intends to point out that specific existing labels like butch don’t meet the needs of all nonbinary people-- not all of us are comfortable identifying in that way. these terms are important and historic, and the goal is to create the use of new terms, not supplant anything.

some wips for métis au! lore and story stuff below

kinda wips but also they're serving their purpose for métis au.