"I have questions about my gender. I know that I'm obviously biologically female, so I do identify as lesbian. My mind is a little weird though. I don't think I'm male. I don't think I'm female in my mindset. More like a third type of gender, like I should have been born hermaphroditic or something, a mix. I'm not sure if this falls along the lines of androgyny,or something we haven't even classified yet! Maybe there's some people out there in a similar situation, or have some answers. It could just be a phase, but it's been prodding at my mind for quite some time now and I'd like to get it cleared up."
A lot of people have questions about their gender and don't feel like the labels, "male" and "female" are exactly the right ones for them. You mention that you are thinking about androgyny. This term typically refers to a person who does not display a distinctly male or distinctly female appearance. A person might appear androgynous, but still identify strongly as male or female. However, the term androgynous can also refer to a deeper gender identity on it's own or may be an aspect of someone who also identifies as transgender or genderqueer.
Genderqueer is a term that emerged in the nineties to fill a gap for people who felt that they didn't fit into traditional male or female identities. Nor did they feel that a transgender identity--where a person transitions from one gender to another--worked either. A genderqueer person often chooses to present as neither clearly male, nor clearly female, but rather as a gender-free individual, whose identity may shift and change over time.
The word hermaphrodite is a little more complicated, because it has long been used incorrectly. This word technically refers to an animal with both male and female sex organs and the ability to reproduce alone, not to a human with both male and female sex organs.
Though there was a time when people with certain medical conditions that affected th sex organs were called hermaphrodites, these days it is more appropriate to refer to a person as having an intersex condition or a disorder of sex development.
Ultimately, how you choose to identify your gender is a really personal thing and not something you have to figure out overnight. But hopefully having a little more information on commonly used terms can help you answer some of the questions you have been struggling with!
