Boi (gender)

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Boi is a deliberately altered spelling of boy, and is sometimes used as a synonym for male when referring to young adults. 'Boi' may refer to a young-appearing (and in reality relatively young) bisexual or homosexual male, especially one who is somewhat effeminate, or who merely wishes to distinguish himself with a different term from heterosexual boys.

It may also refer to a female-born or female-bodied person—sometimes transsexual, transgendered, or intersexed, sometimes not—who generally does not identify as, or only partially identifies as feminine, female, a girl, or a woman, although some bois identify as one or more of these. Bois almost always identify as lesbians, dykes, or queers; many are also genderqueer or practice genderfuck. Bois can prefer a range of pronouns, including 'he', 'she', or gender-neutral pronouns.

Some transmen identify as bois, but others object to being called 'boi,' preferring to simply be called 'boy,' 'man,' or 'transman.'

Some butch lesbians, female crossdressers, and tomboys also identify as bois, and some people use the word 'boi' to refer to a young butch. In some BDSM communities, 'boi' is used as a term for a submissive and/or bottom butch.

[edit] Punk and Goth subcultures

'Boi' is also used in goth and punk subcultures to refer to a young man who experiments with traditionally "feminine" things such as eyeliner, frills, and the like.