We on Mastodon have a metaphor for this, which we borrow from the concept of the Wheel of Fortune (Tarot, not the game show). A sea-change [not a typo] delivered by the fates, changing one's direction in life. It could strike any of us, on the turn of a card. we call it the Wheel of Gender.

We embrace the Wheel of Gender. It can bring an epiphany when our lives don't seem to make sense.

Of course, like anything in culture, the Wheel of Gender gets reinvented and folded in on itself. There's a wonderful bot, @genderoftheday, which randomly generates a gender once per day, sometimes uplifting, sometimes mundane, sometimes incomprehensible. Just like us. And because there are more than two (or three) genders, the allusion to the game show with its segmented wheel is a natural leap to make.

The Wheel of Gender is the Fediverse's gift to us, and it is our gift to the Fediverse. If you are trans, or if you are a cis ally, or if you're just not sure any more, you're all welcome to use this wholesome metaphor. Give the Wheel of Gender a spin!