Incidents of gender-bending are classified into the following categories:
- Alternate
- Applies to derivative and alternate universe works only. Indicates a story which explores how things might differ had the given character been born the opposite gender.
- Androgyny
- The character is androgynous enough that they get mistaken for the opposite gender as a significant plot point.
- Body Swap
- A male and a female character trade bodies, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
- Clone
- The character in question is an opposite-gender clone with memories from the original.
- Cross-Dressing
- This should be fairly obvious. The only notable point is that this definition is based on the effect on other people, so it can be accidental.
- Hermaphrodite
- The character in question has a complete set of both male and female sexual organs. (Fiction's interpretation of hermaphroditism)
- Illusion
- The character in question appears to be the opposite sex (whether voluntarily or not) without altering their physical form. This may or may not include cross-dressing but generally involves science fiction or magic.
- Intersexed
- The character in question meets the real-world definition of intersexuality. (eg. AIS, real-world hermaphroditism, etc.)
- Multiple Personalities
- A character with multiple personalities where not all are of the same gender.
- Partial
- Typically, this means transformation of just the genitals, everything but the genitals, or the addition of breasts to an otherwise male body. (Usually for comedic purposes)
- Possession
- A variation on body swapping where a deceased or otherwise disembodied character occupies a freshly-vacated body of the opposite gender.
- Surgery
- Surgical gender-reassignment. Unlike "Transformation" this keyword indicates that the change bears all the limitations of modern gender-reassignment surgery.
- Timeshare
- A male and a female character time-sharing a variable-form body
- Transformation
- Transformation from male to female or vice-versa, whether scientific or magical in nature.
- Transgendered
- A person whose instinctual gender identity does not match their physical sex. Usually implies what other characters see as cross-dressing.
