The fact that 10 societies recognize more than two genders underscores that gender plurality has deep roots in human history, not just a contemporary buzzword. Across continents, many nations have enacted laws that officially acknowledge a third—or even additional—gender categories, while others have long‑standing cultural practices that honor non‑binary identities without any legal paperwork. Some of these societies only grant recognition when a person is born with intersex traits that defy the classic male/female binary, whereas others embrace self‑identified gender expressions that differ from the sex assigned at birth.

10 The Hijra Of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, And Nepal

Hijras are individuals assigned male at birth who live as women, adopting feminine attire, makeup, and social roles. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, the state officially lists them as a third gender, though many Hijras prefer to be identified simply as women rather than a separate category.

Historical records trace Hijras back thousands of years in the Indian subcontinent, even appearing in sacred Hindu scriptures. Their status took a dark turn during British colonial rule when, in 1897, they were criminalized under the Criminal Tribes Act, pushing many into clandestine communities led by a senior figure often referred to as the “mother.”

Post‑colonial India saw the continuation of systemic discrimination: medical professionals sometimes refused treatment, police harassment was commonplace, and employers shied away from hiring Hijras. These pressures propelled many into precarious livelihoods, including sex work.

Health‑wise, Hijras face a disproportionate HIV burden. In Mumbai, roughly 18 % of Hijras test positive for HIV, a stark contrast to the national prevalence of about 0.3 %.

9 The Muxes Of Mexico

The Zapotec community of Oaxaca acknowledges a third gender known as muxes. While many muxes are men who embody feminine traits, there is no strict definition, leaving each individual to self‑determine their status.

The term “muxes” derives from the Spanish word “mujer” meaning woman, yet muxes reject being labeled as women. They also distance themselves from categories such as gay, transgender, or bisexual.

Language adds another layer of complexity: Zapotec is gender‑neutral, which can cause confusion for outsiders translating muxe narratives into gendered languages, especially when deciding whether to use “he” or “she.”

In Oaxaca, muxes are celebrated with a three‑day festival called Vela de las Intrepidas (Vigil of the Intrepids). However, they sometimes encounter resistance elsewhere in Mexico, particularly regarding access to women’s restrooms.

8 The Xaniths Of Oman

In Oman, the term xanith describes a male who adopts feminine behaviors, such as wearing makeup and styling hair with oil. Their presence is tolerated within the predominantly Islamic society because it is believed their effeminate demeanor is innate rather than a deliberate choice.

Nevertheless, xaniths strive to set themselves apart from women. Men traditionally wear plain white tunics, women favor brightly patterned garments, while xaniths opt for solid‑colored tunics. Their hair length sits between the short cuts of men and the longer styles of women.

Hair‑combing styles also differ: men comb forward‑to‑back, women back‑to‑forward, while xaniths comb their hair diagonally. Some xaniths engage in sexual relations with men, though marriage to a woman or reaching old age typically reverts them to a male social role.

7 The Bugis Tribe Of Indonesia Recognizes Five Genders

The Bugis of Sulawesi identify five gender categories: oroane (masculine men), makkunrai (feminine women), calabai (masculine individuals who adopt feminine roles), calalai (feminine individuals who take on masculine roles), and bissu (beings embodying both male and female essences).

Calabai are biologically male but live as women; they typically reject being called women. Conversely, calalai are biologically female who assume male attire, mannerisms, and occupations.

The bissu occupy a liminal space, neither wholly male nor female. They don both masculine and feminine clothing and are thought to possess a blend of human and divine qualities, sometimes believed to be the first entities on Earth.

Becoming a bissu can occur in two ways: through hermaphroditism (having both reproductive systems) or by possessing the soul of the opposite sex. This fluidity can also allow calalai or calabai to transition into a bissu role.

6 The Two‑Spirit People Of North America

“Two‑spirit” serves as an umbrella term for Indigenous North Americans who embody both masculine and feminine qualities, or who possess gender expressions that differ from their birth‑sex assignment. These individuals often fulfill roles associated with both genders and are traditionally viewed as bearers of good fortune.

Within many tribes, a male‑identified person who takes on female roles marries a woman, while a female‑identified person who assumes male roles marries a man. Early European colonizers labeled such individuals as “berdaches,” a term that carried a stigma of homosexuality.

Missionary activity in the early 20th century intensified persecution, leading many two‑spirit people to suffer severe mental health crises, including suicide. The 1960s saw a resurgence of pride as Indigenous activists reclaimed the term “two‑spirit” to replace the pejorative “berdache.”

5 The Six Genders Of Classical Judaism

Classical Jewish law recognized six distinct gender categories: zachar (male), nekeivah (female), androgynos (half‑male, half‑female), ay’lonit (female who transitions to male at puberty), saris (male who transitions to female at puberty), and tumtum (individuals with indeterminate sexual characteristics).

Tumtums enjoyed a unique flexibility: they could marry either men or women, assuming the gender role appropriate to the spouse—husband‑like duties with a female partner, wife‑like duties with a male partner.

4 The Fa’afafines Of Samoa

Samoa acknowledges a third gender known as fa’afafine, literally “in the manner of a woman.” These are boys who are raised as girls, embodying a distinct gender identity separate from both “male” and “female” labels.

Fa’afafine assert that they are neither transgender nor homosexual, as those terms reference binary categories. They typically assume domestic and caregiving roles associated with women, though they may also form romantic partnerships with women or other fa’afafine.

While some fa’afafine are believed to be born with this identity, others result from parental decisions—particularly families with many sons and no daughters may designate a son as fa’afafine. This forced rearing can be abusive, with pressure to conform through physical punishment or encouragement to prove masculinity via sports.

3 The Sekratas Of Madagascar

Madagascar’s cultural tapestry includes the sekrata, a third‑gender group comprising boys raised as girls who later live as women. Their outward appearance—long hair, jewelry, and feminine attire—often leads outsiders to assume they are men in women’s clothing.

Identifying as women, sekrata adopt speech patterns, behaviors, and dress traditionally linked to females. They typically avoid male‑dominated activities such as military service or cattle herding.

Local belief endows sekrata with mystical powers; they are thought capable of casting curses on those who insult them, reinforcing both reverence and fear within the community.

2 The Guevedoces Of The Dominican Republic

In certain Dominican Republic communities, a third gender called guevedoce (literally “penis at 12”) is recognized. These children are born with ambiguous genitalia that appear female, leading families to assign them female names and raise them as girls.

During puberty, a surge in testosterone triggers the development of a concealed penis, revealing a male phenotype. Dr. Julianne Imperato‑McGinley’s 1970s research uncovered that a deficiency in the enzyme 5‑alpha‑reductase caused this delayed masculinization.

While many guevedoces embrace their newfound male identity, some resist the change, opting for gender‑affirming surgery to remain women. The condition also spurred medical advances, notably the creation of finasteride, a drug now used to treat enlarged prostates.

1 The Warias Of Indonesia

Warias are biologically male individuals who live as women, believed to possess a feminine soul within a male body. Their name blends the Indonesian words wanita (woman) and pria (man).

Some waria undergo sex‑reassignment surgery, while others retain their male anatomy but adopt traditionally feminine behaviors and attire. Public opinion in Indonesia is divided: certain communities revere waria as spiritual healers, whereas others subject them to harassment, stripping, and even forced head shaving.

Facing widespread discrimination and limited economic opportunities, many waria turn to prostitution to survive.

10 societies recognize the richness of gender diversity worldwide

From South Asian Hijras to Caribbean guevedoces, the spectrum of gender identities demonstrates humanity’s capacity for cultural nuance and acceptance. By learning about these societies, we gain insight into how gender can be celebrated, regulated, or challenged across different continents.

According to surveys, nearly 80% of people report being exposed to scams during a given year. Though young people tend to think of this as something that old people fall for, 18 to 24-year-olds had the highest median losses of any age group, and 35 to 44-year-olds were the most likely to be scammed. Scammers use psychology to manipulate you and that’s why they are so successful. No one who falls for a scam realizes it was happening until it’s too late. 

It’s safe to say that there are a number of scams going around all the time. And even if you think you’re immune, you’re probably not. In fact, your confidence that you’re not going to get scammed might make you the perfect victim, because he won’t see it coming. So how can you recognize a scam? It’s a tough question to answer even the fact that there are countless scams out there but damn it, we’re going to try.

How Can You Detect a Scam Early?

9 Scam Signs

Let’s start at the beginning with what law enforcement has to say about scams. They’re the ones who most people call when something goes wrong, and most law enforcement agencies in most jurisdictions have put together information for their citizens about scams. This stuff has to be constantly updated because scams are always evolving. AI scams, for instance, are all the rage now, when 5 years ago no one had even heard of such a thing.

8 Fakery

Scammers will typically call you or contact you online, and they may make threats. They can pretend to be a government agency, a celebrity, or even family and friends. AI scams have become ruthless with that last one because AI can actually spoof the voice of a family member. You could be talking to someone and swear it’s your mother, your son, or maybe your brother.

They may also try to convince you that they are legit with spoofed phone numbers. You can see who called you and Google the number, and you’ll see it belongs to the police, the FBI, another government agency, or something else that seems legit. They may also call you from a loved one’s number. This is all done with VoIP technology and web services that let a client choose the number they want to appear to be calling from. 

 While some scams will try to scare you, others will try to exploit things. They might time their calls around tax time and pretend to be the IRS. They might be offering you a limited-time investment that is only available right now, or maybe they have tickets for some event that is happening soon. Anytime someone you don’t know is trying to get money out of you over the phone, you should be wary.

7 The Ask

At some point, the scammer is going to ask you for money.  This could come in several ways. They might be trying to scam you with an investment opportunity. They might be threatening that you owe money for fines or some other kind of serious issue that could have dire consequences if you don’t pay it. Or, if it’s a family and friends scam, they could present themselves as a loved one in serious trouble who needs money.

The scam is going to require urgency. They need you to act now, while they are still talking to you. If they keep the pressure on, you are less likely to stop and think about why this doesn’t make sense or about asking for outside opinions. 

They may need you to transfer money to an account right away. They may also want you to drop it off physically at a certain location, even give it to someone who they say is working with them. This could be cash, but often they will ask for things like gift cards or cryptocurrency, which are nearly impossible to trace. They may ask for you to set up a new PayPal account or another online payment service. 

You should definitely be wary anytime a government agency or law enforcement says you need to give them cash right away for any reason.  The problem is that by the time someone is asking you for money, there’s a good chance you’ve already fallen for the scam and it won’t click that something is off by now.

6 Scam Stats

71% of people once told a Canadian firm that they were confident they could spot a scam. However, when tested, 96% of people fell for one.  If you are confident that you will be able to see a scam and not fall for it, you just might be the perfect target for a scam. Your confidence is a blind spot.

In 2023, cybercrime took Americans for a total of $12.5 billion. That was up from $8.8 billion in 2022.  There were over 880,000 reported incidents. Nearly $5 billion of that was just investment scams, the most lucrative kind of scam going. Keep in mind that many people are too embarrassed to report that they are victims, too. 

Impersonation scams are huge every year, and the most impersonated company for the purpose of scams in 2023 was Best Buy/Geek Squad, followed by Amazon. 

5 Scam Types

Because there are so many types of scams that you could potentially fall for, it’s worth looking into the specifics of each different kind. Remember, most people are too confident that they’re never going to fall for these. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are or even if you’re extremely online savvy. Those are the kind of people who fall for these almost as often as those who don’t have those qualities. It’s hard to fight psychology, and in the moment when things are urgent and you’re scared, you don’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late.

4 AI Scams

The most insidious and arguably most dangerous scams to ever exist are now AI scams. Thanks to deep fake technology and spoofing, you can get a phone call from your spouse claiming to be hurt, or even kidnapped and in need of help, and never know it’s not really them until it’s too late. AI can clone your voice based on a three second audio sample. Do you have your own voice on voicemail? Have you ever made a video and posted it online? That’s all it takes. As many as 70% of people say they aren’t confident they can tell the difference between a clone voice and a real thing.

Maybe you’re not convinced by a voice on the phone, maybe you need to have a FaceTime call and actually see your loved one. Well, AI can do that too. You literally cannot trust your eyes or ears any longer when it comes to scams. In 2024, a finance worker had a video call with his CEO and lost $25 million after it turned out to be a scammer using AI Deepfake technology. 

In France, a woman fell for a scam in which AI photos of Brad Pitt were used to trick her into thinking she was in a relationship with the actor for almost two years. In that time she lost $850,000 to the fake Pitt who claimed his own money was tied up in his divorce.

These video calls can also involve law enforcement or other officials. They may be well known, maybe people you’ve seen on TV before, or they may be just someone in uniform who looks official. If you don’t see the person in person, you shouldn’t necessarily trust what you see, especially if they’re trying to get money.

Also, it doesn’t have to be you getting scammed. AI can call your bank right after you get off the phone with them and maybe undo a transfer or send it somewhere new. 

 It’s very hard to spot an AI scam, but there are signs if you can take the time to pay attention to them and not get caught up in the moment. When it comes to AI video and deepfake technology, there are going to be glitches in what you’re seeing. Maybe the mouth movement won’t match the voice you’re hearing. Strange artifacts could appear and disappear in the background. Even simple audio might have weird pops and noises in the background. 

Law enforcement recommends you talk about this kind of thing with your family and come up with a safe word that you could all use to let each other know if it’s really you or not.

AI is also being used to make all the older scams more efficient and faster.

3 Phishing Scams

One of the oldest types of scams on the internet, phishing scams typically involve getting emails from what seem like trusted sources. Maybe your internet provider, a story like to shop at, Google, Amazon, something like that. It will look official and it will solicit information from you. If you click on any links or fill out forms, you’re giving information to the scammers.

About 22% of all data breaches are the result of phishing scams. In a controlled test, 8 out of 10 organizations had at least one employee fall for a phishing scam.  

For everyday people, these emails will often take the form of an offer that seems too good to be true, like a free or cheap vacation. 

Another kind is more threatening, usually pretending to be from law enforcement or maybe the government requesting confirmation of details because you’ve been accused of something or are facing a fine. This creates a panic response in people and they are likely to try to make it go away quickly if the email offers a resolution.

2 Investment Scams

As we mentioned earlier, investment scams are a massive money maker. Remember, nearly $5 billion was lost to investment scams in 2023 alone. These can also include the infamous romance scams, where the victim forms what they think is a real relationship over the span of months only to find the person they think they love was never real at all, and they have lost thousands of dollars on an investment that didn’t exist.

Pump and dump scams are pulled by people who own stock in a company and encourage you and others to buy without letting you know they are already heavily invested. They get the price to go high and then dump all of their stock, tanking the value for you and everyone else. 

Other investment scams include crypto scams, where someone tries to convince you that you can make a killing investing in cryptocurrency.

Boiler room scams are big operations that look for big money. They may set up whole fake offices to dupe you, or elaborate and functional websites with working phone numbers and more. All of this is to lure in large investors, get people on board, then vanish with the money. 

Affinity frauds will target not just you but a group of people, like a church or community group, who all share similar interests and ideals. The scammer may join the group and eventually offer an opportunity to supposedly help everyone out. 

1 Charity Scams

These frauds will often appear after major disasters or a humanitarian crisis. Social media will be flooded with people asking for donations to help those affected. Sometimes, they will be from very well-known organizations, but others may not be. Some can even be from crowdfunding sites where it’s hard to verify who set up the fundraiser or who the beneficiary might be.

These kinds of scams can take on a lot of forms. You might get a targeted email, you might see it on a social media platform you use frequently, or they may even be boosted by friends or relatives who aren’t aware and give it legitimacy as a result.

There are so many kinds of scams out there, coming at you from so many directions. It’s really hard to keep track of all of them, especially with new ones popping up all the time. Whether you think you are immune to them or not, the most important thing to keep in mind is that if someone is asking you for money, you need to be confident you know why. You need to be 100% sure you know who it is who’s asking you. If anything seems off, whether it’s a stranger, the IRS, the police, or your own grandmother, put a stop to it and check back with them later on your own terms when you control the narrative, not them.