Decatur, GA, USA. 1st Jan, 2016. EMMA GRACE KOETTER admitted to herself a a year ago that she didn't fit society's general view of genders. She doesn't mind a bit if someone calls her ""˜genderqueer.' And she believes society could learn a lot from others like her who don't subscribe to conventional gender distinctions, but rather identify as neither, both, or a combination of female and male genders.At 16, with blonde chunks in her cropped punk-like hairstyle, Emma could easily be perceived as a boy. She bears a striking resemblance to a younger Justin Bieber. Emma wears the word ""˜queer

• Contributor: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: FAT5R4
• File size: 55.4 MB (1.8 MB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 5390 x 3593 px | 45.6 x 30.4 cm | 18 x 12 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 1 January 2016
• Photographer: ZUMA Press

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Jan. 1, 2016 - Decatur, GA - EMMA GRACE KOETTER admitted to herself a a year ago that she didn't fit society's general view of genders. She doesn’t mind a bit if someone calls her ‘genderqueer.’ And she believes society could learn a lot from others like her who don’t subscribe to conventional gender distinctions, but rather identify as neither, both, or a combination of female and male genders..At 16, with blonde chunks in her cropped punk-like hairstyle, Emma could easily be perceived as a boy. She bears a striking resemblance to a younger Justin Bieber. Emma wears the word ‘queer’ proudly on a tattered denim jacket, confident that it describes her perfectly.. “Genderqueer describes people with non-binary gender identities who don’t identify as completely male or female. They might identify as neither or a combination of both, ” the homeschooled teen explained. “It’s an umbrella term that describes all non-binary gender identities including agender, genderfluid, third gender, androgyne, and a whole lot more.”.“I totally identify as being genderqueer. I feel mostly female but I fluctuate between feeling more masculine and more feminine. I freely use this term today, but that wasn’t always the case. Society used to think of the word in a demeaning and derogatory way. It’s different now. ‘Queer’ doesn’t have the sting it once did, at least to my generation.”.PICTURED: Emma with home school friend Skyler Lansford play video games at her home. (Credit Image: © Robin Rayne Nelson via ZUMA Wire)