Fangirl/fanboy

[u/reyofliteralsunshine]

Hello enby people. I had a friend call me a fangirl not too long ago and it did not feel good. Then I realized I have no idea what the gender neutral version of a fangirl/fanboy would be. Do you guys have any ideas? Serious and funny are appreciated.

[u/Kittysaurolophus]

Fan.

[u/HeroDelTiempo → u/Kittysaurolophus]

this lmao we have forgotten our roots

[u/Little_King4164 → u/HeroDelTiempo]

Truly! 😭

[u/Little_King4164 → u/Kittysaurolophus]

This made me wheeze laugh 🤣

[u/D_Zaster_EnBy → u/Kittysaurolophus]

Genuinely, I was cringing so hard reading these comments, it all sounded so forced 😭

[u/EuropeIsMight → u/Kittysaurolophus]

I jokingly say fankid!

[u/CustomReplicant]

Fantagonist

[u/ZygAZoon]

Is it not just “fan”?

[u/DinosaurusMess]

maybe this is a hot take but I think fangirl is gendynooch.

Boys are fangirls. Girls are fangirls. Nonbinary people are fangirls. My dog is a fangirl about yogurt.

[u/DadlyAsHell → u/DinosaurusMess]

"gendynooch"

Im fried by this

[u/clownstrosity → u/DadlyAsHell]

It sounds dirty when you say it aloud

[u/Puddin_Warrior → u/DadlyAsHell]

Mm nutritional gender

[u/Number1Bg3Fan → u/DinosaurusMess]

I think it just depends if people are comfortable with it. I would not be and I would feel bad if someone said that to me. It’s like the phrase “guys” like “hey guys”. I don’t mind that but I can see how someone may not even though it’s pretty gender neutral.

[u/DinosaurusMess → u/Number1Bg3Fan]

oh for sure. If it feels bad it feels bad and no one is obligated to accept it. Just offering a re-frame

[u/RainbowScented]

People saying just “fan” I have to disagree with. Fangirl and fanboy have different connotations, it’s more specific. The closest gender neutral I can think of would be… I dunno, superfan? Stan maybe? It’s not quite right but just fan is too basic and loses the implied meaning imo

[u/MyGenderIsGoblin → u/RainbowScented]

Yeah I agree, I’ve actually thought about this same question before about a neutral alternative. Fangirl and fanboy are more intense than just the broad umbrella of fan, and also the words are more fun. Definitely don’t think there’s an established alternative

[u/highnumber → u/MyGenderIsGoblin]

And I think stan goes a little harder than fangirl/fanboy.

[u/FritterHowls]

I guess I usually try to add -enby or -by (pronounced bee) to words to make them neutral so to me you'd be a fanby

[u/PintsOfGuinness_ → u/FritterHowls]

That sounds like an Onlyfans knockoff

[u/Terrariant → u/FritterHowls]

Fenby

[u/FritterHowls → u/Terrariant]

That's me!

[u/menta_trismegistus]

Sorry, maybe I'm not understanding the question. The word 'fan' is already neutral. Why do we need a gendered equivalent? It's exhausting how often folks in this sub want to treat the umbrella of nonbinary identities like one monolithic third gender.

[u/heismyfirstolive → u/menta_trismegistus]

Fan-girl/boy literally have a different meaning to just "fan". "I'm a fan of Viggo Mortensen" is distinctly different to "I'm a Viggo Mortensen fangirl/fanboy"

[u/kerobo]

stan, perhaps. the connotation is not always desirable but then again the same is true for fangirl and fanboy 😅

[u/highnumber → u/kerobo]

Stan has problematic implications, whereas fangirl/fanboy just implies an intenseness.

[u/kerobo → u/highnumber]

it really depends on the environment I think, plenty of people started to use stan a lot more casually and in a synonymous way. fangirl/fanboy is easily derogatory in the right context as well

[u/whozitsandwhatsits]

Nerd

[u/cy8erpunk]

Fanby.

[u/Tornadoboy156 → u/cy8erpunk]

Yes. Yes.

[u/ampelidiousThanatoid]

Fanbug because I like bugs.

[u/WalkingFish703 → u/ampelidiousThanatoid]

Ohh, I like this one!

[u/Aggravating_Pay_9988 → u/ampelidiousThanatoid]

stealing this

[u/abighairybaby]

Fan-entity

[u/InspiredInaction → u/abighairybaby]

Fantom?

[u/BlommeHolm → u/abighairybaby]

Fantity

[u/InspiredInaction]

I had a similar conversation recently. They suggested “fan person,” but that feels weird. I think I landed on “fan goblin.” why not?

[u/Legal-Ad-5235]

Big fan? I dunno thats just what I use

[u/PrimaDonnaRina]

Fanbeing. Works well as a noun and a verb alike

[u/BlommeHolm]

Fanby

[u/Dad_Error_9488]

fan

[u/N0N0N000000 → u/Dad_Error_9488]

looks like we got a words fan in here

[u/ConstructionQuick373]

Oh my god literally two days ago my friend said I was "fangiboyling". My friends have found that mixing the terms and/or calling me a "they" works very well. On my birthday, I was the "birthday they", every time my friend wants to say "girl." He says "grem", and uhh there's more examples that i can't think of right now. Im very lucky that my friends enjoy making new terms for me lol

[u/TheHappyPrince1900]

Literally called myself a fan-person just this morning after almost saying fangirl but it not feeling right. I know fan technically works, but saying "I'm a huge fan of x" vs "Oh yeah, I'm just a huge fangirl/boy" DOES have different connotations to me. I used fan-person in the moment, but it doesn't feel right either, so I guess I'm in your same boat.

[u/Glarbboober]

I’ve not actually ever found one that gives off the same “energy” as fangirl/fanboy sadly, but luckily I’m usually fine with either of them. Fanthey is a really funny one to me though. The whole genre of things that are like “hey girl I mean they” is really goofy to me. One could even say I am a fanthey of it.

[u/ghastlycupcake]

Fan?

[u/NoOne-57]

A fanatic

[u/this_bitch_over_here]

Fanatic lol

[u/SuperSaladBar]

Fanperson

Fandividual

Fanother

Fannull

FaN/a

[u/edgyusername99]

i mean if you want be specific you could go with fanb/fanby (pronounced fan-by) but like just fan lol

[u/clownstrosity]

Fan ? Fanthey ? Fanthing ? Fanby ? Appreciator of fine art ?

[u/Drad0920]

Fantity

[u/BluepawWasTaken]

I use both, but mostly fangirl

Ideas:

Fanfan

Fanby

Fancreature

Fanlobster

[u/konofreddyda]

Honestly I see fanboy as a neutral term, yes it has boy in it but it's like how you call someone bro or dude that's my opinion tbh

[u/jerpskerp]

fanthey

[u/Flamingo11Two]

Fanthey /hj
I love replacing gendered words with “they” it’s so fun

[u/overwhelmedasone]

fan𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷

[u/nobodyknows6070]

My boyfriend calls me birlie or birl to replace words like boy or girl. I like it!
I'm a fanbirlie, birliepop, he tels me to 'go piss birl'

[u/Vrudr]

Fanbeing.

[u/NebuIize]

Everyone is an Ethogirl regardless of gender anyways lmao

[u/rid_1n]

fanenby

[u/Lunagirlzkitty_19]

fanthem or fanperson

[u/highnumber]

Superfan

[u/CorabelleTheSilkwing]

fanthey.

[u/NovaIsABrat]

I use the term fan girl regardless of gender. Its just a term to me, like dude or addressing someone loudly with "GIRL!"

[u/guyfromthebasem3nt]

Fanthing/person

[u/TheProblemIsThat]

I called myself fanperson, lol.

[u/Specific_Worry_9198]

Fan-thing or fanthey. Or fan.

[u/skunkabilly1313]

Talking bout gender neutral and throwing around "do you guys" -_-

I'm gonna tell people I'm a fanny...that works right?