Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-74.141.61.43-20160117013905/@comment-10733658-20160117051835

The primary issues in discussing Nico and gender is Cultural contexts, which are often lost on a Western audience.

Nico falls into the very specific cultural stereotype of the "Okama", which involves combinations of Effeminate Gay Men, Drag Queens, Transwomen, and other individuals that in some manner don't conform to strict gender standards. It can be really tricky to apply Western ideas of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity to such characters.

I also looked up what "Transgender Day" actually was, and it isn't any more clear. It mentions Sexual Orientation, as well as crossdressing and Transgender individuals. So it seems like a catch-all for anyone that -- again -- doesn't fit into Japan's very strict Gender roles and standards.