Image imported from derpibooru 
Alt Link (Warning: May link to something unrelated) 
Original Description:
 
wake up babe new gender system just dropped
 
This is basically just me rambling about my ideas for one particular aspect of griffon society/culture and how it differs from pony culture. A lot of this was based on my rough knowledge of nonwestern gender systems/ how gender/ideas about gender vary from culture to culture. Before I go into this I want to clarify that none of the characters listed here would qualify as “transgender” under their own cultural norms, even if by the sex binary ponies go by they would be considered transgender. Transgender has many meanings but one of the main defining aspects is existing outside your own cultures gender system, which doesn’t apply here. Not to say there AREN’T transgender griffons but it’s not a good definition of what I’m describing here.
 
PLEASE feel free to ask questions because 1) I’m an artist, not a writer, so words are far from my best tool 2) There aren’t actually a lot of…words for what I’m trying to describe? At least not in english, which is unfortunately the only language I can write in (barely). Like calling a griffon with a mane “male” and one without “female” doesn’t make sense (male and female don’t exist as concepts for griffons) but it’s the closest equivalent word I can think of. We call birds male and female despite the fact most don’t have any external genitalia and I’m told that’s an important aspect of gender/sex? whatever man  
Basically, griffons have a gender-like system of social roles with four different standard options, half of which are decided by sex and the other are self-identified. I mixed lion and bird biology to come up with these, and each griffon here is a different type.  
Griffons either self identify as griffons or griffonesses. The status used to be decided by the current ruler by royal decree when the griffon came of age, but in modern times griffons just pick it for themselves.  
Whether or not a griffon has a mane is largely decided by sex, though this isn’t 100%. Griffons all have the same external genitalia, so you can’t tell if a griffon has a mane or not until puberty.  
Hormone imbalances can cause this system to be inexact, resulting in what’s called a “false mane” (a term considered offensive by many). There are cases where a pair of griffons is unable to conceive and, after many tests, find out they’re actually a maneless mane or only have a mane due to overactive hormones.  
Mane/mane and maneless/maneless relationships used to be frowned upon due to their perceived lack of biological compatibility, but the more progressively minded modern griffons tend to view this as a backwards notion.  
Griffon manes are typically a different color than the rest of the body, and unlike lion manes they’re made up of hair and feathers and cover not just the head and neck but also the face.  
Maned griffons are typically slightly larger and bulkier than their maneless counterparts, but this varies greatly since griffon size varies by a lot, from songbird size to almost the size of a dragon. A medium sized dragon, but a dragon nonetheless. (Griffons really don’t get that big.)  
Gilda: Maned Griffoness
 
Grampa Gruff: Maned Griffon. Older manes get patchy as their hormones slow down with age, hence Gruff’s bald head. He still got that furry collar tho
 
Gallus: Griffon
 
Gabby: Griffoness
 
Oh and a fun little note for the end: Griffons, mane or no mane, love to sing, and will sing to attract and court a mate. Courtship goes both ways and every way, polygamous relationships aren’t uncommon or taboo in griffon culture, even noncommittal flings are normal. When it comes to having and raising baby griffons, the prevailing cultural norm is “the more paws and claws, the better!”
 
I really wanna do more with Griffons and I probably definitely will. Wanna talk more about their society. They might come off cold and unfriendly to ponies, but griffon life has historically been harder than pony life. Not to mention ponies haven’t always been the kindest to griffons, so EXCUSE THEM for not jumping for joy every time a little pony tries to “civilize them”. I ALSO have a random headcanon that just came to me and I’m sticking here: the reason the griffons don’t have a king anymore? They overthrew that old bastard for being a parasitic leech on their society. A big reason griffon society sucked for so many years was incompetent, power hungry leaders who were more interested in using Griffonstone’s resources for their own enrichment than to help its citizens. Ponies are horrified, how barbaric, what savage creatures, going against their great and powerful leader. Everypony knows the divine right to rule is only bestowed on those pure of heart and wise of mind! That’s what ALL the pony legends and stories say! Dumb griffons probably can’t even read.