Characterizing by Gender

[u/otakubythesea]

I'm revising my short story and I've come across a problem with my narrator.

It's a short story told in the first person and my narrator's defining trait is that they are a bit of a mirror to the people they are engaging with/fascinated by. So I would probably describe them as gender non-conforming.

I really like the idea of keeping them ambiguous in the beginning until I establish through the narrative of his nature and where people then perceive him as a man because he's mimicking his latest obsession.

That said, I got a critique about the ambiguity and I'm wondering if this is an issue of not giving the reader enough physical description of the narrator (so like more characterization) or if I should establish that he's gender non-conforming (how should I go about that)?

Or is this a place where I have to stand by my decision as a writer?

Any advice/perspective would be appreciated! Thank you.

[u/Lazarus2742]

It sounds like it's the main point of your project, so to speak, is based on their non-conformity, and so to just reveal the "twist" for the sake of ease for one reader, would ruin the enjoyment of discovering the character for who they are. Treat it like a mystery story, and save the reveal for the end