Nonbinary

The nonbinary flag by Kye Rowan.

**Nonbinary**, also spelled **non-binary** or **non binary**, is an umbrella term for gender identities which do not follow the gender binary. This includes people who are simultaneously men and women, people who are somewhere in between, people who are neither, people whose gender is fluid, and anyone else who is not *always*, *solely*, and *completely* a man or woman. Nonbinary people may identify with manhood, masculinity, womanhood, and/or femininity in some capacity, or may not identify with any of those things. The nonbinary label can also be used as a standalone identity.

Nonbinary people are included under the transgender umbrella, but not all nonbinary people identify as transgender. Likewise, not all transgender people are nonbinary. Some nonbinary people may identify with gender modalities which are not transgender, such as cisgender, isogender, ipsogender, and ultergender. Others may not label their gender modality at all, or may describe their gender modality as nonbinary as well.

## Etymology

The prefix *non-* means "not," and the word "binary" means "consisting of only two," especially with the suggestion that both options are direct opposites. Thus, the word "nonbinary" etymologically means "not consisting of only two."

The term "NB" is derived from the initials of "non-binary." However, "NB" can also refer to non-Black people in some contexts; other terms (such as "NBi") may be more appropriate when referring to nonbinary people for this reason.

The word "enby" is derived from "NB/NBi," and is often used as the nonbinary equivalent to "boy" or "girl."[*source?*] However, some nonbinary people find "enby" to be infantilizing or otherwise diminishing, and it is advised that one has permission before referring to people with these terms.

## Under the umbrella

This section covers examples of nonbinary identities. There are many identities under the nonbinary umbrella, and this is not a conclusive list. Everything is sorted in alphabetical order. People who experience these identities *won't necessarily* identify as nonbinary, even if their identity is included under the umbrella. For example, an agender person may not identify with the nonbinary label.

### Agender

***Main article:*** *Agender*

Agender is an identity which can primarily be described as being genderless (i.e. having no gender, or experiencing a lack of gender). It is also sometimes described as an identity which exists completely outside the categories of male and female. Some agender people may also describe themselves as being gender neutral, or having a neutral gender.

The agender label can also refer to the state of having an undefinable gender. Agender people may also reject gender as a concept, or feel that it isn't personally relevant to them. Some agender people are gender apathetic, and do not have any strong identification with gender as a result.[*source?*] It is possible for some agender people to feel a partial connection to other genders; these people may potentially identify under the demigender or multigender umbrellas.

### Androgyne

***Main article:*** *Androgyne*

Androgyne is a gender identity associated with androgyny. It may also be described as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between those two genders, or neither. The term is also sometimes used to refer to androgynous individuals, regardless of gender identity.

### Aporagender

***Main article:*** *Aporagender*

Aporagender is an umbrella term for genders which are completely separate from ideas of manhood, masculinity, womanhood, femininity, and anything in between, while still having a strong gendered feeling (i.e. not being genderless). In other words, aporagender exists completely outside the gender binary, while also not lacking gender. It can be used as a standalone identity as well. Examples of identities under this umbrella include, but are not limited to, aliagender, maverique, and ilyagender.

### Demigender

***Main article:*** *Demigender*

Demigender is an umbrella term for genders which are partially, but not wholly, experienced. It can also be described as a partial connection to a certain gender, without being connected to it entirely. This can be used as a standalone identity as well. Demigender people may or may not identify with another gender alongside their partially experienced gender. Examples of identities under the demigender umbrella include, but are not limited to, demigirl, demiboy, and demifluid.[*source?*]

### Genderfluid

***Main article:*** *Genderfluid*

Genderfluid is a term for when one's gender changes, and is not fixed to one constant gender identity. For example, one may be a man at one point, a woman at another, and a nonbinary gender at another. The frequency and intensity of these changes may vary from person to person, and may not always follow a consistent pattern. Changes may occur over days, weeks, months, years, or any other span of time.

While the genderfluid label is included under the nonbinary umbrella, genderfluid people may not always identify as nonbinary. For example, while a genderfluid person is a man or woman, the nonbinary label might not feel applicable to them, even if they do not experience that identity at all times. Some genderfluid also may not ever identify with the nonbinary label, even if they experience more specific identities under the umbrella. The genderfluid label is also sometimes used as an umbrella term for more specific fluid identities, such as genderfae, genderfaun, and genderflor.[*source?*]

### Genderflux

***Main article:*** *Genderflux*

Genderflux is a term for when one's gender fluctuates in intensity. One's gender may be experienced more strongly at one point, and less strongly for another. For example, a person may fluctuate between being allogender, demigender, and agender. The genderflux label is also sometimes used as an umbrella term for more specific fluid identities, such as girlflux, boyflux, and agenderflux.

### Intergender

***Main article:*** *Intergender*

Intergender is a gender identity with two definitions. In this identity's first definition, it was described as a gender which exists between male and female, or as a combination of the two. This definition is not necessarily exclusive to intersex people. It was also used as an umbrella term for all identities that are not binary, prior to the introduction of the nonbinary label.

In a later definition, it was described as "A gender that is between and among male and female." This is similar to the original definition. However, in this instance, the identity was coined to be exclusively used by intersex people. This definition was proposed by Aeshling (quietlyloud-intersex or indonintersex on Tumblr) in 2014, independent of previous definitions. It is similar to amalgagender.

Presently, the intergender label is commonly understood to be intersex-exclusive, following its second definition. Its original definition has largely fallen out of use, and is often considered outdated. However, debate still remains over whether the identity should always be exclusive to intersex people. Dyadic people may instead opt to use labels such as androgyne, bigender, and nonbinary, for the sake of avoiding disrespect and misappropriation.

### Multigender

***Main article:*** *Multigender*

Multigender is an identity in which one experiences multiple genders. These genders may be experienced simultaneously, or one may be fluid between them. It is often used as an umbrella term, but may also be used as a standalone label. Examples of identities under the multigender umbrella include, but are not limited to, genderfluid, bigender, polygender, trigender, and pangender.

### Neurogender

***Main article:*** *Neurogender*

Neurogender is an identity in which one's gender is intrinsically linked to, or influenced by, one's neurodivergence. This can potentially include neurological conditions, neurotype, mental disorders, or other aspects of the person's mental health and neurological makeup. This term is typically used as an umbrella term, but may also be used as a standalone term. Examples of identities under the neurogender umbrella include, but are not limited to, autigender, ADHDgender, and foggender.[*source?*] Identities under the neurogender umbrella, as well as the neurogender label itself, are exclusive to neurodivergent people. Neurotypical people are unable to experience neurogenders, due to the nature of the identities.

### Neutrois

***Main article:*** *Neutrois*

Neutrois is a gender identity which is neutral or null. It is similar to agender, and is sometimes defined synonymously, but places a heavier emphasis on neutrality.

### Xenogender

***Main article:*** *Xenogender*

Xenogender is a gender that cannot be contained by human understandings of gender. It is instead more concerned with crafting other methods of gender categorization, such as those relating to animals, plants, or other creatures/things. This is often used as an umbrella term, but may be used as a standalone term as well. Examples of identities under the xenogender umbrella include, but are not limited to, catgender, stargender, and gendervoid. Xenogenders are also sometimes categorized under more specific umbrella terms, such as noungender, aesthetigender, faunagender, and kingender.[*source?*]

Rather than define gender solely with common gender terms, a xenogender person may instead opt to describe their gender through other concepts and themes, such as nouns, archetypes, and synthetic experiences. Identities under the xenogender umbrella can be metaphorical or comparative in nature. This fills a lexical gap for people whose genders cannot be fully described through their relation to the gender binary. Terms such as "female," "male," "feminine," "masculine," "androgynous," and "neutral" all center around pre-established, western, binary notions of gender, and don't take into account gendered experiences which exist separately from that system. Xenogenders allow for more room to describe one's identity by using terms not typically associated with gender.

## Distinction

### Genderqueer

***Main article:*** *Genderqueer*

Genderqueer is an identity in which one queers gender in some way, and can sometimes be used as an umbrella term for queer gender identities and experiences. This generally includes nonbinary people, but can also include gender-nonconforming people, transgender people, and anyone else with a queer relationship to gender.[*source?*]

While nonbinary and genderqueer are sometimes used interchangeably, not all genderqueer people identify as nonbinary, and not all nonbinary people identify as genderqueer. Genderqueer is also sometimes considered to have stronger political connotations than the nonbinary label,[*source?*] due to the reclamation of the word "queer," which has historically been used as a slur. Nonbinary people are not always comfortable with the genderqueer label, and are not always comfortable reclaiming "queer" in any form.

### Agender

***Main article:*** *Agender*

Agender is an identity which can primarily be described as being genderless, among other similar definitions. While agender people are included under the nonbinary umbrella, not all nonbinary people are agender, and not all agender people claim the nonbinary label. Nonbinary people may experience manhood and womanhood simultaneously, experience something in between those genders, or have another gendered experience that isn't encompassed by genderlessness or neutrality.

### Intersex

***Main article:*** *Intersex*

Intersex is an umbrella term for sex variations that cannot be neatly defined as male or female. This term refers to the sex characteristics that one is born with or naturally develops, and does not refer to gender identity, gender modality, or birth assignment. Nonbinary, on the other hand, is an umbrella term for gender identities that don't follow the gender binary. This term does not refer to the sex characteristics one is born with or naturally develops, and instead refers to one's internal sense of self. Some intersex people are nonbinary, while others are not. Additionally, nonbinary people are not always intersex.[*source?*]

### Transgender

***Main article:*** *Transgender*

Transgender, often shortened to trans, is a gender modality in which one's gender identity and birth assignment are not identical. Nonbinary people are included under the transgender umbrella, but not all nonbinary people identify as transgender. Likewise, not all transgender people are nonbinary.

## Flag

The nonbinary flag was designed by Kye Rowan on February 17, 2014. Yellow represents existing outside the gender binary, due to the color often being used to distinguish something as its own. White represents people who experience many or all genders, due to it being the combination of all colors or light. Purple represents the fluidity and multiplicity of many gender identities, as well as people who are both men and women, or somewhere between. Black represents agender or genderless people, due to it being the absence of color or light.

Another nonbinary flag was created on an unknown date. The DeviantArt account Pride-Flags posted the flag on July 4, 2015, and cited a (now unavailable) tumblr page as the source. The earliest archive for the tumblr page was captured on November 5, 2014 via the Wayback Machine. The archived page is broken as well, so it is unclear when the flag was actually made, as well as what its intended symbolism is. However, due to the colors being similar to those in Kye Rowan's flag, it may be assumed that they hold similar meaning.

## Symbol

There are several nonbinary gender symbols. One popular symbol was created in 2012. It is a circle with a vertical line extending outward from the top; this vertical line has a symbol resembling an asterisk or star (\*) at the end of it. It is visually similar to the symbol for the sublimate of antimony (🜬).

The symbol sometimes resembles an 'X' instead of an asterisk. The 'X' was chosen to mimic the Venus and Mars symbols, but also denounce them. The '+' of the Venus symbol is rotated, and the '>' of the Mars symbol is present. However, the 'X' specifically alludes to the adoption of the letter in many nonbinary pronouns and titles (such as xe/xem pronouns, or an 'X' gender marker). Its position relative to the circle also represents deviation from the gender binary. The symbol was designed on July 14, 2012, by Tumblr user cakemeister.

The comet symbol (☄) is also sometimes used to represent nonbinary people. It is a circle with three lines extending outward from the top right side. This symbol also sometimes specifically represents maverique people.

The Mercury symbol (☿) is sometimes used to represent nonbinary people, genderfluid people, gender-nonconforming people, androgyny, transgender people, intersex people, and those who reclaim the slur "hermaphrodite". It is generally considered to be a "hybrid" gender symbol. It also sometimes represents virgin women, as well as hermaphroditic flowers.

## Gallery

The nonbinary symbol (🜬)The nonbinary symbol (x)The comet symbol (☄)The Mercury symbol (☿)
## References

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34. ↑ epochryphal (2017-02-10). Hello!.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 Demigender (English). The Trans Language Primer.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 Genderfluid / Genderflux (English). The Trans Language Primer.
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 What Does Genderflux Mean? + Other Genderflux Information To Help You Be A Better Ally!. Queer In The World.
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39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 OptimistMinds (2022-08-30). Agenderflux (What does it mean?). OptimistMinds.
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79. ↑ ☄ Comet Emoji: U+2604. Unicode Character Table.
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81. ↑ ☿️ Mercury Emoji. Emojipedia.
82. ↑ 82.0 82.1 Gender symbols. Cakeworld. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014.