Non-binary

**Non-binary**, sometimes written as **nonbinary**, is a term referring to individuals whose gender identity does not exclusively fall into the binary gender classification of only "man" or "woman." Those who are non-binary may identify with either masculinity or femininity in some capacity, both, or neither at all. Although it is a gender identity on its own, it can also be used as an umbrella term to refer to many gender identities. While non-binary is included in the transgender umbrella, not all non-binary people identify as transgender.

Since identifying as non-binary can mean different things to different people, it is best to ask someone who uses the term what it means to them.

## Etymology

The name non-binary is a combination of the prefix *non-* (meaning "not, the lack of") and *binary* (meaning "consisting of two"), literally meaning "not consisting of two" and properly used as an adjective.

The alternative name "enby" comes from the pronunciation of the abbreviation "NB". The best practice is to abbreviate non-binary as NBi rather than NB, as NB is sometimes used to mean "non-Black" when referring to non-Black people of color (POC).

## Community

International Non-Binary People's Day has been observed each year on July 14 since 2012. The date was chosen because it is in between International Women's Day (March 8) and International Men's Day (November 19), thus reflecting of gender identity that is outside the binary. The week surrounding July 14 is known as the Non-Binary Awareness Week, which is a specific time by, for, and about non-binary people to celebrate themselves and the communities, and to spread awareness to other people to how they can be a better ally to non-binary people.

### Identities under the umbrella

#### Demigender

Main article: Demigender
Part of the non-binary spectrum, demigender is an umbrella term of its own accord referring more specifically to people who feel a partial connection to a certain gender, such as demigirl, demiboy, or demifluid.

#### Non-binary woman/girl and non-binary man/boy

There are specific microlabels of non-binary where a person feels close to a binary gender without actually being that gender fully, or otherwise that they align to one of the binary genders. These labels are non-binary woman and non-binary man, which are also sometimes referred to as non-binary girl and non-binary boy, respectively.

In the 2021 Gender Census, 80 participants identified as non-binary woman, including alternative spellings and terms such as non-binary girl. This accounted for about 0.18% of participants of the survey. The non-binary girl flag was created on January 17, 2017.

Also in the 2021 Gender Census, 82 participants identified as non-binary men, including alternative spellings and terms such as non-binary boy. This accounted for about 0.19% of participants of the survey. The non-binary boy flag was created on January 17, 2017.

### History

*Document the community's most important history, including facts such as key events, breakthroughs in improving the community's wellbeing and rights, or historical figures known to belong to the community.*

### Flag

In 2011, Marilyn Roxie designed a flag to give more visibility to all non-binary and genderqueer people consisting of three horizontal stripes, from top to bottom, of lavender (representing those relating someway to the gender binary), white (gender neutrality), and green (representing those outside of the gender binary). However, as the genderqueer community grew, the design became more representative of them specifically, and the feeling that it was not directly applicable to non-binary people anymore grew. The call to have their own representative flag was answered in 2014 by Kye Rowan, who designed the current non-binary flag to fly beside the genderqueer one rather than replace it.

The non-binary flag consists of 4 horizontal stripes: the yellow at the top represents those whose gender exists outside the gender binary, the purple indicates those who do relate to it, having genders that fall somewhere between "man" and "woman" or are considered a mix of them. The white represents those who are multigender, with many or all genders, and the black refers to those who are agender, without a gender.

### Distinction

Since non-binary is also considered to be an umbrella term, there are multiple terms that are associated with it. While there is a certain overlap between them all, the common denominator often being "having a gender experience outside the binary," there are nuanced differences to each of them. However, despite there being definitions for each of them, their meaning can vary depending on culture or even geographic regions.

#### Agender

Main article: Agender
Agender is a term which refers to people who have no gender, have a neutral gender, reject gender, or otherwise are genderless. Not all non-binary people are agender or genderless. Non-binary people may have a partial connection to gender, experience multiple genders, experience gender fluidly, or have another experience with gender that doesn't necessarily cause one to be genderless.

#### Genderqueer

Main article: Genderqueer
Non-binary generally is used as the catchall term for those who do not identify with the gender binary, whereas genderqueer often refers more to a particular experience under that umbrella, referring to non-normative or queer gender. The two terms are closely related and often used interchangeably, but that does not make them synonyms, and thus one should always defer to a person's preferred identifier.

#### Intersex

Main article: Intersex
Intersex is an umbrella term for various people who are born with or develop sex characteristics that differ from binary notions of a "male" or "female" body. These differences are called variations, and may involve one's hormones, chromosomes, external and internal reproductive organs, or secondary sex characteristics.

Being intersex and being non-binary both involve falling outside the notions held within the binary. However, this is in different ways. Being intersex mainly relates to one's sex characteristics, whereas being non-binary mainly relates to one's gender. As such, intersex people are not inherently non-binary (and vice versa) but could be intersex and non-binary at the same time.

#### Transgender

Main article: Transgender
Non-binary identities are included under the transgender umbrella term as they are people whose gender differs from what they were assigned at birth. However, the two identities are distinct, and people can identify as both trans and non-binary. A binary transgender person differs from their birth assignment by identifying as a man or a woman rather than female or male. A non-binary person may never identify with either binary term, or they may partially identify with either or both terms, which can include their birth assignment. A trans non-binary person is thus someone who both does not identify with their birth assignment (trans) and has a gender identity that is neither exclusively man nor woman (non-binary). Not all non-binary people identify as trans and not all trans people identify as non-binary.

### Controversy

*If there has been a specific variety of this identity-phobic discourse that has led to discrediting it please detail that here. If there have been similar -phobic discourses around popular flags, it can also be documented in this section.*

### Perceptions and discrimination

#### Non-binary erasure

Erasure in the context of gender refers to the practice of erasing, ignoring, or antagonizing of people whose genders are outside of the gender binary. For non-binary people, this often refers to them being overlooked in legal matters, such as having to indicate a binary gender on passports and driver's licenses, and the use of gendered language. The extent of this differs from language to language, as some are better suited for gender-neutrality. Where identifying as non-binary is an internal process of acceptance, people are constantly forced to reaffirm their identity by that erasure in a binary society. This can make folks very uncomfortable. While this constant challenging of their identity may not seem that noticeable by those who are not non-binary, being on the receiving end of continuous erasure and perception of not being accepted may lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. In a binary society, the extents of this are noticeable in every aspect of life, from linguistics to even buying clothes, using the bathroom, going to school, meeting new people, or receiving medical care.

#### Misgendering

Main article: Pronoun § Misgendering
Misgendering is the act of attributing the wrong gender to a person, whether it be deliberate or not. While non-binary people identify outside the gender binary, they often prefer gender-neutral pronouns, though this too is a personal decision, and some non-binary individuals still use binary pronouns. To avoid assuming, one should always ask which pronouns someone prefers and when in doubt, opt for gender-neutral language. Since not all language, especially not English, is suitable for gender neutrality, language has to evolve. On September 17, 2019, the Merriam-Webster dictionary updated its definition of the word "they" and included that it could be used as a way to refer to individuals in a neutral way.

## Media

### Literature

**Fiction:**

* *She Who Became the Sun* by Shelley Parker-Chan
* *Loveless* by Alice Oseman
* *Phoenix Extravagant* by Yoon Ha Lee
* *Pet* by Akwaeke Emezi
* *The Black Tides of Heaven* by Neon Yang
* *An Unkindness of Ghosts* by Rivers Solomon
* *I Wish You All the Best* by Mason Deaver
* *Outlawed* by Anna North
* *On a Sunbeam* by Tillie Walden
* *The Discomfort of Evening* by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
* *The Echo Wife* by Sarah Gailey
* *Mordew* by Alex Pheby

**Nonfiction:**

* *Gender Queer: A Memoir* by Maia Kobabe
* *Beyond the Gender Binary* by Alok Vaid-Menon
* *A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns* by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson
* *Gender Euphoria* by Laura Kate Dale
* *In Their Shoes* by Jamie Windust
* *Life Isn't Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between* by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker
* *Whats the T? The No-nonsense Guide to All Things Trans And/or Non-binary for Teens* by Juno Dawson

### Television

* Taylor Mason from *Billions* - the first non-binary main character in a major television series in North American TV history.
* Raine Whispers from The Owl House
* Masha from The Owl House
* Donatello from Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles
* Charlie Dalton from Dead Poets Society - Charlie's actor, Gale Hansen, said he was "100% on board" with Charlie being represented as non-binary.

### Music

* Demi Lovato
* Sam Smith
* Utada Hikaru
* Kehlani

### Public figures

* Amandla Stenberg
* Asia Kate Dillon
* Bex Taylor-Klaus
* Brigette Lundy-Paine
* Copter Panuwat
* Daniela Sea
* Emma Corrin
* Elliot Page
* E.R. Fightmaster
* Gigi Goode
* Hida Viloria
* Indya Moore
* Joan Stokes
* Joey Soloway
* Jonathan Van Ness
* Lachlan Watson
* Leo Baker
* Avi Roque
* Rebecca Sugar (identifies specifically as a non-binary woman)
* Dominique McLean, a.k.a SonicFox (identifies specifically as a non-binary man)
* Grant Morrison

## Resources

* Trans Lifeline — Peer support by trans people, for trans people (US and Canada)
* National Center for Transgender Equality — Know Your Rights guides to legal rights in various situations, other self-help guides, information about various topics

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Trans Language Primer: "NB / NBi / Enby". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on October 31, 2021).
2. ↑ GLAAD: "Glossary of Terms - Transgender". *GLAAD Media Reference Guide - 10th Edition*. (Archived on October 22, 2021).
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Abrams, Mere: "What Does It Mean to Identify as Nonbinary?". *Healthline*.
4. ↑ The Trevor Project: "Understanding Gender Identities" (2021-08-23). thetrevorproject.org. (Archived on November 21, 2021).
5. ↑ "Nonbinary Definition & Meaning". dictionary.com.
6. ↑ Jake: "When is International Non-Binary Day in 2020?" (2020-02-25). *The Gay UK*.
7. ↑ "Non-Binary Week 2020" (2020-07-13). *Activist Bookshelf*.
8. ↑ "Gender Identity And How Understanding It Can Ease Loneliness". rootsofloneliness.com. The Roots of Loneliness Project. (Archived on March 20, 2022).
9. ↑ "Glossary of Terms | LGBTQ+ Resource Center". uwm.edu. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Archived on March 17, 2022).
10. ↑ "LGBTI-SafeZone Terminology". edi.nih.gov. National Institute of Health, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. (Archived on November 10, 2021).
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Nonbinary Girl (2)" (2017-01-17). deviantart.com. (Archived on January 27, 2022).
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Nonbinary Boy (2)" (2017-01-17). deviantart.com. (Archived on January 21, 2022).
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Gender Census 2021: Worldwide Report". gendercensus.com. Gender Census.
14. ↑ University of Northern Colorado: "The Gender & Sexuality Resource Center - Pride flags". *University of Northern Colorado*.
15. ↑ Hildreth, Cade: "The Nonbinary Pride Flag: What It Is and Why It Was Created" (2020-01-20). *Cade Hildreth*.
16. ↑ OutRight Action International: "Non-binary pride flag". *OutRight Action International*.
17. ↑ The Trans Language Primer: "Non-binary". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on October 26, 2021).
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 National Center for Transgender Equality: "Understanding Non-Binary People: How to Be Respectful and Supportive" (2018-10-05). *National Center for Transgender Equality*.
19. ↑ Davis, Chloe O.. *The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases*. Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2021. ISBN 9780593135013.
20. ↑ Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward. *The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. ISBN 9781784506636.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Hardell, Ash. *The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2016. ISBN 9781633534087.
22. ↑ Elizabeth Boskey: "What Does It Mean to Be Nonbinary?". verywellmind.com.
23. ↑ KC Clements: "What Does It Mean to Identify as Genderqueer?" (2018-09-18). *Healthline*.
24. ↑ Retta, Mary: "What's the Difference Between Non-Binary, Genderqueer, and Gender-Nonconforming?". *Vice*.
25. ↑ interACT: "FAQ: What is intersex?" (2018-09-18). *interACT*.
26. ↑ McNabb, Charlie. *Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources*. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 The Trans Language Primer: "Non-Binary Erasure". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on November 2, 2021).
28. ↑ Hildreth, Cade: "Nonbinary Gender: On Being Beyond, Both, and In-Between" (2021-06-16). *Cade Hildreth*.
29. ↑ The Trans Language Primer: "Misgendering". *The Trans Language Primer*. (Archived on November 2, 2021).
30. ↑ Hildreth, Cade: "Merriam Webster's Word of the Year 2019: Nonbinary Pronoun 'They'" (2019-12-11). *Cade Hildreth*.
31. ↑ 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 31.14 31.15 31.16 31.17 31.18 https://booksandbao.com/non-binary-books-fiction-nonfiction/
32. ↑ Rude, Mey: "16 TV Shows With Nonbinary Characters". *Out*.
33. ↑ Demi Lovato on Twitter: "Every day we wake up, we are given another opportunity & chance to be who we want & wish to be. I’ve spent the majority of my life growing in front of all of you… you’ve seen the good, the bad, & everything in between. https://t.co/HSBcfmNruo" / Twitter
34. ↑ Brooke Sopelsa and Gwen Aviles: "Sam Smith will now use gender-neutral 'they/them' pronouns". nbcnews.com.
35. ↑ Utada Hikaru Comes Out As Non-Binary - TODAY (todayonline.com)
36. ↑ KEHLANI: “People gave me a label I never gave myself and got mad when I didn’t fit into it” (divamag.co.uk)
37. ↑ Amandla Stenberg Uses They/Them Gender Pronouns | Teen Vogue
38. ↑ 'Billions' actor Asia Kate Dillon explains what it means to be non-binary - ABC News (go.com)
39. ↑ Bex Taylor Klaus on ‘Deputy’ Nonbinary Reveal – The Hollywood Reporter
40. ↑ "Atypical" Actor Brigette Lundy-Paine Comes Out as Nonbinary | them.
41. ↑ K-Ci Williams: "Thai BL Star Copter Panuwat is Proud to Be Nonbinary". teenvogue.com.
42. ↑ Daniel Sea On Playing Max on The L Word and Their Gender Identity (autostraddle.com)
43. ↑ Emma Corrin: I Realized I'm Nonbinary While Playing Princess Diana in 'the Crown' (insider.com)
44. ↑ Elliot Page on His Identity and Where He Goes From Here | Time
45. ↑ Suraksha Guragain: "Who Is E.R. Fightmaster? Learn The Real Name And Dating Life Of The Non-Binary Actor". celebrityshine.com.
46. ↑ Joseph Longo: ""Drag Race" Gigi Goode Comes Out as Trans, Nonbinary". them.us.
47. ↑ Larissa Pham: "Intersex Activist and Writer Hida Viloria on Being ‘Born Both’". rollingstone.com.
48. ↑ "I'm non binary, femme, Agender feels fitting too. My pronouns: they/them/theirs. I correct people often. At times they ignore me & I tolerate it to avoid conflict/irritation but it's upsetting to feel like i'm "too much" in a world that takes so much from trans people constantly" [Tweet]. twitter.com. (Archived version).
49. ↑ Row Light: "What Are Indya Moore's Pronouns?". thelist.com.
50. ↑ "Biography". imdb.com.
51. ↑ Hadley Freeman: "Transparent’s Jill Soloway: ‘The words male and female describe who we used to be’". theguardian.com.
52. ↑ Fran Tirado: "'Queer Eye*s Jonathan Van Ness: “I’m Nonbinary”**". out.com.*
53. ↑ Adryan Corcione: ""Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" Star Lachlan Watson on Non-Binary Identity and Telling a Bit of Their Own Story Through Susie Putnam". teenvogue.com.
54. ↑ Zoya Raza-Sheikh: "Leo Baker is the trans non-binary skateboarder paving the way for queer, underrepresented communities". gaytimes.co.uk.
55. ↑ "Twitter". twitter.com. (Archived version).
56. ↑ Terra Necessary: "Rebecca Sugar Opens Up About Being Non-binary" (2018-04-18). pride.com. Pride Publishing Inc.. (Archived on November 26, 2021).
57. ↑ Mey Rude: "How This Nonbinary Woman Created the Queerest Cartoon on Television" (2018-08-02). them.us. Them. (Archived on December 13, 2021).
58. ↑ Alex Dalbey: "Esports Player SonicFox Comes Out As Nonbinary" (2019-09-04). dailydot.com. (Archived on May 14, 2021).
59. ↑ Prop Anon: "Grant Morrison Surveys the Situation In “The Age of Horus”". mondo2000.com.