Definition: Non-binary, or gender queer, is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary of man and woman.
Most people including the third gender or trans gender fall under the category of binary gender (i.e) either male or female. But a few, do not fit into the binary gender of a man or a woman. They do not identify with any gender. It is because their gender changes over time based on situation and feelings. The ones whose gender is not male or female, define themselves as gender non-binary.
Here are a few statements from the people who identify themselves as Gender Non-Binary.
“I am gender non-binary which means that I feel restricted to fall in the boxes of man and woman. I go between male and female. I see gender as a spectrum and I fall on the side based on the situation I am.”
“I wake up everyday as a new person. I will feel like I am a man today but tomorrow I will feel like I need to be a woman. A lot of people are intimidated by me and people who accept me as they believe that we are just making-up these new genders. I just try not to represent myself as a man or woman.”
“People just say to me that Gender-Queer is not a thing. They ask me how can I not be a man or woman. But sometimes it is hard to express yourself because people in the LGBT community also think we are not real and do not accept that we exist. They think we just say something like Agender, Gender-fluid to seek attention.”
“I identify as gender-fluid. Though I was born as a man, I feel that I am 70% woman. People tell that I am some sort of alien who feels feminine but I am not gay but I do not want to get a sexual transition as woman. This confuses them. I just tell them, my gender and feeling is mine and you do not have the need to understand me or study me.”
“As a star influencer, people tell me that I should not talk about me being a gender fluid on social platforms as it confuses their kids when they watch me. I tell them that it is alright and it is good to confuse kids because they will learn that there is more to ourselves than just falling under the category of male or female.”
“Being non-binary is a way for me to explore gender non-conformity and expose myself to all the ways in which gender can exist in my body. Some days, being non-binary is a big, loud, and empowering form of rebellion and resistance against the gender binary and societal/internalized gender roles.”
“Being non-binary means for me is finally being in a space where I feel conscious and confident about the decisions I make in life and not having my body be regulated by one tight narrative. It has created pathways for me to be more creative, more vulnerable, and more resilient in the face of adversity. Being non-binary means everything to me, it has helped shape me into the person and advocate I am today.”
“As an intersex non-binary trans femme I believe that I live in between the two boxes of male and female that society has said we all have to fit into. I believe that we go beyond what people believe. We are innovative, resilient, and full of life. Our existence pushes the boundaries on what society believes and that is something I think we should be proud of. We occupy all of the boxes and none of the boxes at the same time.”
Being a non-binary and living a life true to oneself is possible. But for each individual, it can mean something much more personal. For some, it involves changing pronouns, changing names, changing wardrobes, or, sometimes, changing nothing at all in order to feel like the truest version of oneself.
Here is the list of people who expresses themselves as Gender Non-Binary.
Miley Cyrus – American Pop Singer
Gopi Shankar – Indian equal rights activist. First openly intersex and gender queer individual to contest in Tamil Nadu state elections.
Jonathan Van Ness – American TV personality. Lead star of the series Queer Eye
Ezra Miller – Actor
