Through all of the public debate this last week arising from some unsavoury journalism, through the progressive blog series on this very website you will notice an absence of one term: non-binary. Can anybody easily tell me what this means? No? I didn’t think so. Don’t worry, that’s ok, I’m here to educate.
I’d like to sit with you and explain with eye contact, anecdotes and genuine sharing what Non-Binary is, but for now I’m going to contend with sharing the facts. They are so unknown I have to use this opportunity to help you understand. Hopefully there will be another time for me to share my own story.
Trans is in fact an umbrella term which incorporates many different identities, including transsexual, transvestites, transgender and non-binary. We are taught that both sex and gender exist within a binary model; male/female or man/woman. When the mainstream media talk about the trans community it is within the confines of these binary identities – “WOMAN BORN A MAN” or something similar.
But, if you start thinking about gender and what it means to move across genders and how we present our gender identity, imagine what it would be like to remove the idea of gender completely – to exist beyond or between the binary.
There is a staggering lack of knowledge amongst the majority of the public on this. I’m not sure if this is because we don’t or can’t allow our minds to wander. Whatever the case, in my role as one of NUS LGBT Officers I spend a lot of time educating and sharing what I know with students. I also do this in the pub, in the shops, in the library, with my friends and even with my family.
Like other trans people, non-binary people sometimes experience a sense of dysphoria (the sense of their body being wrong in terms of sex) but it doesn’t necessarily correlate to firm ideas of “male” and “female” in the same way that it does for some trans women and men.
As part of a non-binary identity, gender may be a more fluid concept, so the idea of a “fixed” gender would not be fitting. Because of this fluidity, someone’s identity and how they see themselves in the world might change over time.
If you exist beyond or between the binary of male/female or man/woman, then the use of common pronouns or titles may not feel comfortable for you, (Mr/Miss/he/she). I am a firm believer that while language is sometimes seen as set, it is in fact malleable, and can and should be used to adapt to new identities. In the case of non-binary, it is possible to use Mx or M as a title, and while used sometimes in the plural sense “they” is usually the easiest pronoun to use, while some do choose other pronouns to suit their identity.
As far as I am aware, legally trans people are covered in the sense of existing within the binary or medically transitioning. However the Equality Act doesn’t seem to cover people who are not medically transitioning from one defined gender to another.
We don’t drop bombs, we don’t crash economies, and this education is actually free. But we remain unequal, largely unrecognised, without public debate or widespread recognition. I hope this is one small step to change that, even for a handful of people.
This was a very brief lesson in non-binary and can I just ask you to take the following points home and dare I hope it – share with your friends?
Do not assume you can tell someone’s gender identity just by looking at their gender presentation. In terms of asking an individual about their preferred pronoun, my advice would be to ask everyone within a group their preferred pronoun or ask no one. Choosing an individual whom you read as trans may be isolating and might “out” their trans status without meaning to. If you have questions, try to remember that this isn’t just theory but often someone’s personal life and experience. Invite someone to come and do training in your workplace, college or university. If you are compiling data or creating a form to collect research try to include identities beyond the binary. Options could include male/female/prefer not to say/other.
Sky Yarlett, 23, is one of two NUS LGBT Officers. You can follow both on Twitter as @NUS_LGBT
Where can I find out more information?
Each person’s identity is individual to their experiences but there are lots of resources which can help to provide information and a basic understanding.
Often most helpful is to hear personal experiences.
This is a useful link which provides information and guidance on non-binary:
This is a website in which peoples’ experiences are documented and individuals’ questions can be asked and answered:
This is the “Think Outside The Box” website which provides guidance and examples to including Trans and Non-Binary identities within forms:
This is the NUS LGBT Trans Students guide which provides a brief introduction to Trans and the issues Trans students may face and how to include Trans people within the LGBT society:
https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/asset/News/6015/LGBT_TransGuide1.pdf
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