What it means to be non-binary - LGBT Foundation (2024)

FAQs

What it means to be non-binary - LGBT Foundation? ›

Non-binary people may identify as both male and female or neither male nor female. They may feel their gender is fluid can change and fluctuate or perhaps they permanently don't identify with one particular gender.

Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or female (identities outside the gender binary).

The idea that there are only two genders is sometimes called a "gender binary,” because binary means "having two parts" (male and female). Therefore, "non- binary" is one term people use to describe genders that don't fall into one of these two categories, male or female. Non-binary people are nothing new.

Nonbinary is an umbrella term to describe someone who doesn't exclusively identify as a male or a female. The gender binary is a Western concept that there are only two genders. But it's now widely recognised that there are important distinctions between sex and gender.

The term “nonbinary” can mean different things to different people. Essentially, it's used to describe someone whose gender identity can't be described as exclusively woman or man. Some people who are nonbinary experience their gender as both man and woman, and others experience their gender as neither man nor woman.

But some people don't neatly fit into the categories of "man" or "woman," or “male” or “female.” For example, some people have a gender that blends elements of being a man or a woman, or a gender that is different than either male or female. Some people don't identify with any gender.

The gender binary describes the inaccurate concept that gender is categorized into only two distinct forms (i.e. man/woman). Many gender-expansive identities exist either between or outside of this binary, such as genderfluid, genderqueer, non-binary or agender.

A non-binary person may want to be addressed by gender neutral pronouns like “they” and “them” instead of she/her or he/him. They may also choose a new name, especially if their given name is often associated with a traditional gender.

Set aside what you've been taught or conditioned to believe around sex and identity expression, and see your child as a sovereign person. You don't have to understand what it means for your child to be non-binary to respect them. Some people aren't familiar with what it means to identify as non-binary, and that's okay.

The most common set of nonbinary pronouns is they/them/their used in the singular (e.g., Jadzia identifies as genderqueer; they do not see themselves as either a woman or a man).

Who was the first non-binary person in the world? ›

Elisa Rae Shupe (formerly Jamie Shupe; born James Clifford Shupe) is a retired United States Army soldier who in 2016 became the first person in the United States to obtain legal recognition of a non-binary gender.

People who identify as "genderqueer" may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories. Non-Binary (NB or enby): Anything that falls outside of the binary system (see definition above).

The Mercury symbol (☿) and combined female/male symbol (⚥) have both been used to represent intersex people. A featureless circle (⚪︎) and neuter symbol (⚲) are used to represent both asexuality and non-binary people.

Definition. Binary response format is defined as a response format in measurement with only two possible values (e.g., yes or no, true or false).

Non-binary thinking involves questioning the "either/or" thinking that is so prevalent in our society and recognizing that there are often more than two options in any given situation. Ask yourself why you feel so strongly about something, particularly if it has zero impact on you.

What is a binary question? A binary question is a closed question with only two answers — for example, 'yes' or 'no'. Hidden in the question is an implicit assumption that there are only two categories into which the subject can fall: good or bad, right or wrong, and so on.