WASHINGTON — Some people view gender as binary, meaning they identify as either a man or a woman, including many transgender people. But there are those who feel they don't exclusively fall under either category, or simply don't identify with any gender at all. They are known as nonbinary.
According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, nonbinary is a common term used to describe people who feel they are neither solely male nor female. Or don't identify with either gender.
Nonbinary is just one of many terms used for people who don't fall under the traditional gender binary model. However, there are many other terms to consider including genderqueer, agender, bigender, genderfluid, and more.
"None of these terms mean exactly the same thing – but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female," the National Center for Transgender Equality website reads.
In October 2023, the Cleveland Clinic released a breakdown of several nonbinary terms people may use to describe themselves and their relationship with gender:
- Agender, genderless, or gender-free are terms for people who don’t identify with any gender at all.
- Androgynous means having gender expression characteristics that are typically associated with both male and female.
- Bigender is when someone identifies with two genders, whether they experience those genders at the same time or alternately.
- Demigirl and demiboy are terms for people who partially identify with one gender or the other, but not fully.
- Genderfluid and genderflux refer to the feeling that your gender is flexible. It may change from day-to-day or over time.
- Gender non-conforming usually means that a person doesn’t conform to societal gender norms, whether in terms of gender identity, gender expression or both.
- Genderqueer is typically used as an umbrella term, sort of like nonbinary, for anyone who feels they don’t fit into standard gender labels.
Nonbinary people may choose to use they/them or other gender-neutral pronouns. In a 2021 study, the Trevor Project found that the majority of nonbinary youth reported using pronouns outside of the gender binary, such as “they/them” or neopronouns such as “xe/xem.” Other examples of neopronouns include:
- Ze/zir/zem
- Ee/em/eir
If you are not sure of someone's pronouns, do not just assume. Instead, ask and attempt to incorporate the language into your daily usage. Pronouns also do not directly equate to gender identity. Nonbinary people may use pronouns within the gender binary (she/her or he/him), and cisgendered people (people whose gender identity correlated with their sex assigned at birth) may choose to use pronouns outside the gender binary.
The Trevor Project quotes one subject, saying "It makes me extremely happy when people respect and use my correct pronouns, and I could literally happy cry.” Additionally, the study says that nonbinary youth who reported that no one respected their pronouns had more than 2.5x the rate of attempting suicide compared to those who said "all or most of the people" they knew respected their pronouns.
If you are unsure of how to broach the subject, introduce yourself by saying your pronouns. If you mess up, acknowledge the slip but do not dwell on it. It is important to recognize the mess up but not to center your feelings over theirs.
In addition to normalizing pronouns, adopting more inclusive language to keep from using gendered terms, such as "hey, ladies," or "You guys." Instead, try using Gender-neutral terms like "y'all."
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