Celebrating International Non-Binary Day

By: Kristen Pinchbeck

Happy International Non-Binary Day!

This is a day where we get to celebrate all of those who exist outside of the gender binary. In our modern western society, there is a strict idea of what gender is. It is assigned at birth based on what sex organs we are born with. This might just be my sociological nerd brain coming out, but the western idea of gender is purely a social construct that we have assigned way too much meaning to in order to classify people into two specific boxes. In many other cultures throughout history, there has been space for many different genders, but we are still fighting this strict binary in the United States.

For some people, this binary classification based on sexual organs they are born with works and they are comfortable in the gender they were assigned at birth.

For our transgender brothers and sisters, they feel their true selves when they identify as the gender opposite from which they were assigned at birth. For our Nonbinary friends, neither gender feels quite right. These friends of ours can present their gender in a multitude of different ways including more masciline, more feminine, more androgenous, or even fluidly.

Nonbinary can mean so many different things to different people, so it is important to remember that there is not one specific meaning or appearance of those who are non-binary.

New statistics show that 1 in 4 youth are identifying as Non-binary now which is amazing! With these numbers on the rise, it is important to remember that being non-binary comes with some distinct challenges. As they don’t really fit into either a strict masculine or strict feminine gender roles, it can be difficult to identify their place. In addition, people struggle with using alternative pronouns like they or ze because again our western society has enforced the gender binary of she/him/he/her for so long now. It is important to increase Non-binary representation for our youth, and to remember that it is important to protect them as so many states in our country are fighting gender battles right now.

Thankfully, we have the world at our fingertips now and we can follow tons of different people on social media to broaden our horizons. I encourage all of you to branch out and follow some nonbinary people that represent your interests.

My personal favorite nonbinary account to follow is @nrgfitness. I have been following their account for a while now, and do their workouts daily. They also have a YouTube channel with awesome workouts for any fitness level. They post the most inspiring, positive content, and they have really helped me in my journey.

I would love to find out who y’all are following and who I should be learning from as well!

If you are a Non-binary friend looking for other friends, or if you are questioning how you fit into the gender spectrum, we do have a Non-binary peer support group for you to join! Take a look at our calendar on our page to find our just when that group meets! In addition, if you are looking for a way to get involved, we would be happy to use your skills and talents as part of our volunteer team. Everyone is welcome and needed here at the SGV LGBTQ Center!