Myths, misconceptions, and the wide variety of gender identities

“Nonbinary people are/aren’t transgender”

“ This is technically not wrong, though the debate as to whether or not nonbinary people ‘count’ as trans is an
‘ exclusionary one to be sure. However, if you ask nonbinary people if they identify as trans, you ll receive a
a wide variety of responses. Many do identify as trans, and many don't. Many opt for gender-confirming
medical treatment such as hormone therapy and surgery, and many don't. Many experience gender
dysphoria, and many don't. The nonbinary umbrella is so wide and nebulous that It covers an
enormous array of identities and experiences, from genderfluid people to genderqueer
people to agender people, and everyone in between. | consider myself nonbinary; | don't
consider myself trans, but | have nonbinary friends that do. | experience gender

ae dysphoria from time to time, but | also have nonbinary friends that don't.
ae

“Nonbinary people are ‘crossdressers’I can tell if

  
 

i.

someone is nonbinary by looking at them”
oe

f It is very unlikely that you would look at me and assume that I’m nonbinary; I'd
actually be very flattered if you did. | present as femme, very aligned with my
assigned gender at birth. | also have a friend who identifies as nonbinary who

presents very masculine and was assigned male at birth—they also identify as
straight, so again, there's that whole thing about sex, gender, and sexuality being
very different and virtually unrelated concepts, and all. | often wish | was more

androgynous-looking, but at the end of the day, my gender identity has very little
to do with how I'm perceived by others, but how | feel most comfortable identifying.
f I've only recently come out, though I’ve known about my gender identity for a while
7 now; It’s always been for me and my own benefit, rather than the benefit of others.

1 i | can’t speak for all nonbinary people, but to me, the nonbinary identity represents
a certain kind of freedom. It’s an acknowledgement of the fabrication of gender
a roles, a term to describe an experience that, while not universal, is more common
than many might think. One of my friends describes themself as having ‘retired from
gender’ —| think that’s an apt way to put It. Nonbinary people do not need others to
understand their experiences; however, a little respect goes a long way. If the concept
of nonbinary genders Is concerning to you, if you're one of the people who winces
“a? when you see all genders’ instead of “both genders’, | have to ask: How does the
gender identity of someone else affect you personally? Why does it bother you?
a After all, at the end of the day, whatever you think of us, whether
= you believe it or no, we have always and will always exist.

Nonbinary people in the spotlight

 

\ eAlec Butler (he/him): Playwright and filmmaker nominated for the Governor
- General’s Award for English drama in 1990. Identifies as a Two-Spirit trans man.
A e Alexander Steinberg (a.k.a. Sasha Velour) (any pronouns): Drag
, queen and creative director. Identifies as genderqueer.
i eAmandla Stenberg (they/them): Actress and singer, best known for their
role as Rue in The Hunger Games. |dentifies as nonbinary.
1% ¢Asia Kate Dillon (they/them): Actor on Orange is the New
Black and Billions. \dentifies as nonbinary.
¢ Eddie Izzard (he/him): Actor, comedian, writer. Identifies as
transgender, or “a complete boy plus half girl.”
a ¢ Gopi Shankar Madurai (ze/zir): Indian equal rights and Indigenous
Le rights activist. Intersex and genderqueer.
vr he elvan E. Coyote (they/them): Performer, writer, and
. : - - LGBTQ+ advocate. Identifies as nonbinary.
a * eJeffrey Marsh (they/them): Writer, actor, and
: social media personality who rose to prominence
on Vine. Identifies as genderqueer.
a ¢ Kaitlyn Alexander (they/them): Actor, writer,
YouTube personality. Played a nonbinary character,
eS. LaFontaine, in the webseries Carmilla.
¢ Miley Cyrus (she/her): Actor, singer. Identifies as genderfluid.
¢Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson (a.k.a. Angel Haze)
(they/them, he/him, she/her): Rapper and singer,
identifies as agender (and did a really good cover of “Same Love” that | highly recommend).
¢Richard O’Brien (he/him): Wrote Rocky Horror Picture Show, identifies as genderqueer (but
unfortunately has some TERF leanings, so not exactly a paragon of the movement).
¢Ruby Rose (she/her): Actress and model, best known for her appearance on Orange is the New Black. |dentifies as genderfluid.
eTyler Ford (they/them): Actor and writer, identifies as agender. Often writes
about the experiences of being a transgender person of colour.

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