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A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING NONBINARY




WHAT IS NONBINARY?

To put it in simple terms, nonbinary means that you do not conform to the binary
gender system that society placed for us. We reject being exclusively male or
female entirely.

There are many misconceptions to what nonbinary really means. Many people
believe it's a third gender, or that if you are nonbinary then you are
genderless. These are not true! While there are many nonbinary people who do
feel genderless, it does not mean we all are. Nonbinary is a spectrum and an
umbrella term that encompasses identities such as genderfluid, agender,
bigender, etc; it is not a singular identity. Not all nonbinary people are the
same!

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IS BEING NONBINARY NEW?

Not at all. While the term itself may feel new, the concept of being nonbinary
has existed for ages, extending back to the 11th century where people would use
it/its pronouns instead of she, he or they.

Many nonwhite cultures celebrate being outside of the gender binary as well and
even have special terms for them, such as Two-Spirit, Hijra and more. This is
because the traditional gender binary we know today was the result of European
Christian colonizers enforcing their gender roles and religion onto Indigenous
and other nonwhite people. To say that nonbinary doesn’t exist is disrespectful
to these cultures and is laced with racism and xenophobia.

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DO NONBINARY PEOPLE HAVE TO USE THEY/THEM OR PRESENT ANDROGYNOUS?

Nope. Nonbinary people can use whatever pronouns they please. Pronouns are a
part of gender expression, and as such nonbinary people can use whatever
pronouns that correspond to their gender expression.

The same reasoning can be said for clothes and presentation. Nonbinary people do
not owe anyone they/them pronouns or androgyny; they are free to present
themselves however they want.

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WHAT SEXUALITY CAN NONBINARY PEOPLE BE?

They can have the same labels as everyone else. Nonbinary people can be bi, pan,
queer, and yes, even gay and lesbian. Yet another common misconception about
being nonbinary is that we cannot use "binary labels" when this is far from the
truth. Nonbinary people have always been included in every sexuality, which
includes homosexuality. Forcing nonbinary people to use specific terms such as
trixic, toric, etc. forces us into a “trinary”, which is the opposite of what we
are.


HOW CAN THEY BE GAY/LESBIAN?

Nonbinary is a spectrum, and as such, many nonbinary people will fall onto
either side of the spectrum. For example, a nonbinary gay can be male-aligned or
unaligned. As long as they aren’t a woman or woman-aligned, they are gay.

A carrd that explains it very well can be found here and can help you understand
nonbinary lesbians/gays better.

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ARE NONBINARY PEOPLE TRANS?

Many nonbinary people prefer to simply be called nonbinary, and are comfortable
identifying as such, and that's okay! However, there are many nonbinary people
who accept the trans label with open arms, and prefer both labels. Many trans
people also identify as nonbinary themselves. For example, I am a transmasc
nonbinary; I do not fully identify with being male.



Nonetheless, it depends on the person. While nonbinary people can fall under the
trans umbrella, many n.b people may not feel comfortable being called trans! Be
sure to check with them first before calling them so.

Also, an important reminder, the white stripe in the trans flag is for nonbinary
people.

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HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M NONBINARY?

If you do not exclusively identify with the two binary genders, then you are
nonbinary.

There is no checklist to being nonbinary. There's no test to pass. You can dress
however you want, use whatever name you want, use any pronouns you want; it
doesn't matter. It's your identity and your presentation. Anyone can be
nonbinary.

The only qualification you need to be nonbinary is that you identify with being
nonbinary.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 * Are all nonbinary people AFAB?

 * Why can't we just use NB instead?

 * What are some nonbinary identites?

 * Can nonbinary people medically transition?

 * What terms should I use for nonbinary people?

 * What is masc-aligned, fem-aligned, and unaligned?

 * Can nonbinary people experience dysphoria/euphoria?

 * Can nonbinary people speak on gender-based oppression?

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Can nonbinary people medically transition?

Yes. Nonbinary people can medically transition. It is their body and what they
want to do with it is their choice and 100% valid.

A common example of nonbinary transitioning can be [butch] lesbians taking T or
having top surgery. This can help ease their dysphoria.

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Can nonbinary people experience dysphoria/euphoria?

Absolutely. Dysphoria is not limited to binary trans individuals! It's a reason
why many nonbinary people want to medically transition. The same reasoning can
be said for euphoria.

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What terms should I use for nonbinary people?

You should use whatever terms they tell you they are comfortable with. Not doing
so would be misgendering.

Not every nonbinary person is the same. Some may prefer feminine terms, others
may prefer masculine, and sometimes others prefer to keep things gender neutral.
It completely depends on the person.

However, you should always ask what terms they are comfortable with so you can
know beforehand.

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Can nonbinary people speak on gender-based oppression?

If you are a nonbinary woman or fem-aligned, then you may speak on gender-based
oppression such as misogyny. Not allowing nonbinary people to participate in
these discussions ignores our struggles, as we are constantly percieved
differently by people in public. These issues can affect us as well.

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Are all nonbinary people AFAB?

No. Nonbinary people are not always AFAB; we are not women lite. Many AMAB
nonbinary people exist, and it does not make them any less nonbinary.

Also, avoid using these terms (AFAB / AMAB) to describe nonbinary people if they
are uncomfortable with it. To most of them, it feels like misgendering.

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Why can't we just use NB instead?

Black people have constantly said that NB is a term used for non-black
individuals, and to ignore them and continue using their terminology would be
disrespectful and would be appropriation. Listen to black people.

Just say nonbinary, n.b or enby.

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What are some nonbinary identities?

There are many identities that fall under the nonbinary identity, to the point
where it would be near impossible to list them all. However, the most common
nonbinary identities are:

 * AGENDER: A gender identity where you feel genderless or simply have no
   gender. Others have described it as feeling as if your gender is a mystery,

 * BIGENDER: A gender identity where you experience two genders at once, either
   at the same time or if it varies.

 * GENDERFLUID: A gender identity where you fluctuate between multiple genders.
   These can be between a binary gender to a binary one, a nonbinary one to a
   binary one or a nonbinary one to another nonbinary one.

 * DEMIGENDER: A gender identity where you partially feel a connection to a
   certain gender. If you are fem-aligned, this would be DEMIGIRL and if you are
   masc-aligned, this would be DEMIBOY.

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What is masc-aligned, fem-aligned and unaligned?

These are terms nonbinary people use to describe their experiences and
connection to gender.

 * MASC-ALIGNED: This is a broad term that can encompass many male or masc-like
   genders, like demiboy. People are who masc-aligned, like myself, may feel
   more of a connection to masculinity and manhood but are not too connected to
   it to be binary.

 * FEM-ALIGNED: This is a broad term that can encompass any female or
   fem-aligned genders, like demigirl. People who are fem-aligned may feel more
   of a connection to femininity or womanhood, but not too connected to it to be
   binary.

 * UNALIGNED: People who are unaligned may not feel a connection to the two
   binary genders, or even other genders that fall outside the binary. Agender
   people can be unaligned, and say that their gender feels null. However, they
   can still connect to masculinity / femininity and present how they want.

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Thank you for reading this carrd! I hope it helped you learn about nonbinary
people.



This carrd will be edited and constantly grow as I get new information. No
matter how silly this all sounds, please remember to support nonbinary people.
Be good allies, listen to our voices, don't act as if you know our identities
better than us.

That is all we ask!

This carrd was made by a transmasc nonbinary gay.

( Made with Carrd )