Decoding The Non-Binary: 50 & More Shades of Gay

Decoding The Non-Binary: 50 & More Shades of Gay

When asked about our gender, most of us are quick to react with a ‘Male’ or a ‘Female’.

Rarely, are we even aware that just like the world we see in colours gender too, needn’t be monochromic.

There’s a whole panorama of genders that exist out there, and male and female are just 2 of its extremities.

Just like we have replaced our old B&W TVs with coloured ones, we need to replace our dogma of binary genders and openly embrace and accept, if not respect, all possibilities that exist.

So, what is this spectrum of genders?

Is there just 1 more third gender apart from ‘M’ and ‘F’ or are there more? Who and how have they been classified?

Let’s find out.

  • What does a non-binary gender mean? What does it look like?

It would look something like this:

The term “non binary” literally just means “a gender category outside of the gender binary”. The gender binary is a worldview or a concept in which only two genders exist (man and woman).

Also, not all non-binary people have the same gender. There isn’t just one non binary gender, or just one way to be non-binary. Some non-binary people have a fluid gender that changes over time. Some non-binary people don’t experience a gender at all, and some non-binary people describe their gender as being “close to” man, or “close to” woman, but not exactly.

  • What does “cis-gender” mean?

Someone who is cis-gender is someone who comfortably identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth. So, for example, if you were assigned female at birth, and are comfortable identifying as a woman, you are cis-gender.

  • Is gender fluid the same as non-binary?

There is some overlap. Gender fluid people often have genders that change over time.

‘Genderfluid’ is a description of what their gender does.

‘Non binary’ is a category of gender identities.

Gender fluid people generally count as non-binary (if they want to).

  • Are non-binary people ‘Trans’?

Some of them are. Depends on how they identify. Trans would actually mean being born in one gender but you feel you belong and choose to identify with another.Q

  •  What do non-binary people identify as?

Again, the term “non-binary” is an umbrella term with a few different gender identities under it, but the most basic definition for this term is people who identify as neither male nor female. These people might identify as both (“bigender”), neither (“agender”), a mix between the two (“genderfluid”), or they can be unsure of their gender (“genderqueer”). Non binary people can identify with any of these terms if it seems like they fit their identities, or they could identify with none. All non-binary identities are as valid.

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