non-binary (adj.) | non-binary, the
The term non-binary describes a wide range of different ways of experiencing one's gender.
Many non-binary individuals locate their gender identity between male and female, meaning they are neither fully female nor fully male, or neither always female nor always male. Some have a non-binary identity that moves or shifts fluidly between male and female. Still others have a non-binary gender that is completely independent of the concepts of "man" and "woman." This can also include having no gender or a neutral gender identity. All of these individuals have in common that their gender does not follow the ⇒ binary gender order.
People who fit the descriptions above do not necessarily describe themselves as "non-binary," depending on how they see themselves. Gender concepts that do not follow the binary male-female order also vary considerably culturally and geographically and cannot be subsumed under the Western-influenced label of "non-binary."
Some individuals have multiple affiliations with different genders or gender identities. For example, some ⇒ intersex people also identify as nonbinary. Non-binary genders are also sometimes included under the umbrella term ⇒ trans* because both non-binary people and trans people have a gender that does not match their sex assigned at birth.
Just like people with binary gender identities, non-binary people can have any sociosexual orientation, gender expression, or appearance. A desire for physical changes or ambiguous gender expression may or may not be present.
Sources (in German)
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Enby Group of RosaLinde Leipzig e. V. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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Gagarim, Yori (2017): Huh? What does non-binary mean? In: Missy Magazine. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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LAG Lesben in NRW e. V. (2019): Primer of small differences. 10th updated and revised edition.
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Lichtenstein S.; Rolling Eyes Collective (2019): Rolling Eyes glossary. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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Non-binary wiki (n.d.): Non-binary and genderqueer. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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Sauer, Arn (2018): Non-binary. In: LSBTIQ Lexicon. Completely revised licensed edition of the glossary of the Trans*Inter*Sectionality Network. Federal Agency for Civic Education, Bonn. Last accessed 13.07.2020.
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Lichtenstein S.; Rolling Eyes Collective (2019): Rolling Eyes Glossary: A project of the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences 2019, Department of Social and Cultural Sciences. Düsseldorf. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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Zeit Online (2019): Not him or her - Säye is non-binary. OUT NOW! - Ep. 7: Säye. Youtube. Last accessed 09.04.2020.
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