You don’t have to understand what it means for someone to be non-binary to respect them. It isn’t as hard as you might think to be supportive and respectful of non-binary people, even if you have just started to learn about them.

How to Be Respectful and Supportive of Non-Binary People Non-binary people are usually not intersex: they’re usually born with bodies that may fit typical definitions of male and female, but their innate gender identity is something other than male or female. Most intersex people identify as either men or women. Intersex people have anatomy or genes that don’t fit typical definitions of male and female. While some transgender people are non-binary, most transgender people have a gender identity that is either male or female, and should be treated like any other man or woman.īeing non-binary is not the same thing as being intersex. Most transgender people are not non-binary. While not all non-binary people need medical care to live a fulfilling life, it’s critical and even life-saving for many. Some, but not all, non-binary people undergo medical procedures to make their bodies more congruent with their gender identity.

Non-binary people aren’t confused about their gender identity or following a new fad – non-binary identities have been recognized for millennia by cultures and societies around the world. Therefore, “non-binary” is one term people use to describe genders that don’t fall into one of these two categories, male or female. The idea that there are only two genders is sometimes called a “gender binary,” because binary means “having two parts” (male and female). Some societies – like ours – tend to recognize just two genders, male and female. (Note: NCTE uses both the adjectives “male” and “female” and the nouns “man” and “woman” to refer to a person’s gender identity.) None of these terms mean exactly the same thing – but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female. Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, and more. People whose gender is not male or female use many different terms to describe themselves, with non-binary being one of the most common. Some people don't identify with any gender.

But some people don't neatly fit into the categories of 'man' or 'woman,' or “male” or “female.” For example, some people have a gender that blends elements of being a man or a woman, or a gender that is different than either male or female. Most people – including most transgender people – are either male or female.

Understanding Transgender People: The Basics.

Video: An Introduction to Transgender People.

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