The gender binary isn’t “more natural,” universal or pre-ordained. It’s a script that we’re allowed to rewrite.
Every year on July 14, we mark International Non-Binary People’s Day, a day to uplift and celebrate the people who live outside the gender binary of male/female or man/woman. It recognizes those who see themselves as both genders, neither gender or in-between.
Honouring and recognizing diverse identities benefits everyone, and we’ll take any opportunity to do so! But uplifting non-binary identities prompts a bigger question.
What is the binary, anyway?
…and why do so many still treat it like law?
The gender binary refers to the notion that there are only two opposite and fixed genders. Most of us were taught, explicitly or not, that there are two kinds of people: male and female. We were handed these boxes from birth (or even before!) and told that our bodies, behaviours, clothes, pronouns and futures should naturally align accordingly.
The gender binary is treated like an immutable fact of biology, but it isn’t! It’s a social construct: a system of norms and expectations designed to organize people, assign roles and distribute power. And like all systems, it can be questioned.
The binary is newer than you think
The gender binary gender feels so embedded in our lives: on government forms, in public bathrooms and in the way we get sorted at school, work or the doctor’s office. It’s easy to forget that it is a social construct and far from universal.
Many cultures throughout history and around the world have long recognized that gender is more fluid and expansive than just two ways of living:
- Two-Spirit people in present-day North America are part of Indigenous communities that have always had deeply respected members of the community who embody masculine and feminine spirits. “Two-Spirit” is a contemporary term, but the concept has existed for generations.
- In parts of South Asia, the hijra are part of a recognized third gender, with roots going back thousands of years.
- Samoan culture recognizes the gender-diverse identities Fa’afafine and Fa’afatama.
- Muxes are a third-gender community in parts of Mexico. They are generally assigned male at birth but live outside the gender binary.
- Sworn Virgins are individuals assigned female at birth who are socially recognized as men in some Balkan societies.
These are just a few examples of the many cultures that celebrate identities beyond the binary. They show how diverse, expansive and culturally specific gender has always been around the world.
The binary is limiting
The gender binary can limit people, reducing complex human experiences into categories of either/or. It rewards adherence and punishes deviation. Non-binary folks who proudly assert their identities are a challenge to structures that limit and label.
The gender binary is also tied to systems of colonialism, white supremacy and patriarchy. Many of the cultures that recognized more than two genders were forcibly assimilated into Western norms, including cultural ways of approaching gender.
Non-binary people are not “exceptions”
Non-binary people are not exceptions to the binary rule. Rather, they are living proof that the system that makes our rules is broken – or at least incomplete. Everyone benefits from a less binary society that makes room for gender expression, celebration of difference and freedom to live honestly.
So today, we go beyond just recognizing the non-binary community and ask:
- Where did your own ideas about gender come from?
- Who taught you what it means to be a “real” man or woman?
- What would become possible for you or others if we stopped needing those boxes to feel secure?
To non-binary folks on International Non-Binary People’s Day: We see you and celebrate you, and we’re committed to educating and advocating for a more inclusive world.
If you want to learn more about gender identity, you can consult our Learning Centre. We also offer training workshops to professional teams who want to create more inclusive environments.