Nonbinary genders and gender roles have existed throughout cultures for thousands of years, but erased by westernism. Today, modern western nonbinary people are becoming more visible and beginning a fight for recognition and rights.
Nonbinary Genders
Nonbinary, or non-binary, genders are identities that fall outside of the white western binary of male and female. While originally this term was not the most popular, the criticism of racism, transmisogyny, and general exclusivity that is often paired with the term, "genderqueer" created space for "nonbinary" to become the more inclusive and accepted umbrella term.
There are infinite gender identities that could be considered nonbinary. A few common ones are:
- agender
- aliagender
- bigender
- demiboy
- demigirl
- genderfluid
- genderflux
- gender neutral
- pangender
The Nonbinary Flag
the nonbinary flag
While the community was in its early days and "genderqueer" was the norm of nonbinarism, a flag by activist Marilyn Roxie was created.[1] While its original intention was to include nonbinary people, it largely became synonymous with "genderqueer" and thus the exclusive politics associated with such. This left many nonbinary people feeling without proper recognition and a call was put out for a flag to sit along side the genderqueer flag, so that nonbinary people who felt excluded could have a flag to call their own. 17 year old Kye Rowan created several versions, and finally one was chosen through message and tumblr note votes, as pictured on the right.
The flag consists of four stripes. From top to bottom: yellow (#FFF433) represents genders outside the binary, as it is a color often used to distinguish something as its own. White (#FFF8E7, cosmic latte) represents people who have many or all genders, as white is the photological presence of all color/light. Purple (#9B59D0) represents those whose genders are of, between, or a mix of female and male, as well as representing community, fluidity and multiplicty of nonbinary people and identities. Black (#2D2D2D) represents those who are agender or genderless, as black is the photological abscence of all color/light. [2][3]