Gender Binary
‘The gender binary refers to the idea that men and women are the only two genders, that these are opposites, and that every person must be unambiguously gendered as either/or in accordance with their assigned sex at birth. The expectation is that a person be comfortable in the gender identity, expression and role that is assigned to them.’
Personal accounts
“We have a long way to go before non-binary people are seen as equal to their male/female counterparts. My eyes have been opened since studying this at university and being in a relationship with someone whose pronouns are they/them. There need to be gender-neutral toilets at every venue, a normalised term that can be used when referring to one’s non-binary sibling, and more brands that design and promote unisex clothing as normal and desirable. I once read an article that said: “For those who have non-binary siblings, “nibling” or “quibling” (queer and sibling) are possible options. Nonbinary grandparents are not left out in the linguistic cold either, with “grandy” being one of the comparatively few suggestions.” This is the type of language that needs to be normalised and incorporated in everyday life. We need to work towards an inclusive language and environment that welcomes non-binary people, just as much as it welcomes men and women. ”
