A world that mostly seems to understand genders as a binary- male and female, gender inequality against females may still be apparent. A world that does not recognise a whole community of people as they are, it aims to fit them into the binary it has created for itself, making the scales of equality far from balanced.
Non binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are neither strictly male nor female—identities that are outside the gender binary.
"Queer" was for long a term, meaning "strange", "peculiar", "something not quite right" used to ostracise those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. It was eventually reclaimed in the late 20th century to be a positive self-identifier for being different from the heteronormative society. Although it remains controversial due to its original derogatory nature, it is a choice for the community that has reclaimed it to use it, as opposed to someone else having the power to use it against them.
Genderqueer and the non-binary pride flags (respectively)
Majority of the society tends to use the terms "sex" and "gender" rather interchangeably, assuming both can only exist as binaries- rejecting intersex, genderqueer and non-binary individuals.
Even then, sex may be a class of having male reproductive organs, female reproductive organs or both. But gender isn't tied to what reproductive organs one posses, or at least shouldn't be.
In terms of gender identities though, they can be very flexible, a choice independent of the sex assigned at birth. How individuals choose to express their gender identity is their right to liberty and self determination. While various laws recognise this right, its true implementation aiming for inclusivity is contingent on the social acceptance and the understanding that the rest of the society has for the people of non-binary and genderqueer communities.
It's about the lens you are looking to analyse situations from, a perspective that you can offer. So, when individuals tend to evaluate their respect towards these communities by viewing gender as a binary, they are unable to place them in these frames to offer them the respect and human dignity as offered to the rest of the society. The significant attempts to place people under binary labels is invalidating, as some can be restrictive by the virtue of not being accurate representations.
Hence why genderqueer tends to be the more inclusive label, implying fluidity, acknowledging the burden of having to conform to identities and levying that-- creating a safe space for individuals that are still questioning their gender identity.
Now, given that gender identity is not synonymous with the sex- none of us was assigned a gender identity at birth at all. We were placed into one of the sex classes on the basis of our potential reproductive function, determined by our external genitals. We were then raised in accordance with the socially prescribed gender norms for people of that sex. We are all educated and inculcated into one of two roles, long before we are able to express our beliefs about our innate gender identity, or to determine for ourselves the precise point at which we fall on the gender continuum.
Binaries, exists as 0 or 1- complete opposites of the other. No person is inherently completely masculine or feminine as gender norms dictate, nobody is truly the binary. Except it's as close you think you are to this binary that people still choose to identify themselves as male or female. Non-binary label then acknowledges this "two ends of the spectrum" and chooses to not be placed at the ends of it but rather somewhere along the spectrum.
Some people will find it relatively easier and more painless to conform to the gender norms associated with their sex, while others find the gender roles associated with their sex so oppressive and limiting that they cannot tolerably live under them, and identify outside these norms.
As a society then, it's about understanding that gender identities aren't limited by reproductive abilities but they are individual personalities. If the society so seems to make it a binary then people that identify as non-binary or genderqueer are rejecting to conform to them.
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