Explaining The History Of Non-Binary Identity And Living A Non-Binary Life

There are now more than 1 million Americans who do not identify as male or female. According to a Pew Research survey, 56% of Americans believe your gender can't change after you're born and 41% say it can. Tatevik Aprikyan explores the history of non-binary identities and what it's like to live a non-binary life on The Why.
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Explaining The History Of Non-Binary Identity And Living A Non-Binary Life
#GenderIdentity #Nonbinary #LBGTQ

[@Lunaowe]

It was nice to hear about the history about nonbinary. I've seen a Victorian movie where there was a queer community like drag king/queen extra. At that time there were a few nonbinaries but I wasn't aware of the word nonbinary. So I took it as genderfluid. Its nice to know about before the Victorian era as well though. I can't forget also Queen Elizabeth movie too. Guys were crossdressing alot. PS. My favorite princess out of Shrek is Doris (the drag one) ♡

[@bunnysunny27]

Despite what anyone says or believes, there will always be people who say no. Gender nonbinary and nonconforming people are here and have always been here.

[@chrisf9377]

But it's not possible to choose to not be a woman. Even if you decide to not conform to any of the numerous typically female stereotypes (Female clothing, makeup, being nurturing & caring etc) then you haven't stopped being a woman. And "being a woman" isn't itself a stereotype because it requires specific biology for reproduction.

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@chrisf9377 Except... yes we can. Cry about it

[@jadoc3767]

@@rynnaissance2480 the fellow-user above you argumented quite an interesting argument about gender identity. Whether you agree with him or not, the answer you gave him doesn't state anything that someone can read and change their mind. If you have a better answer than that, I'll be waiting for it, since I'd like to know a non-binary perspective on this issue, rather than a short, non-elaborated "yes we can, cry about it". Looking forward to your answer!

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@jadoc3767 Gender identity has nothing to do with biology. Gender is social/cultural so his last statement is just wrong. Also, as said in his first sentence, we don't choose this. It's just something that is. I didn't choose to be non binary, trust me. Also, it isn't just about wearing stereotypical clothes. It's wearing what makes us as people feel comfortable. Trans women wear traditional women's clothes because it makes them feel more like a woman and it makes society see them more as a woman as well.

[@jadoc3767]

@@rynnaissance2480 i won't argue with the gender identity perception since is something that comes from the person, so I won't talk about it until I investigate further. Let's say I agree by now. But when it comes to dressing, won't that be stereotypical? Since the clothes are chosen, and I quote, "to feel more like a woman and to make society see them more like a woman"? Like, it's following a stereotype on how women are supposed to dress.

[@pinkpanda6184]

I'm an asexual nonbinary woman from the Philippines, enbies and aces had a long history before 21 century

[@louisesumrell6331]

At a noon AA meeting I introduced myself as "weezi", a nickname my daughter gave me thirty years ago. Most of the people there said, "Hi, Louise!". At the circle K later in the day the cashier referred to me as "he". I didn't try to "correct" anyone.(I've shaved my head, so I don't look like the picture here). Most people, especially after hearing my voice, refer to me with feminine pronouns, but at 63, I really don't care anymore. Just don't call me, "late for supper"😉😎🌈🦄🌻🙏🏼🥳💜

[@jj-bv3ui]

this video's a great resource thank you ^_^

[@cocobeebunnied7371]

I'm nonbinary :D I dint know alot of this history, its cool

[@bleulung]

It is all BS

[@frozenlillypad2070]

That's cool, I love your profile it looks cute!

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

Trying to find resources that my cis colleagues can understand this video is great!

[@rynnaissance2480]

I'm also non binary!!

[@rynnaissance2480]

@Stripes yup

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@SurfyStories Okay bestie 😂

[@gabbyb7347]

Stop appropriating trans experience and erasing trans people.

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@gabbyb7347 How in the flying fuck am I erasing trans people? I'm literally under the trans umbrella

[@drmobius2343]

No you aren't. You just want to feel special.

[@itsmmmick]

absolutely lovely, gave me the strength i needed today

[@yonasabrha1223]

There is no identity such as human,dog,cow and so. It is your choice you can choose be human or dog

[@guillermoelnino]

Secret government scientists: "we're working on it, geez!"

[@someonesomeone25]

I love being NB.

[@rynnaissance2480]

Same!

[@SaviourInDistress]

I love being nb but im terrified to tell people i am. Thats why videos like this are so important.

[@drmobius2343]

How many of you are just overweight white women on the spectrum?

[@someonesomeone25]

@@drmobius2343 Well, I'm not. And in my experience there's a fair amount of variety (NBs come in all colours and sizes and so on). But I haven't got a survey or anything as evidence. Do you? And if the majority are as you suggest, what does that imply?

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@drmobius2343 What the fuck does that have to do with anything? Non binary doesn't have a look. Sit down.

[@JesusandTiffany67]

We really don't change genders, sometimes it takes us longer to bring out who we are, I Genisses 1 it says the spirit of God hovered over the earth and Jesus said God is spirit, and God also says in chapter 1 let us make man in our image,well if God is spirit the image of God is spirit no body there. Then God says let us make them male and female, look at my spirit not between my legs that is where God created us. I'm not sure of the male and female part it doesn't say or.

[@edwardwalsh2766]

This was really informative, thank you. I'm glad I have ammunition now for when a Bible basher comment "oh this is the new normal I guess" whenever non-binary people come up in conversation. I knew this wasn't a new concept and that it was considered normal in other cultures but I didn't know the proper details.

[@ericsilberstein667]

I don’t understand it, but maybe it’s not my business to understand it. I know people who were male and became female and vice versa but this is different. My concern is not who people are, where they come from. I’m more concerned about the natural world and what our species is doing to it. We’re in the six mass extinction. Our species alone is a threat to all natural life. We’re still killing animals for food. If I was an alien, and believe me, I’ve tried to convince myself I was, I would see one problem. Humans. And I’m one of them. 😔

[@beastlydookie81]

This video points to historical cultures inwhich people would take on a different gender. How is that nonbinary? Arnt they going from male to female and female to male? Such as the culture in mexico, they switch genders, not become something entirely seperate

[@cobrakai5190]

you're reporting is so bad that you contradicted yourself. Since you said that there's a third category and that's how we should have sports. We should have a male and female sports, and then we should have a third category for other because as all of these videos talk about gender fluidity gender identity gender non-binary that's an "other". category. Seems I have resolved the issue.

[@raphlvlogs271]

your gender identity and expression don't dictate the person you are

[@plasmktan]

true but I'm still nonbinary

[@BVenge-pe4wi]

why are cis people so frightened of us?

[@bleulung]

They aren't They don;t play along with your BS. There is no 3rd Gender. Stop trying to force people to play along with your narcissism You self ID is subjective. It is about yourself. Stop forcing everyone else to play along with your delusion. We call can see if you are a Man or a Woman.

[@frozenlillypad2070]

I ask that question everyday

[@bresophil]

Hear me out. Neither fe/male gender might exist. But how do we distinguish between people of a true 3rd gender identity and just a fashionable fad? There seems to be a certain aesthetic of non binary. What if they would just have been emos or "punks" some decades ago? I'm still sceptical

[@victoriamccrary50]

Same could be said for trying to distinguish between people born male (AMAB) and female (AFAB). We, as a society, have a certain expectation for what men and women should look like, but there are instances where an AMAB person could be born with ver feminine features or an AFAB person born with very masculine features. But people may still mistake them for the wrong gender even though they try to present like the sex they were born as. So I'm just trying to point out that the only way to truly know what gender someone is, is to ask them.

[@jj-bv3ui]

I'm non-binary and have been out since the 90s. I can see where you're coming from.

[@cherry_man95]

I think you have it backwards. Rather than supposed emos and punks confusing heing emo and punk for being nonbinary, I think it is more likely that alternative spaces attract nonbinary people. Alternative/emo/punk people are sort of outsiders in a similar way that nonbinary people are, being othered for presenting/indentifying in a way that is counter to the norm. So, with that in mind, I think it makes sense that there is overlap because they can relate to each other. That's just my pov as someone who is nonbinary and dresses kind of alternative as well. There's also the fact that alternative fashion is kind of androgynous so that probably attracts nonbinary people too seing as they often want to appear androgynous. I hope this comment made sense lol

[@maxncheese8548]

It is nothing to be skeptical about. Clothes do not equate to gender. As a non binary person I genuinely do not feel like a man or a woman and I’m nothing in between it either. It’s difficult for cis people to understand, because they are not transgender. They will never understand, so they must come to reasoning to be respectful. That is the only option. Spend time with the community, we are a lot more diverse as you think.

[@guillermoelnino]

Everything y ou are for I am against. No exceptions.

[@DonutTalkToMe17]

No. Gender still exists. It’s okay if you want to express yourself YOUR way… but you will not dismiss MY lived experience as a biological female or any other person really… including transgender ppl who actually transition or try to; not a cross dresser.. No one is forcing anything on non binary ppl. Just be your authentic selves and stop caring what ppl think. Stop forcing society to believe in your reality and narrative.

[@Overseer2579]

The irony here is delicious. Trying to force people to live the way you want them to, whilst begging to not have their identity forced on you (which isn’t happening anyway, you just can’t handle the progression of societal norms) is absolutely hilarious and self-defeating

[@joyeetaghosh2209]

Hijra is not nonbinary pls

[@mikescarlett3186]

What is you yo?

[@Ward1859]

There is no such thing as a divine person.

[@lolasimor2895]

Yup.

[@guillermoelnino]

Jesus

[@Ward1859]

@@guillermoelnino To us heathens Jesus is just a Jewish preacher in the greater Jerusalem metropolitan of 30 A.D. But, you help me make my point because even to Christians Jesus is considered to be fully male.

[@TruePluto]

​@@Ward1859tf you mean, yes he is fully male but he is also seen as God in Christianity so he is divine

[@billshackelford3426]

Wow, whats next? Claiming you'll go to heaven because you only sinned a little bit?

[@RM-xr8lq]

according to the abrahamic pyramid schemes, the way into heaven involves accrual of faith-for-afterlife points. those are gained through attending their ralllies/prayer rituals or giving "tithe". many of the characters in their fandom have sinned and still had enough points to get to the next level, depends on their political connections with the shaman/priest

[@777Rowen]

Thanks for the info, still doesn’t make sense to me though. You can’t change your sex, you can express yourself as androgynous; but your sex will remain the same. Same goes for trans people who actually experience gender dysphoria and transition as a result. Non-binary doesn’t add up. You’ll always be a man or woman. Referring to you as they/them, is just referring to someone in third person. They went to the movies, who’s tofu Tom etc.

[@jj-bv3ui]

language is subjective. this is why people are saying transgender not transexual. so we agree with you that sex doesnt equal gender.

[@Loka.brenna]

I think it’s interesting to note too that there are many chromosomal abnormalities that result in a blurring of sex as a concrete “either, or” concept. A person with XY chromosomes but an insensitivity to testosterone may feel that her gender is female - is she in any way “wrong” for feeling this way? What about if this same person identified as male? Biology is not the answer to your confusion. Perhaps we can agree that out of 7.5 billion people in the world today, there are many valid ways of leading a life, and start to understand individual experiences better from a place of curiosity rather than judgment.

[@lolasimor2895]

Don't know why they don't use it.

[@teodorateodosijevic5606]

@@jj-bv3ui language is objective, perception of abstract ideas is subjective. language needs to and has always been objective thats why humanity has survived and evolved through time. wouldnt be possible is language was subjective

[@tonyf2956]

Another alphabet group. This book helped me realize what I thought was wrong with me. Who my creator is and the control narratives that keep us in bondage. Dr. Shmuel Asher, Soul Revolution really opened my eyes. I bought his book on Amazon.

[@rynnaissance2480]

No thanks... gross lmao

[@jj-bv3ui]

@@rynnaissance2480 lol ikr

[@chrisf9377]

It's not possible to be non-binary because gender/sex is binary, biological & immutable. The bit that isn't binary are the numerous sex/gender stereotypes (roles) that people can choose to adopt (or not adopt). E.g. Wearing dresses, wearing masculine clothing, being nurturing & caring, being an extrovert etc. The ONLY choice that you have in life is which stereotypes that you adopt. You can't choose to not be a man/woman.

[@papercat_draws]

This isn't exactly true. Yes, you can choose whether you want to adopt certain stereotypes or not, you're right with that. But there is a differentiation between gender and sex. Sex is biological, the body features you're born with, whereas gender is what you identify with in your mind. (Also an example is intersex, where you're born with female and male body parts. That person would be nonbinary if their gender matched their sex, right? But often they are forced to be a woman or a man anyways.) So a person that was assigned male at birth can be a woman in their head, which indefinitely makes them a woman. If they wish, their body can be changed to match their gender, for example many trans men and nonbinary folks get a mastectomy (removal of breasts). So it's possible to be nonbinary: you can be assigned female or male or intersex at birth and your gender can still differ from that, even be neutral!

[@jadoc3767]

@@papercat_draws Interesting. I have a couple of questions. 1 - Is it possible that identifying as either male, female or else in someone's mind, is something related to personality rather than gender identity? Example: Someone who's a woman can like things that are culturally related to men, but does that really make them think they are men, women or viceversa? 2 - Wouldn't (changing an appearance) be something to fit an stereotype of what women and men are rather than matching the gender perceived by the person? Hope that, if I'm wrong on anything, you can clarify me on it. Looking forward to answer!

[@kodalinokuno4537]

Gender and sex are not the same thing, look it up ok. Gender is a social construct sex is biological. When you transition you can't change your chromosomes but you can change a lot of other things.

[@cordulam]

@@kodalinokuno4537 Gender is a social construct based on biology. People do not identify other people by their invisible inner thoughts or feelings. You cannot identify away your gender. Same goes for your age, skin colour, height or body weight.

[@iamrococoo]

@@jadoc3767 I'll try to answer. For 1. Gender identity and personality are seperate. Just because you're female and like masculine things doesn't make you a man. For trans people we do fem/masc things so we can feel closer to the gender they symbolize in society. Anyone can do makeup of course, but it symbolizes femininity, and femininity is associated with women, which a transwomen would like to identify as. Trans people are also prone to being hypermasculine/feminine so they can be accepted by their gender , so there's also that. Non-binary is a little harder to explain but it's simply not identifying with male or female when it comes to gender identity. It's all internal, and we express it in many ways, but that's not the case for everyone. There are non-binary people who are masculine and were born male vice versa. It's not about breaking stereotypes. I mean, noone would go on HRT, change their name and pronouns, and suffer discrimination so they can wear dresses. There is a difference between nonconforming men/women and nonbinary people 💜 thanks for at least being open to discussion :)

[@OZKitchen]

So its just based on stereotypes

[@benjaminfranklin8412]

How does claiming to be nonbinary help gender non-conforming people challenge gender stereotypes? Seems people who describe themselves as nonbinary reinforce the notion that males must conform to the stereotype of male identity or those men must describe himself as nonbinary.

[@Jezballz]

Then I'm a bottle of Wild Turkey:-)

[@Marcblizau]

LMAO, and if anyone calls you a human they deserve to fired.

[@rynnaissance2480]

Valid

[@BVenge-pe4wi]

why does this scare you?

[@Jezballz]

@@BVenge-pe4wi Why are you 3 months late?

[@benjaminfranklin8412]

He just seemed to be a gender nonconforming guy, which is great, fantastic for men to see him as a role model. Really unclear why he feels the need to describe himself as nonbinary or what he thinks the term means. So he doesn't like how men are stereotyped. He doesn't have to. This video didn't clarify what being nonbinary means.

[@guillermoelnino]

it means mentally ill

[@Marcblizau]

You can identify as a loaf of bread but you will never be one, get help.

[@dagmarland]

You have the intelligence of a loaf of bread.

[@benz4118]

@@dagmarland at least he knows there’s only 2 biological genders excluding intersex which has nothing to do with lgbt people

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@benz4118 you do realize gender isn't biological right?

[@benz4118]

@@rynnaissance2480 Ok fine. Why are biologically male by SEX swimmers competing with biological women?

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@benz4118 hormones decrease biologically male traits so they don't have any unfair advantage against biological women. I understand the concern if someone isn't taking hormones though and feel they should compete with their bio sex of that's rhe case.

[@leahjames6870]

Nothing but a word salad of nonsense😴

[@rynnaissance2480]

Not... really

[@bleulung]

@@rynnaissance2480 NO such thing as a Nonbinary Human

[@rynnaissance2480]

@@bleulung sorry let me just evaporate real quick

[@jj-bv3ui]

Nope. We just saw a video of his it's historical. youre a goof

[@jj-bv3ui]

@@bleulung yes I exist lol cope

[@leannthomas2103]

NO SUCH THING AS NON-BINARY UNLESS YOUR AND AMOEBA

[@gregorei]

Cry

[@kelsieyoung4973]

I’m an amoeba then

[@BVenge-pe4wi]

"your and amoeba" okay lmao. Whats this sentence mean? Cause its not human language. Sorry.

[@leannthomas2103]

@@BVenge-pe4wi 🤣 YES YOU ARE SORRY !

[@bleulung]

@@gregorei Cope harder. Keep denying reality.

[@waynejohnson2894]

It's demonic!!

[@waynejohnson2894]

​@Marco Kitty that's not what your momma called me last night!

[@frozenlillypad2070]

Lol be scared roar 👹

[@waynejohnson2894]

@@frozenlillypad2070 Never scared but ready at anytime the devil will knock on my door. It would be the last time.

[@saltyassassin]

No one cares

[@rynnaissance2480]

I do 😌

[@kelsieyoung4973]

I care >:(

[@StartsWithACee]

@Scam Assassin no one cares

[@plasmktan]

L+ ratio + No one asked

[@jj-bv3ui]

I do

[@dennyjay4252]

I now identify as non BIDENary

[@jj-bv3ui]

Booooo

[@dennyjay4252]

@@jj-bv3ui lol

[@lajindigo]

thanks for this nonbinary segment 💛🤍💜🖤