What is nonbinary?

Term and use

The term nonbinary is used by some people for their gender identity, it can also be used as a wider category for many other gender identities. These can be “both man and woman”, “neither man and woman”, genderfluid (persons, which gender identity shifts or changes flexible, instead staying the same) and many more. Nonbinary persons can be trans* and/or intersex too, this depends on their own identification. Also trans* and intersex people can identify as nonbinary or within the binary schema of man/woman (as well as somewhere else).

Many nonbinary persons use nonbinary pronouns for themselves for example he_she, she_he, sier, x, why, per, they (and others) or they do not use pronouns at all.

Nonbinary is a topic which was present at TrIQ from the beginning, but has only recently been clearly named. In the last years more persons describe their gender identity explicitly as nonbinary (or enby, abinary), if they identify outside of the traditional schema from “male” vs. “female”. So this self-designation replace the labels “genderqueer”, “genderfluid” or “neither nor*” in some cases, which were used more in the past – especially at TrIQ.

What´s the difference to trans* and intersex people?

Intersex persons have innate body variations which not fit the typical expectations from male/female, the term nonbinary, similiar like trans*, primarily refers to a person’s gender identity.

Nonbinary can be a seperation or addition to the term trans*, but also as a rejection of gender classification. While the label trans* is a position offside from gender expectations, which is based on the gender assigned at birth, nonbinary is a position outside from the gender binary.

Life situations from nonbinary persons

Nonbinary people are a heterogeneous group with different experiences, like trans* and intersex people. They are united in their experience of making invisible in their existence in a society, which thinks gender as binary.

While binary trans* and intersex persons are often more accepted in their gender identity, nonbinary people are often not even noticed or taken seriously because they are located outside the binary gender norm.

Nonbinary persons can need gender affirming care (like changing their name and gender marker, hormone replacement therapy or operations) too. Since these are often limited to some trans* and intersex people by current laws, in the event of a mandatory diagnosis or assessment, nonbinary people usually have to adapt to one of these medically and legally defined categories.

Our offers

All our offers are for binary and nonbinary persons. We take care to consider binary and nonbinary perpectives, with every topic, we are working with.

Psychosocial counseling: Peer counseling nonbinary people and their families

Professional counseling: Counseling for persons, who have questions about being nonbinary or working with nonbinary people

Training: Workshops and trainings to trans*/intersex and nonbinary topics

Group offers: Self-help, health, sports, free time and other groups for nonbinary persons

Events: Free time, culture and educational events for trans*/intersex/nonbinary people or people who are interested in these topics or trans*/intersex/nonbinary relevant topics

Publications: Statements, flyers and brochures on various trans*/intersex/nonbinary relevant topics

We invite nonbinary persons to our group meetings of the neither*nor group (weder*noch-Gruppe).

Contact

Email: triq@transinterqueer.org