What is Non-Binary?

International Non-Binary Awareness day falls on the 14th of July each year, but what does 'Non-Binary' actually mean?

Non-binary is a gender identity that does not fall within the strict categories of contemporary Western societies, which typically consider gender identity to be binary e.g man or woman.

Maddy, a teacher who recently came out to their students as non-binary says:

“I first came out as non-binary about a year ago, but it had been a feeling inside for a long time.”

“For me being non-binary is about being all of the different parts of myself and expressing them really fully in ways that don’t always fit within the gender binary.”

Gender identities that fit outside the binary “man” or “woman” have existed outside of Western cultures for a very long time. For example, in some Native Indigenous cultures, you get people who are ‘Two Spirit’ people who are held in high respect by their cultures.