International Nonbinary Day

CW: Mentions of dysphoria; Mentions of discrimination based on gender identity

International Non-Binary People’s Day is observed annually on July 14th. To celebrate this year, No Stunts Magazine wanted to hear from the nonbinary fans and/or those who identify outside of the gender binary. This could include identifying as nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, genderflux, genderfuck, demi boy, demi girl, agender, bigender, pangender, or the many other gender identities that exist outside of the binary.

We wanted to hold this space to give nonbinary people (umbrella term) a chance to share a bit about their experience, partially related to being in the fandom, and partially everything else.

Respondents were given the option to remain anonymous or to provide their name and pronouns if they felt comfortable. If no credit is given for the answer, that individual asked to remain anonymous. All respondents have given their consent for their answers to be shared.

While we appreciate our cisgender and binary transgender members of the community and their allyship, this survey was exclusively intended for those who identify outside of the gender binary and focuses on their experiences.

Thank you to everyone who answered the survey and provided your insight into your experience as a nonbinary person. We know that having others with similar experiences and perspectives can be life-changing and life-saving for many queer people, and we hope this article can be a space where you find that.

What is your gender identity? (percentages are rounded from responses provided)

• Nonbinary – 46%
• Genderfluid – 18%
• I don’t have a label but I’m not cis – 18%
• Genderqueer – 9%
• Agender – 9%

There are, of course, many other gender identities that exist outside of the gender binary, but of those who responded, a majority identify as Nonbinary, and a large number identify as either genderfluid or unlabeled but non-cis.

How old were you when you realised your gender identity? (percentages are rounded)

• 21-30 years old – 46%
• 31-40 years old – 36%
• 41-50 years old – 18%

People can realise they are transgender, nonbinary, queer, or any other aspect of their identity at any age. There is little research and therefore limited official data available on this for nonbinary people, though there is some for binary transgender individuals. The research on binary transgender individuals indicates gender dysphoria as young as 2 years old, with a wide range of coming out time frames, from toddlers to retirement age.

Only the individual can know their own journey, and there’s no specific timeline that is “correct” or “normal.” I asked this question in the survey to show that it’s not only young people who identify as nonbinary, as the media would often suggest. There are trans and nonbinary people of all ages, and those people come into those identities at all stages of life.

Do you have a specific memory or moment you’d like to share that helped you realise and/or understand that you were not a cisgender person?

• I had always said from a young age I wanted to be a boy and even through my teen years, although the reason changed as I aged. I’m not sure what my reasoning was when i was a child but as a teen it was more so that being a f*ckboi seemed more acceptable than being a woman. And after that it went away for a while. I never felt that want deep enough to consider myself transgender. When I rejoined the Larrie twitter fandom in 2022, I finally found a space where I could see that community and learn about it. Simultaneously I started getting tiktoks about genders on my fyp. It felt like the confusing space in my identity was finally filled when I asked my friends (on twitter) to try using they/them pronouns on me. – H (they/them)
• I have my earliest memories of being like “girls can do what boys can do” at age 4. By age 9 I was massively into history about women serving as men in militaries (not for the war aspect, but for the proof of gender concept). I was 10 when I was the only girl playing on the boys side of activities in outdoor play time, there was one boy playing on the girls side, and I now wonder how he turned out. Throughout school from early teen years to late teen years, teachers would say offhand remarks of “she’s like one of the guys” or “it was all guys and her!” There were things I’d do with my own “cis gender”, but also I felt a strong comfort hanging out with guys – as long as they weren’t being sexist or violent. Cis women spaces were also uncomfortable – because they would enforce strict gender rules that did not fit; whereas with the guys I was already “not normal”, so I could gender how I pleased as a girl-in-guys-actions. Cisgender didn’t exist as a concept in mainstream discourse until I was about 28. I sensed I wasn’t cis, but I also knew I wasn’t fully binary trans, like Laverne Cox, so where did that put me?  I thought of myself as cis*, or cis-ish, but there was no criteria or checklist to check on if you were cis or not. Over time nonbinary became a (common) word, and I also learned that there’s not requirements to be trans – you don’t have to be “fully cis in the opposite direction”, you can be incomplete and messy and contradictory and it’s fully and always your choice how you dress, what your name is, what your styling is, what your pronouns are. You choose ALL of that, regardless of if you’re a man or woman or cis or trans. It’s never predetermined in a 100% boy or 100% girl way. You can look like any gender, and yet be any other gender – “passing” is only other people’s perception, and it is not your internal identity.
• Growing up, I never really felt really connected to girlhood/womanhood. I had questioned my gender identity, but never really got past understanding that I’m not a boy/man because I didn’t know that something outside of binary gender could exist. I thought I just wasn’t “girling” hard enough, so I really leaned into femininity, which sometimes felt right, but a lot of times just felt like putting on a performance. When I went to grad school a few years back, I became really good friends with another nonbinary person and started rethinking my gender identity. When I had been really thinking about my gender, I made the decision to book a hair appointment with a nonbinary hair stylist and get a short, more masculine haircut. That moment felt pivotal for me. I eventually came out to my friend and they gave me some resources that helped them understand their identity more and took me on a shopping trip to find clothes that felt more me. – Chela (they/them)
• I’m very aware that fabrics don’t have gender. But I remember this one specific feeling like I was being suffocated when I wore a particularly birth gender confirming outfit that my mum had asked me to wear for an event. And I would have any other day yeah? It was a nice dress. But it was something that day I just COULDN’T. I only felt like I could breathe once I took it off me. I think it was that specific moment that really brought into focus for me the underlying “itch” type of feeling that I’ve had for some time now. – Lara
• I found some nonbinary creators. When they talked about what it meant for them it opened a whole new world for me because I was feeling the same. – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Feeling drawn to and fascinated by Louis but not in a sexual way. It made me realise I want to be him more than I would want to be with someone like him and that, retrospectively, a lot of my attraction towards males has been gender envy. 
• I don’t really think there was one moment that stands out but I remember listening to a podcast with Alok and Demi Lovato, they were discussing gender identity and expression and it really spoke to me and made me see things from a different perspective.
• I remember watching the TPWK music video when it came out and something just clicked in my brain

Similar to what many people experience in realising their sexual and/or romantic identities, often, nonbinary people will have memories from childhood that were related to their non-cis gender identity, even if they didn’t recognise it for what it was at the time. I, personally, have at least a dozen of these stories that never quite fit until I understood myself as a genderfluid person. And, similar to others who responded to the survey, I felt lost for many years because I only knew about binary trans identities, and those never felt quite right either. It wasn’t until I came across nonbinary creators and gender diversity through online communities that I finally began to understand myself more fully. Also worth noting, for some people there isn’t one specific memory or moment that made everything click for them, but rather a gradual process of becoming. All of these experiences are valid and worth acknowledging.

Are you currently out about your gender identity? (percentages are rounded)

• Yes, selectively – 92%
• No, not to anyone but myself – 8%

Not a single person responded that they were out about their nonbinary gender identity in all parts of their life. As you’ll see in responses shared to other questions, the fandom has been the only space that some people are safe to be out as their true selves, while others do not feel safe being out, even anonymously online. 

Would you like to share anything related to the previous question?

• I’m out socially and to my family but not at work. – H (they/them)
• I am out to all the people that matter, which is a very small circle.I also breadcrumb to the world, and you either get it or you don’t get it. There will be no explanation, there will only be reputation!
• My parents are homophobic/transphobic, so I’m not out to them. I am also selectively out to professors in my grad program for safety reasons. I am out to people in my daily life and online, however. – Chela (they/them)
• I am out in my social circles, and I recently came out to my family (💕), but I’m not out at my work
• Honestly? I’m not very confident about it even with myself. Some days when I think about it, even now as I fill up this form, I feel like an imposter. There’s nothing wrong with being cis but the thought of being cis and not cis, both make my chest heavy, although they’re different types of heaviness. I’m not sure if anyone can understand it if I barely get it myself. Most days though, I try to ignore that voice in my head and  try to go about my day because even if I do get to the root of the voice, there’s not much I can really change about it, right? So I try to let it be. I just am who I am. – Lara
• I’m only out to close friends and in the fandom, primarily because my gender identity feels like something very intimate to me that I don’t feel like giving everyone access to at this point in time. 
• I’ve only realised I’m not cis in the last few months so I’m still processing and learning. Sharing with only those closest to me until I can better explain my identity to those who will have more questions or may not understand as easily. – Violet (any pronouns)
• I’m out to safe people but I’m not comfortable sharing or trying to gain acceptance from people who I know will not be accepting based on other family members who’ve come out 
• i am out in english speaking spaces bc my native language doesn’t do the they/them thing very well

There’s this privilege that comes with being cisgender that not many people take the time to analyse, even allies. When was the last time you had to meet a new person and decide if they were safe before you could introduce yourself? When was the last time you had to pick and choose which people in your life were safe and supportive, then take a leap of faith that your judgement on the matter was correct? When was the last time you had to come up with contingency plans in case you used your own name or pronouns and someone was unaccepting/discriminatory/violent as a result? When was the last time you had to switch your expression, presentation, and/or name between people and environments for your own protection? If you’ve never taken the time to think about what this experience is like for a gender nonconforming person (or really any person who is not cisgender), it could be an excellent exercise in empathy. This is something that nonbinary people navigate every moment of their lives.

(Other groups have similar experiences around code switching, safety in new settings, etc. This article is focusing on nonbinary people)

What has made you feel most comfortable in your gender identity?

• I think realising that gender can have two levels: internal gender and societal gender. It’s like I have a private party. People who matter can see the real me, but most of the world is shouting hate or being restrictive in their thinking, trying to put me in tea party dresses and nails, so they all can keep living how they live, and they don’t get to see the party behind the door. Friends inside the party ADD to the party, saying cheers of nicknames that affirm me!
• Being in community with other nonbinary/gnc people, both in person and online, has really helped me to feel more comfortable. Really taking time to sit and think about my choices related to gender conforming practices (clothing choices, hair, makeup, etc) and if it is something I’m doing for me or for others has also really helped me understand myself and my gender better. Also having friends who both affirm my gender and help me by reminding others of my pronouns so I don’t have to has also really helped. – Chela (they/them)
• My binder ‼️‼️‼️
• That I’m finally feel like I’m me and I’m not having to pretend anymore – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Meeting other people that share my experience, dressing according to my gender identity, being accepted for who I am. 
• Now I know that’s possible to exist outside the box and I feel some relief
• Realizing I’d been performing femininity my entire life. Giving that up has been enormously freeing! – Violet (any pronouns)
• Who says I’m comfortable? 😂 umm maybe just my friends being accepting, people using gender neutral pronouns, and wearing unisex clothing feels nice.
• Respect for my pronouns from my peers

What helps one person feel comfortable in their body and in their identity will be unique to that person, and if someone in your life has asked that you use certain terms/names/pronouns, etc, know that doing so may be incredibly affirming for them. They wouldn’t ask if they didn’t trust you and want you in their life. Cisgender people have their gender affirmed constantly by default, and nonbinary people are only asking for respect and space to affirm their own identity. If you’re unsure what is affirming for a loved one or a friend, ask. Know they may not feel comfortable answering, or that the answer may change over time. But taking the initiative to (respectfully) know that individual and what will affirm them is one of the best ways to be an ally!

What has been the most difficult part of your gender journey?

• My family and friends struggling to remember my pronouns. – H (they/them)
• I think finding out that the community isn’t there. It isn’t always supportive. You’d think all queer people would get it, but it turns out they also have VERY binary thoughts. So, (some) cis gays will reject trans people, and trans people will reject non-binary trans people as not being valid.  You have to realize so many people in the world will not accept you, and even hate your existence. You find the fragile few who get it, and community is a myth at times for nonbinary people. But where there IS community, culture thrives and there’s people who get it.
• Not even a month after I came out to my close friends, a student group at my university invited three transphobic speakers to come speak at our campus, including someone who had recently invited violence against the trans community. The immediate shift from trans joy of being out and accepted by friends to this immediate feeling of fear/lack of safety in a place that I had previously felt safe caused a lot of anxiety. It’s made it harder to feel safe coming out to people, particularly at school. – Chela (they/them)
• Having to explain it to people
• I think not letting me lie to myself and making myself believe that I’m NOT an imposter, even though it feels like I am some days. – Lara
• Honestly not having people around me to talk about how I feel sometimes. My friends help and try their best but they are cis and don’t fully get what I’m going through. But sometimes it would be nice to talk to someone who knows how it feels – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Besides the gender dysphoria, probably the grief of not finding out earlier due to being raised in a heteronormative space that didn’t provide accurate mirrors I could recognize myself and my experience in. There were no outwardly genderqueer people that presented the way I did, not irl and also not in media. 
• Well, being in a heteronormative relationship for ages which works out incredibly fine does not make you think about it. I just noticed my thoughts didn’t match the general beliefs and I always felt kinda weird. 
• Letting go of femininity. Embracing androgyny/masculine energy was initially terrifying, but now it’s thrilling! – Violet (any pronouns)
• Not being able to be my true self around people who won’t use the correct pronouns or preferred name 
• The body dysmorphia. i can’t stand some parts of my body and wish it was more masculine

As this is a One Direction fandom magazine, do you have any experiences with the fan community that have helped you to understand or embrace your gender identity?

• The fan community is where and from whom I finally figured it all out. I don’t think I’d be here without the people and safety this place has given me.  – H (they/them)
• One Direction twitter is amazing, because it was the first place I met trans men who looked like women. They are trans, they are men: it doesn’t matter that they have high voices and look killer in a dress. Same with the nonbinary moots who look like gorgeous women yet they’re still nonbinary, and that’s the point – you do NOT know anybody’s gender from their expression. Some trans and nonbinary people will queercode to share visual clues of their identity, others won’t, and you have no clue they are who they are unless they tell you. I want to shout out all the amazing advocates who spoke out for their own transness and nonbinary experience, which allowed the space for more people to realise they can be themselves,  in whatever configuration works best!
• Finding that so many other people are like me, and from that, realizing that I’ll always have a safe space to come back to
• A lot, yeah. In fact probably the only place that helped me. I see Alter, Taylor, Kate, and SO many other people so unapologetically be themselves and sometimes I wanna cry at how welcoming they are, even though we don’t like talk or anything but just seeing it is so…. yeah. getting a lil choked up here hahaha. – Lara
• Yes! It was a Fandom creator that made me realize and I met few nice people along the way that helped me when I spoke with them – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Meeting other genderqueer people and experiencing this fandom as a safe space where it’s ok to divert from gender norms has helped a lot. 
• I just loved to experience the love between the fans who took you as you were no matter what you identified with
• Yes! I’ve reached out to other NB fans for support, have learned from others’ experiences, seen representation I didn’t know I needed. – Violet (any pronouns)
• My friends within the fandom have been mostly incredible and have used my preferred pronouns even if they’re ever changing, and just being amazing in general 
• Yes, many of my peers also identify as genderqueer and that sense of community really helps

Every response to this question was generally positive, acknowledging that the fandom, especially the Larrie side of the fandom, has been very welcoming and accepting of nonbinary identities. It’s great to know that this community has been supportive and affirming for so many people!

Relatedly, has H’s music, style, or general self expression spoken to you in relation to your gender identity?

• Yes. All of the above. I know a lot of the fandom sees Harry as gender envy, but I don’t feel that way about him. In some instances I will, but mostly he’s just provided me with comfort in who I am and the happiness to be that person fully. – H (they/them)
• YES! Part of Harry’s “pink and blue forever” is embracing the body you have, the person you are, as seen externally by society, and ALSO embracing your inner identity and self expression. It does not have to be binary, life can be cool and better if you accept both! More gender, more options, less limitations. ALSO: The Fine Line album is a trans flag. It just is! I’ve seen people walk by and see it and go “that’s a trans flag”, so it’s really cool to have the trans flag on an album cover. I love the gender play involved, where there’s no specific statement, you either get it or you don’t, and life and truth are in the in-betweens.
• I don’t know if I have the words to express what Harry’s music/style/self expression mean to me. Seeing Harry be confident in who he is and hearing his music has helped me feel seen and represented. Songs like Fine Line, She, Little Freak, and Matilda mean the world to me. – Chela (they/them)
• YES!!! oh my god, just his whole aura really. 
• Yes! Harry made me realize that it’s not all black and white. Lights up and she are two songs I find very beautiful and feel to me they are about gender expression and discovery. – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Yes, absolutely! Seeing Harry explore and challenge gender conventions was inspiring and made me realise how beautiful it is to me when someone embodies complexities and contrasts. It made it easier to accept it in myself too. 
• Yes! Harry having a masculine physique/presentation but embodying babygirl energy/fashion has been inspiring. His vulnerability about his gender in his music has been a huge part of my journey. – Violet (any pronouns)
• I don’t think it’s spoken to me about my own gender identity as much as it has allowed me to see Harry’s gender identity through the songs and fashion choices presented both on and off stage 
• 100%. H makes me feel seen and valid

I hope that H knows how much the albums, the songs, the photo shoots, the coding, etc. has meant to countless fans over the years. These responses were just a small sampling of the love and appreciation that the nonbinary members of the fandom expressed.

The same question as above, but for the other members of the band: has any of their music, style, or general self expression spoken to you in relation to your gender identity?

• All of their styles give me gender envy and things that I like to model my own fashion style with. Louis gives me the most gender envy. His fashion sense, the way he carries himself, and his figure (sue me) just bring me to my knees in an I Wanna Be You, kind of way. – H (they/them)
• I am always coming back to Louis’s Perfect Now: “some queens don’t need a crown.” I’m crying writing this down, it’s such a pretty and fragile line that to me says you don’t need to be cis to be a queen. You are the queen or king, because of who you are innately, even if society doesn’t give you your laurels.
• Yes, because my style is so much like louis, personally i think that has had quite an effect as well. His clothing line is quite androgynous 
• Louis and Niall. They both in their own ways, somewhat similar to H, have proved time and time again that it’s okay to be yourself, be your own person, and to fuck the traditions. I get that from them in general but it also extends to how I view myself in terms of gender expression. – Lara
• Yes. The way Louis subverts gender conventions by presenting in ways that could be considered stereotypically “masculine” while also embodying qualities that could be considered stereotypically “feminine” feels close my own presentation. Seeing how that is accepted and celebrated in the fandom has helped me accept these aspects in myself as well. 
• Z has really helped me as well
• Liam has worn styles and outfits from “womens” clothing brands or lines, and he wore them so confidently and looked so good that it made me feel more confident in trying clothing options across gendered lines.

Outside of One Direction, are there other artists (musicians, writers, really any medium) that have helped you feel seen or understood as a gender nonconforming person?

• Sam Smith. The way they present mostly masculine-ish, is relatable to the way I still present very fem, and it makes me feel safe knowing my expression doesn’t matter in my gender. – H (they/them)
• Taylor Swift’s music was big in helping me come to understanding with my nonbinary identity, from “politics and gender roles”, to “I’d be the man”, to her alter-ego as James, and her tweeting “did you just call me daddy?”, and “the man I always knew I could be”, she showed me what is possible to do with your gender expression in art. I relate to her gender lyrics first and foremost. 
• Nonbinary singers like Kehlani, Jordan Suaste, and Jules Paymer are all really important to me. – Chela (they/them)
• troye sivan 💕💕💕
• Omar Rudberg, he is very expressive in his style and I really like that. – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Emma Corrin, Yungblud and Harris Reed have been inspirational at times
• Maybe Nemo due to being out on main what I liked a lot
• Demi Lovato, Alok, Shawn Mendes, Sam Smith have all been fashion icons for the gnc community. To me anyway. 
• Shawn Mendes, David Tennant, Layton Williams 
• Eugene Lee Yang has a fantastic sense of style and presentation that has always been really inspiring to me.

When have you experienced gender euphoria? How would you describe that feeling to a cisgender person?

• One day I was meeting up with my brother and in-lieu of greeting his first words to me were “You look very gay today,” after I had a massively hard day with dysphoria the day before. I think that might’ve been the biggest moment of euphoria to me because I think he used gay in place of androgynous, because he didn’t know the word? That’s how I took it, anyway. It made me feel… complete? There’s no real words to describe euphoria. It’s a feeling of finally, 100%, just feeling YOURSELF in your own body. – H (they/them)
• When you get to use the terms that fit, it’s really exciting. From sneaking usernames that match your gender identity, to getting nicknames picked that affirm your gender, it’s wonderful. But it also is limited because it only happens in select groups, around safe people, and most of the time vicious hate is being lobbed at you just for who you are. You’re told you don’t exist, and you’re specifically told people should kill you. Repeatedly, daily, you get told this. Yet it’s worth getting called the right nicknames, and having the Pride item, and expanding on your identity in secret, because it’s that joyful an experience to be yourself in affirmation.
• My first experience was when I first cut my hair. It was the most me I had felt. I also experience gender euphoria whenever people use my pronouns, particularly since I get she/her’d a lot in my day-to-day life at school. I don’t know if I can really describe the feeling. But it’s like feeling like someone truly sees me. – Chela (they/them)
• “idk if i want him/her, or if i want to BE him/her”
• The first time I felt like this was when one of my best friends said they about me in public to someone out of the blue. And that made me feel so seen and that I was accepted and loved by her. It felt right and I was the happiest person on the planet for that moment. It meant a lot to me and she knows! – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• Feeling very “me” when wearing male-presenting or gender-neutral clothing, the joy of finally recognizing myself in the mirror, feeling free from societal conventions, like a weight has been lifted, feeling like I’m embracing myself
• If you think your whole life you have to change and then finding out you were just in the wrong pattern is a relief like… I don’t know [how to describe it] maybe like you had to suffer your entire life and then find out it’s because you’re allergic to some stuff and all pain immediately vanishes once you skip this. If you only knew before it was that easy and no need to worry…
• I have a huge chest and I had thought for years my discomfort was the size, but I’ve come to realize it’s that AND gender dysphoria. Wearing a binder for the first time and seeing myself without a highly feminized body feels incredible!!! I suppose I’d describe it to a cis person as…imagine the best haircut or hairstyle you’ve ever had. Makes you feel amazing, confident, sexy, etc., right?? Now imagine walking around for years with a haircut you *absolutely hate and cannot change*. Sounds horrible, right? Feeling gender euphoria is getting that ideal haircut after years of having the “wrong” one. – Violet (any pronouns)
• I feel a little gender euphoria in baggy clothes and when I tape my breasts away.

The Trevor Project defines gender euphoria as, “satisfaction or joy caused when one’s gendered experience aligns with their gender identity, rather than with the gender they were assigned at birth.” Many people see gender euphoria as the opposite of gender dysphoria. It’s a unique and personal experience, and it can be life changing for nonbinary and/or transgender individuals.

How have you connected with other nonbinary people? Does having a sense of community help you feel safe? Validated? Feel free to add other thoughts about finding community in this space.

• I’ve really only connected with other enby’s in this community (1D). The community gives me a sense of family and it’s very validating. – H (they/them)
• For the most part, I connect with other nonbinary people online. It’s nice to be in community with other people who understand you. – Chela (they/them)
• yes!! a few of my really close moots are non binary
• Like I mentioned in one of the previous answers, because of the people I follow, the sense of community is there. Even though it’s like I’m on the fence and mostly looking from the outside. At this point in time, I’m quite happy to know that there are people who will take me in with open arms and do everything they can to make me feel validated, even if we’re not super close friends. I do not, however, have non binary friends that I’m close to virtually or know any irl. It would be pretty nice though, to be friends with someone who even though they may have different experiences than me, would still nonetheless be the same. – Lara
• I had. It was nice to speak with them. Knowing I could ask questions about things my cis friends wouldn’t understand. – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• One of the most influential connections that has led me to discover this part of myself is someone I met through this fandom and I will never forget how it felt to first talk to someone about the things I couldn’t quite put into words before.
• Definitely. I feel like being able to relate to other gnc people is huge. Sharing experiences and validating one another is so important so they know they’re not alone, and we’ve also been able to share things like undergarments and packers and gender affirming clothing or haircuts, etc. 
• community is super important. when people respect you and your pronouns without being asked to and when discussions about experiences and similarities and differences are possible, thats when i feel both safe and validated. 

Have you faced housing insecurity due to your gender identity? (percentages are rounded)

• No – 82%
• Other – 28%

The “other” responses were personal info about why some individuals would answer “maybe” or that losing their housing is one of the primary reasons they remain closeted about their identity. People mentioned unsafe living environments, fear of neighbours, fear of family members, and potential discrimination were they to need new housing. There are currently no laws protecting nonbinary people from housing discrimination in a vast majority of the world. Those protections that do exist protect “transgender/gender identity” as a whole, and depending on context, may not apply to nonbinary individuals.

Have you experienced food insecurity due to your gender identity? (percentages are rounded)

• No – 90%
• Yes – 10%

Food insecurity can come in many forms. If living as a dependent, food can be withheld as a form of abuse and/or manipulation. If independent, discrimination can play a role in the ability to access food and other resources in a variety of ways. For example, if someone experiences employment discrimination due to their gender identity, this could mean they lack access to basic necessities, like food, as a result (relying on government assistance to supplement these needs is subject to an inherently discriminatory system, lack of funding, unnecessarily complex processes, and other barriers for those who need access to these resources).

Have you experienced discrimination or harassment based on your gender identity? (percentages are rounded)

• Yes – 64%
• No – 27%
• Other – 9%

Keeping in mind that a majority of those surveyed are not out in all aspects of their life, seeing that a majority have experienced discrimination or harassment due to their gender identity is informational, to say the least. Even when individuals are keeping their identity private,  they are still experiencing harassment or discrimination related to that identity. This sort of information reminds me both why so many people choose to be private about their identity, and why, even if they are out, they may choose personal discomfort around appearance, presentation, etc, rather than being as free and bold as they would prefer, for the sake of safety and self-preservation.

Would you like to share any thoughts related to the three questions preceding this?

• One of the biggest things that allies can do to help nonbinary people and trans people is by putting your pronouns in the bio. If you think “well, my pronouns are obvious!”, you’re contributing to cisnormativity. By everyone speaking up and showing that identities are not pre-determined by assumptions, it makes it a much safer place for nonbinary people to exist without pushback on our mere existence. 
• Online if someone disagrees with something I say, I’ll get the “of course you’re a they/them” comment a lot, which on most days is just an annoyance, but on bad days can be a lot. I’ve also faced discrimination in school when I’ve shared my pronouns, particularly because a lot of my previous work was in feminist spaces. I’ve had a few experiences with turfy professors. – Chela (they/them)
• I’d say I have experienced more discrimination and harassment when I presented according to the gender assigned to me at birth, so when I presented more stereotypically female, partly because I found out about my true gender identity later in life, partly because I think people that are or present as female are treated worse in our society. As an also neurodivergent person, I have experienced a lot of medical misogyny and have felt disheartened and frustrated by the fact that there is so little research available for female presentations and even less (if any) for genderqueer presentations. 
• I am in a very loving relationship with my partner and they love ME. As I am/was all the time. I love them no matter what. So I had the immense luck not to face any of the above when I came out to them. 

There have only been a handful of studies on the discrimination experienced by specifically nonbinary individuals. However, in one study, it was found that gender nonconforming individuals experienced higher rates of physical and sexual assault due to bias than the other survey participants (all participants identified as queer in some way).

Additionally, a study found that nearly all nonbinary people have experienced some form of employment discrimination at some point during their lives. Health discrimination of nonbinary individuals is starting to be studied in many countries, but research is still new and the data is not widely available at this point, though early findings point to significant healthcare discrimination both for binary and nonbinary transgender groups.

Identity documents are a form of legal discrimination that many transgender people face, including nonbinary individuals. Almost universally, the only form of identification available will require sex assigned at birth to be listed (which also discriminates against intersex individuals, though their experience is distinct from that of nonbinary individuals; i.e. both intersex and nonbinary people experience discrimination, occasionally in overlapping ways, but their identities are not synonymous, and neither are their experiences.)

Any final thoughts that you would like to share related to your gender identity?

• Trans men who look exactly like women are cool! 🙂 bigenderism is great too!
• I started filling this form as “Anonymous” but by the time I’ve reached the end, I wanted my name to be there. Maybe not suppressing feelings really does help. Who would’ve thought, eh? – Lara
• I wanna give a message to others. Please always be yourself. I hope you will always be you and accept others for who they are. Try to use the they them pronouns. I can’t speak on behalf of others but I think most or at least some of us understand if you fuck up. It’s okay to learn how to use it as long as you are open to it, I’m okay! – Nikita54067730 (they/them)
• I just wish I knew this earlier in my life. It might have eased my way. 

Thank you again to everyone who participated in this survey. Your time and responses are appreciated. Thank you for sharing part of your story with the readers of No Stunts Magazine!

Resources for nonbinary people, and for those who wish to become better allies (these resources are primarily for the US and the UK):

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/a-guide-to-being-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/

https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-nonbinary-people-how-to-be-respectful-and-supportive

https://www.rainbow-project.org/health-and-wellbeing/resources-for-trans-and-non-binary-people/

https://pflag.org/resource/nonbinary-resources/

https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/

https://tcpipeline.org/