Non-binary Allyship: “This Community Makes Our World a Better Place, Much More Diverse, Vibrant and Wonderful”
By Weronika Marcinek, Client Finance Manager at OMD UK Ltd
Non-binary, agender and two-spirit people have
been in existence for as long as long as humanity has been around.
Non-binary people do not identify as male or female and non-binary is not a third gender either. Instead, non-binary describes an array of identities that does not fit into a binary structure of male or female and because it does not fit with people’s sex assigned at birth some non-binary people may fall under the trans umbrella.
Many indigenous folk live their lives outside of gender binary and often hold important social roles within their tribes. Two-spirit is a term coined for native American and indigenous people who are gender non-conforming and these people hold high ceremonial and social roles within their tribes. There is also evidence of non-binary people in Byzantine and ancient Roman histories, including Roman Britain. Currently in the UK, non-binary people account for 0.5% of UK’s overall population, that’s 262,000 people as of 2021.
"Non-binary people challenge society’s views on sex, gender identity and expression; they choose to live their lives outside of the confines of gender"
Whilst gender identity is a protected
characteristic in the UK’s Equality Act 2010, it wasn’t until 2020 that this
was clarified to include non-binary people. Despite this, as of today, non-binary
people do not have legal recognition in the UK. This means that the legal
documents in the UK do not include non-gendered markers and non-binary people
have to choose either “male” or “female” on all legal documents such as
passports, marriage certificates, driving licences and bizarrely - gender
recognition certificates. Additionally, there aren’t many gender-neutral
bathrooms and changing rooms in public places, which puts non-binary and trans
folk at considerable health and safety risk. In fact, 76% of non-binary people
avoid being open about their gender identity for fear of transphobia – the
highest statistic of all LGBTQ+ folk in regard to coming out.
It’s increasingly more difficult for
non-binary people to access the right health services, often due to healthcare-enforced gender binaries. Around the world, it’s illegal to change your gender
assigned at birth in 47 countries. Non-binary people are more likely to miss
cervical screenings and breast or prostate examinations, and according to
British Medical Association, 18% of trans and non-binary folk avoid treatment
altogether for fear of negative response.
For all these statistics, it’s no wonder that non-binary folk are a hugely underrepresented community, often being misgendered and facing more homophobia / transphobia than the rest of the LGBTQ+ community.
"
Allyship can be defined as “when a person
of privilege works in solidarity and partnership with a marginalized group of
people to help take down the systems that challenge that group's basic rights,
equal access, and ability to thrive in our society” (Nicole Asong
Nfonoyim-Hara, the Director of the Diversity Programs at Mayo Clinic). Allies
must also have a degree of power to force change. For me personally – I find this
power through belief that everybody deserves acceptance, compassion and
fairness. Equality comes from understanding that all communities are not the
same, some may face similar obstacles, but they all have different backgrounds and
unique needs.
Acceptance comes from compassion and recognition; It is up to us - allies to learn about non-binary people’s journey and what we can do to help them. Non-binary folk have a place in this society, and creating a safe environment for them should be our priority. When we think about allyship and human rights, we must consider safety. With hate crimes against trans and non-binary folk on the rise every year, it’s more important than ever to ensure that this community has access to safe spaces. This should include a safe work environment, which allows people to be themselves without fear of prejudice.
Image source: Canva
Introducing yourself with and asking for
someone’s pronouns is the best way to let someone know that you recognise and
respect identities outside of the gender binary and don’t assume that people’s
gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. Equally respectful is not
assuming that someone’s partner is the opposite sex and using gender-less words
to define a relationship, such as “partner”, “children”, or “sibling”.
Young non-binary people need role models; therefore, when teaching or highlighting LGBTQ+ people, it’s important to shine light on non-binary people, also. Young people need our guidance and our protection, so they
can grow and live their true selves within our community and make sure that the
next generation of non-binary folk can also exist feeling safe, loved and
accepted by the rest of society instead of being marginalised and their
existence is consistently excluded.
Campaigns such as #TransPeopleAreLoved and
charities such as Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence, The Clare Project, and
Mindline Trans +, amongst others, are important for trans and non-binary
community, as they provide advice and support for trans and non-binary folk as
well as their families, friends, colleagues and carers.
Showing allyship through showing up is a
very crucial aspect of being an ally. Attending Trans Pride, celebrating
Non-Binary Awareness Week, campaigning for non-binary inclusion, lobbying MP’s
for more inclusive policies, and promoting non-binary businesses and professionals
are all amazing ways to drive change and ensure a safe and inclusive future for
our non-binary and gender non-conforming community. What the community doesn’t
need is cis people standing idly by. Now is the time to act.
Non-binary people challenge society’s views
on sex, gender identity and expression; they choose to live their lives outside
of the confines of gender. In a world that feels like it’s built on gender
roles and consistently tries to erase non-binary people’s existence, being non-binary
may feel like you’re taking on the world’s rule book, throwing it in the bin
and rewriting a new one. It opens up a world of possibilities. This community
makes our world a better place, much more diverse, vibrant and wonderful.
The non-binary community have a right to be
seen, to be safe, to be happy, to be themselves. If you want human rights you
want the non-binary & trans community to exist just like everyone else does
– there are no human rights without safety and acceptance for all.
To the non-binary and trans community – my message to you this Pride (and forever) is this: we are here, we love you, we support you, we will fight for you. You are not alone.
References:
Booth, R. and Goodier, M. (2023). England
and Wales census counts trans and non-binary people for first time. [online]
The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/06/england-and-wales-census-counts-trans-and-non-binary-people-for-first-time.
Maheshwari-Aplin, P. (2021). Being
non-binary in the UK today. [online] Stonewall. Available at: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/being-non-binary-uk-today.
Wareham, J. (n.d.). New Report Shows Where
It’s Illegal To Be Transgender In 2020. [online] Forbes. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2020/09/30/this-is-where-its-illegal-to-be-transgender-in-2020/?sh=427899f85748
[Accessed 29 Jun. 2023].
Hansford, A. (2022). Transphobic hate
crimes surge to record highs in UK, report confirms. [online] PinkNews | Latest
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English Heritage. (n.d.). The Galli:
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https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/lgbtq-history/the-galli/#:~:text=Galli%20in%20Roman%20poetry&text=The%20Galli%2C%20with%20their%20ambiguous
[Accessed 30 Jun. 2023].
GenderGP (2021). Non-Binary People In
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https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/equality-and-diversity-guidance/lgbtplus-equality-in-medicine/inclusive-care-of-trans-and-non-binary-patients.
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[online] Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/national-lgbt-survey.
National Center for Transgender Equality
(2016). Understanding Nonbinary People: How to Be Respectful and Supportive.
[online] National Center for Transgender Equality. Available at:
https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-nonbinary-people-how-to-be-respectful-and-supportive.
Office for National Statistics (2023).
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