Beyond the Gender Binary

by Alok Vaid-Menon

Department of Justice announced that trans and gender non-conforming workers are not protected by civil rights law.

There’s magic in being seen by people who understand—it gives you permission to keep going.

Being self-reflective and open to transformation is something we should celebrate, not fear.

People judge gender non-conformity because they are insecure about their identities.

there is more variety within the categories of women and men than between them.

Indigenous people and people outside the Western world have long existed outside of the gender binary: two-spirit among American Indians, hijra in South Asia, waria in Indonesia, muxe in Mexico, just to name a few. In many of these societies, people living outside of the binary were and continue to be recognized as leaders. It’s not that these people do not exist, it’s that they have been erased to make the Western gender binary seem like the only option,

We don’t consider remembering everyone’s individual name a burden; we just accept that as the way things work. Gender should be the same way.

Drawing attention to issues facing nonbinary people does not erase the struggles women face.

Gender-neutral language isn’t about replacing an old norm with a new one. People have the right to self-determine their gender whether it be a man, woman, or a nonbinary gender. The goal of gender-neutral language is to get rid of gender normativity, not everyone’s gender.

There is absolutely no biological basis for why boys should not paint their nails or be sensitive and girls should not play football or be taken seriously for their ideas.