Non-binary gender

Genderqueer (GQ), also termed non-binary or gender-expansive, is a catch-all category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—‌identities which are thus outside of the gender binary and cisnormativity. Genderqueer people may identify as one or more of the following:


 * having an overlap of, or indefinite lines between, gender identity;
 * having two or more genders (being bigender, trigender, or pangender);
 * having no gender (being agender, nongendered, genderless, genderfree or neutrois);
 * moving between genders or having a fluctuating gender identity (genderfluid); or
 * being third gender or other-gendered, a category which includes those who do not place a name to their gender.

Definitions and identity
In addition to being an umbrella term, genderqueer has been used as an adjective to refer to any people who transgress distinctions of gender, regardless of their self-defined gender identity, i.e. those who "queer" gender, expressing it non-normatively, or overall not conforming into the binary genders, male and female. Androgynous (also androgyne) is frequently used as a descriptive term for people in this category, though genderqueer people may express a combination of masculinity and femininity, or neither, in their gender expression, and not all identify as androgynous. However, the term has been applied by those describing what they see as a gender ambiguity. Some references use the term transgender broadly, in such a way that it includes genderqueer/non-binary people.



The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Gender Spectrum use the term gender-expansive to convey "a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system".

A person who is genderfluid prefers to remain flexible about their gender identity rather than committing to a single gender. They may fluctuate between genders or express multiple genders at the same time.

An agender ('a−' meaning "without") person, also called a genderless, genderfree, non-gendered, or ungendered person, is someone who identifies as having no gender or being without a gender identity. Although this category includes a broad range of identities which do not conform to traditional gender norms, scholar Anne Enke states that people who identify with any of these positions may not necessarily self-identify as transgender. Agender people have no specific set of pronouns; singular they is typically used, but it is not the default. Neutrois and agender were two of 50 available custom genders on Facebook, which were added on 13 February 2014. Agender is also available as a gender option on OkCupid since 17 November 2014.

Some genderqueer people also desire physical modification or hormones to suit their preferred expression. The World Health Organization considers gender and sex to be distinct concepts. Some genderqueer people identify as a male woman or a female man, or combine genderqueer with another gender option. Gender identity is separate from sexual or romantic orientation, and genderqueer people have a variety of sexual orientations, just like transgender and cisgender people do.

Gender neutrality
Gender neutrality is the movement to end discrimination of gender altogether in society through means of gender-neutral language, the end of sex segregation, and other means.

Pronouns and titles
Some genderqueer people prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns such as one, ze, sie, hir, co, ey or singular "they", "their" and "them", while others prefer the conventional binary pronouns "her" or "him". Some genderqueer people prefer to be referred to alternately as he and she, and some prefer to use only their name and not use pronouns at all.

Many genderqueer people prefer additional neutral language, such as the title "Mx." instead of Mr. or Ms.

Legal recognition of non-binary gender


In Australia, sex/gender can be listed on passports as male, female, or X (for indeterminate/intersex/unspecified). An alliance of organizations including the National LGBTI Health Alliance, Organisation Intersex International Australia and Transgender Victoria has called for X to be redefined as non-binary.

In the United Kingdom the government has been slow to recognise non-binary gender. Other bodies such as some banks allow the use of Mx as a title, while HESA allows the use of non-binary gender markers for students in higher education. In 2015 an early day motion, EDM660, was registered with Parliament. EDM660 calls for citizens to be permitted access to the X marker on passports. When the text of EDM660 came to light in 2016 a formal petition was launched through the Parliamentary Petitions Service calling for EDM660 to be passed into law. The government has not responded as of yet.

United States
The majority of respondents to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey chose "A gender not listed here". The Q3GNLH (Question 3 Gender Not Listed Here) respondents reported being 9 percentage-points (33%) more likely to forgo healthcare due to fear of discrimination than the general sample (36% compared to 27%). 90% reported experiencing anti-trans bias at work and 43 percent reported having attempted suicide.