Question: I've seen a couple people who identify as transgender non-binary. I don't understand this identity. Transgender means identifies as a different sex, non-binary means a person identifies with neither sex. How can you be one sex, say you identify as another (transgender), but then say you're neither (non-binary)? Seems like you can be one or the other, not both. I'm trying to understand this and would greatly appreciate clarification on this. Please know this is an honest question, no disrespect intended if it's taken that way. Thank you!
IDENTIFICATION CLARIFICATION
- Thread starter tb7325
- Start date
Englishmansabroad
Expert Member
The prefix trans just means "across".
Presumably those people started out being defined as one gender(male or female): therefore they crossed over into being non binary, a third gender.
Trans-gender.
Simple really.
Presumably those people started out being defined as one gender(male or female): therefore they crossed over into being non binary, a third gender.
Trans-gender.
Simple really.
Thanks for the response, but it doesn't answer the question. Why not then just identify as non-binary, period? If you don't identify with either sex, why "cross" over from their current gender to the opposite gender (male to female or vise versa), and then claim you're neither? If you identify as non-binary isn't the transgender unnecessary? I appreicate it.
I think that you are missing an important component of the non-binary (NB) definition. It might help you understand by looking at trans as a spectrum with cis-gender at one end and trans women or trans men at the other end. There are a lot of points along this spectrum and NB is one of them.
While it can mean identifying as neither it can also mean identifying as both similar to genderfluid. There are many of us who for various reasons need to live parts of our life as male even though we may or may not be physically transitioning to feminine. I'm sure there are the same folks in the FtM world.
To me the ability to "slide" into the NB category has allowed me to avoid feeling self conscious about the parts of my physical presence that stubbornly remain masculine. I use it as a point on the journey to feminine, a convenience. Others I know are emotionally very feminine yet for whatever reasons cannot pursue hormone therapy. While femboy is a definition most of us here understand, to the world the term non-binary is a bit more palatable as it reads less a sexual thing.
I am not one that feels a need for labels as a rule nor do I care to try and memorize hundreds of "made up" gender labels. But the non-binary is one that makes perfect sense to me in numerous situations. It provides for versatility which is sometimes needed or perhaps simply desired.
Hope this helps.
While it can mean identifying as neither it can also mean identifying as both similar to genderfluid. There are many of us who for various reasons need to live parts of our life as male even though we may or may not be physically transitioning to feminine. I'm sure there are the same folks in the FtM world.
To me the ability to "slide" into the NB category has allowed me to avoid feeling self conscious about the parts of my physical presence that stubbornly remain masculine. I use it as a point on the journey to feminine, a convenience. Others I know are emotionally very feminine yet for whatever reasons cannot pursue hormone therapy. While femboy is a definition most of us here understand, to the world the term non-binary is a bit more palatable as it reads less a sexual thing.
I am not one that feels a need for labels as a rule nor do I care to try and memorize hundreds of "made up" gender labels. But the non-binary is one that makes perfect sense to me in numerous situations. It provides for versatility which is sometimes needed or perhaps simply desired.
Hope this helps.
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