Education Project
Since 2012, International Non-Binary People’s Day has been celebrated every year on July 14th—the date chosen for its placement at the halfway mark between International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day. The day—and Non-Binary Awareness Week, which begins on the preceding Monday—is a time for us to recognize, celebrate, and uplift non-binary folks around the world, learn about the diverse ways non-binary people move through life, and reaffirm our commitments to advancing the cause of non-binary rights in any way we can.
Non-binary people live their lives all around the world, and have since humanity first came into existence. References to what we’d now describe as non-binary identities can be found in some of the earliest records we have access to, such as a Sumerian creation myth from the 2nd millennium BCE, where the goddess Ninmah created a being “with no male organ and no female organ.” In the same Mesopotamian culture, it has also been argued that some of those who worked in the temples of Inanna/Ishtar were also considered to be a ‘third gender,’ neither man nor woman. In other ancient cultures, such as those from the Greco-Roman world (described in Plato’s Symposium) and northern Thailand, it’s proclaimed that there were three ‘sexes’ present in humanity at its creation. Across the sea, the cultures of Mesoamerica are likewise thought to have recognized gender as fluid and on a spectrum. The Maya revered an androgynous deity of maize, as well as a moon goddess who presented as masculine, and anthropologists have claimed that at the height of the Mayan classical period, rulers tended to present themselves as “embodying the entire range of gender possibilities, from the male through the female.” The Inca likewise placed great importance on the quariwarmi (men-women) who served Chuqui Chinchay, a jaguar deity.
It is no surprise that today, non-binary and ‘third-gender’ identities continue to exist around the globe, with experiences as varied as the colours in a rainbow. Many Thai people consider kathoeys to be an example of a third gender, though it must be said, not all agree on this definition. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the Bugis people of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, recognize five distinct genders: makkunrai, oroané, calabai, calalai, and bissu, which can be roughly translated as cis women, cis men, trans women, trans men, and androgynous or intersex people, respectively. Once again, not everyone agrees on the classification of the latter three genders as ‘third genders,’ but it is indisputable that those who identify as such occupy a distinct social role besides ‘man’ or ‘woman.’ Many Polynesian cultures likewise recognize those who are not simply ‘man’ or ‘woman,’ with people such as the māhū of Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures, the fakaleiti of Tongan culture, and the fa’afafine of Samoan culture being respected and loved members of their communities. Hijras in South Asia (also known as aravani and khawaja sira) have long been an integral part of their societies, often living together in well-defined, all-hijra communities with their own unique culture, such as the guru-chela kinship system.
In Canada and Turtle Island (North America) as a whole, the term two-spirit is often used as an umbrella term to describe the vast and varied ways Indigenous people viewed and expressed gender. It is crucial to note that it is very much an umbrella term, meant for wider audiences, because Indigenous cultures are all unique and all have their terms and concepts in regards to gender. The term was created over five conferences by several participants, concluding with the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, held in Winnipeg in 1990. The English term was what was first developed and proposed, although the Ojibwe translation niizh manidoowag was swiftly constructed to honour the peoples whose land the conference was held on. Michelle Cameron, a two-spirited woman of the Carrier First Nations, wrote that “The term two-spirit is […] an Aboriginal-specific term of resistance to colonization and non-transferable to other cultures. There are several underlying reasons for two-spirited Aboriginals’ desire to distance themselves from the mainstream queer community.” The writer of this piece is not Indigenous, and thus I doubt my ability to provide a full, accurate, culturally-knowledgeable description of the meaning of the word ‘two-spirit’ to Indigenous people, as well as the identities and cultural concepts it represents. Therefore, I highly suggest that you seek out the writings and experiences of two-spirit people to truly learn what the term means to them and how it is expressed.
It is extremely important to note, when learning about these various identities and expressions from a Western, English-speaking point of view, that our terminology and understanding of gender and non-binary identities might not be accurate to how the people with these lived experiences will describe themselves. We must always remember to listen first and foremost to the voices of those whose identities we are discussing, and use whatever terminology and/or labels they ask us to. Being intersectional and culturally-conscious when discussing these sorts of things is crucial, as is understanding that some things are very hard to translate accurately into English. If you wish to learn more about the incredible diversity of gender expression and identity that can be found around the world—this article is an incredibly brief overview—once again, I heartily recommend seeking out the voices of those who exist in these identities, as they will be able to give you better insight than I ever could.
The current moment in history can feel quite heavy if you are anywhere in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially if you are trans or non-binary. There is much that could be said about the legal recognition and rights of non-binary people across the world, and how we need to fight harder than ever to maintain our progress and push it further, but I think we all know that. Instead, I’ve chosen to leave this piece as a celebration of all the ways non-binary people have existed as themselves across history and around the world, and a reminder that they have always and will always exist. Hope and community are crucially important, and we must always work together to continue to support and uplift each other, however we can. This International Non-Binary People’s Day, we take the time to honour all the beautiful diversity that makes humanity special, and remind ourselves of the fact that wherever you are in the world, no matter how you identify or present yourself, you are never alone.
