Non-Binary Discrimination

[EchelonHunt]

Hello, everyone

Turns out after some Googling, I found out that non-binary discrimination is very real, something I hadn't thought of before.

Genderqueer individuals suffer discrimination and violence at similar, and sometimes even higher rates, than transgender-identified individuals, according to a new study published by the LGBTQ Policy Journal at the Harvard Kennedy School. The findings are based on data from the 2008 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), a study undertaken by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality, where respondents were allowed to write in their own gender if the predetermined categories did not represent them.

While genderqueer respondents fared the same or better than other NTDS respondents by some measures, they notably fared worse by others. As compared to transgender-identified survey respondents, genderqueer were people more likely to:

• Suffer physical assaults (32% compared to 25%)
• Survive sexual assault in K-12 education (16% compared to 11%)
• Face police harassment (31% compared to 21%)
• Be unemployed (76% compared to 56%)
• Avoid healthcare treatment for fear of discrimination (36% compared to 27%)

Source: http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/transgender-issues/a-gender-not-listed-here-genderqueers-gender-rebels-and-otherwise-in-the-national-transgender-discrimination-survey/

Discuss your thoughts and opinions but please, remember to be respectful to one another and as always, stay on topic. Please refrain from debating Non-Binary Vs Binary as it will veer the subject off-topic. I hope you can understand! Thank you and I look forward to seeing responses from members and mods alike

[suzifrommd]

I think there are cultural biases against non-binary folks. We're seen as "rebels" who are trying to overturn the established order rather than people who legitimately experience gender that can't be described as male or female.

I took one of those dumb facebook quizzes "what classic rock song describes you". For the gender question, it had male, female, and "a little of both" which I chose. It gave me "Wild thing". When I retook the quiz changing only that answer, it gave me something much more tamer.

The conclusion is obvious. Anyone who doesn't identify as a binary gender is "wild." Wild things are dangerous.

I expect this would lead to discrimination among bosses who wouldn't want a wild employee, landlords who wouldn't want a wild tenant or even restaurant owners who would want a wild patron.

[Heather]

When I went through my androgynous phase during my transition people were pretty rude to me. So I can only imagine that somebody not presenting as male or female would face discrimination.

[Taka]

my employer only cares about what i can accomplish. my boss, who recruited me, obly cares about people's aura. mine is apparently very down to earth, strong, and steady as a mountain. stubbornness caught me a job?
i'm not sure, but i think he'd keep me even if i come out as non-binary, it really shouldn't come as a shock to a psychic, i hope...

other than that... i don't think i'd feel as safe outside my own community. i have special very sought after linguistic abilities, i'll manage to find work no matter what. our number one expert on local linguistics is a bi guy in a gay marriage. his husband's ethnucity (which is the same as mine) was reason for more discrimination than being gay. i fear the same will be the case with non-binary. in some places, my ethnicity will be worse than my gender. i wonder where transsexuals stand in this mess, but.. well...

discrimination is real. totally.
though sometimes not the way one would expect.

[helen2010]

I am not surprised.  Folk are normally uncomfortable with that which they don't easily understand, are unfamiliar with, or don't know how to relate to.  For most this is not a significant issue if they know the person, however othérwise discomfort all too often precedes discrimination.

It is probably a tribal thing.  Over time society has become, in general, more inclusive and discrimination less obvious. Whether this all comes back to protecting male privilege or not, it would appear that non binary discrimination is unfortunately alive and well.

[Shantel]

I really don't have much to say about this in terms of any negative experiences, it's possible that I'm too impervious to other people's reactions to me to even be consciously aware of anything going on, on the other hand I have a face and general physical appearance that may be offsetting to anyone who would consider messing with me and I know I can be rather intimidating when it's called for. I'm usually seen publicly with my SO or with one of several other women friends, so that may have something to do with it too, I dunno!

[Bazer63]

I always though (us) non binary people were denied our existance rather than treated like binary trans people.