Globally, International Non-binary People’s Day is observed on July 14. A person who identifies as neither masculine nor female exclusively is referred to as non-binary. Non-binary individuals can identify as either a male or a woman, or as someone in between. Non-binary individuals demonstrate daily that knowing oneself and one’s identity is a tremendous, irreplaceable asset. There is still much work to be done to ensure that our non-binary friends have complete protection and privileges, but we must also take time to celebrate them.
The background of International Non-Binary Peoples Day
This day is celebrated annually to bring attention to the challenges faced by non-binary people around the globe. In 2012, the first observance of the day took place. This date was chosen because it lies between International Men’s Day and International Women’s Day, making it ideal for celebrating non-binary people. In 1776, the first person to identify as non-binary was the Public Universal Friend, a genderless missionary who subsequently discarded both birth name (Jemima Wilkinson) and gender pronouns.
The Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project was established in 2012 to advocate for the expansion of gender options on official documents. In 2016, James Shupe became the first person in the United States to have a non-binary gender on official documents. Norrie May-Welby, a transgender activist, took legal action against the New South Wales Government Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages to recognise Norrie’s legal gender identity as non-specific between 2010 and 2014. This followed the 2003 recognition of intersex people in Australian law. Argentina became the first nation in South America to legally recognise non-binary gender on all official documents on July 21, 2021, when it added the “X” symbol for non-binary gender to its national ID card.
While the federal government of the United States does not recognise non-binary gender identity, Oregon was the first state to do so in 2016. In 2017, California followed Oregon’s lead and passed legislation allowing residents to identify as non-binary on official documents.
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5 FACTS ABOUT NON-BINARY PEOPLE
Other terms to characterise non-binary people include genderqueer, gender fluid, agender, bigender, demigender, and pangender
The nonbinary flag is made up of horizontal stripes of yellow, white, purple, and black.
Non-binary individuals are not required to be equally “masculine” and “feminine.”
Being nonbinary does not preclude having a distinct gender identity.
They/them pronouns are not always used by non-binary individuals.
INTERNATIONAL NON-BINARY PEOPLES DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | July 14 | Friday |
| 2024 | July 14 | Sunday |
| 2025 | July 14 | Monday |
| 2026 | July 14 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | July 14 | Wednesday |
