By Gordon Wylie, Community and EDI Officer, MKDSA
International Non-binary People’s Day is celebrated on 14 July globally.
Someone who does not identify solely as a male or female is referred to as non-binary. Non-binary people can identify as both a man and a woman, or as someone who falls somewhere in between. Every day, non-binary persons demonstrate that knowing one’s self and identity is a tremendous tool that no one can take away. There’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure complete protection and rights for our non-binary friends, but we must also take time to celebrate them.
History
This day is commemorated annually to raise awareness of the difficulties that non-binary people face around the world. The inaugural commemoration of the day took place in 2012. This date was the most suitable to celebrate non-binary people as it falls between International Men’s Day and International Women’s Day. The Public Universal Friend, a genderless missionary who later discarded both birth name (Jemima Wilkinson) and gender pronouns, was the first person to identify as non-binary in 1776.
How to observe the day
Use generic terms – Make every effort to use terms like ‘friends’ that are gender-neutral. You can share your pronouns in your emails, signature, or social media pages.
Remember proper pronouns – Use the correct pronouns for people, whatever they are. Provide your name and pronoun in your introduction. Declaring your pronouns serves as a reminder to others that it is not always evident which pronoun someone uses.
Spread the word – To demonstrate your support, you could share the information with others or create posts using the non-binary flag.
