Browsing Tag

non-binary

Reflections on Racism: Surviving as a Black, Non-binary Person

Posted on June 18, 2020
A photo of a protest sign against racism.

I was at a week-long Girl Scout sleepaway camp the first time I remember experiencing racism. It was right after the counselors had called for “lights out” in the bunk. There was some problem in the cabin and, to get my attention, one of the other campers called out to me—“Hey, Black girl.” She knew my real name. She’d known for days. Yet, she chose to address me as “Black girl” instead. I don’t remember what she said after that,…

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More Than A Mother: A Letter to My Revolutionary Mom This Mother’s Day

Posted on May 7, 2020
A photo of Dr. Laura McGuire's mother.

Dear Mom, I know you don’t always think I see you for all that you genuinely are. More than as my mother, my children’s Nonna, or my rock—but as a human being. At times, you may think I only see you through a critical lens—that I bring up what you are not, the ways in which I wish you were different, or that I make comparisons between you and other moms. Perhaps I do. But I want you to know that,…

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Free to Be: Navigating My Queer, Non-Binary Identity as a Child of the Southern Suburbs

Posted on January 14, 2020
A photo of Spectrum South writer Addie Tsai.

For the last month, I’ve been on tour for my first book, Dear Twin, a queer Asian young adult novel about twins and childhood trauma. The book centers a queer Asian romance between Poppy, a half-Chinese, half-Japanese queer teen and her girlfriend, Juniper, a self-identified butch Korean girl. When audiences ask me about the characters’ relationship, I say that, when writing this book, instead of envisioning a queer future, I instead envisioned a queer past—one in which I could have…

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Transcending Archetypes: Paving Way for the Divine Non-Binary

Posted on December 24, 2019
A photo of the divine non-binary.

Yin and Yang. Shiva and Shakti. God and Goddess. Man and Woman. Modern spiritual practices go on ad nauseam about these concepts of the “divine masculine” and “divine feminine.” While these paradigms have infused our spiritual and religious ideologies and dogma for as long as we have been a cultured species, this attachment to binary gender archetypes is, in reality, a very new concept that stems from Western colonialism and modern Judeo-Christian ideas, rather than humanity’s religious, indigenous, and spiritual…

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The Bayou City Be All: Reflections on DiverseWorks’ Night of Performance Beyond the Binary

Posted on November 11, 2019
A photo of the Bayou City Be All.

On October 20, DiverseWorks gave us, the city’s queer community, a generous gift—the “Bayou City Be All: A Night of Performance, Fashion, and Music Beyond the Gender Binary.” The two-part event, promoted as a community-driven project, commemorated the vibrant and unapologetic art, culture, and tunes stewarded and crafted by our own gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and non-binary makers.…

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TRANScending Barriers: Atlanta-based Nonprofit Helps Trans People Acclimate to Life After Incarceration

Posted on November 1, 2019
A photo of the TRANScending Barriers team.

TRANScending Barriers isn’t your average nonprofit. An Atlanta-based re-entry program geared toward helping transgender individuals acclimate back into society after incarceration, it is a vital lifeline for the trans community it serves. Although the US transgender population now exceeds 1.6 million, the trans community continues to face heightened levels of institutional and societal discrimination. Add other intersectional identities, such as race, into the mix and that discrimination increases.…

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This Queer Non-Binary Femme Makeup Artist Wants to Look Otherwordly in Small-Town Texas

Posted on September 16, 2019
A photo of makeup artist Gayylien.

Spotted in Lockhart, Texas, just outside of Austin, is an otherworldly being shopping at H-E-B. Jeannette Celine, known as Gayylien, is a non-binary, Xicanx femme makeup artist who seeks to transform themself into a “freak” using makeup and body paint. "I just want to be an art piece," Gayylien, who uses they/them pronouns, says. "I want to be a freak. I want to challenge people's notions of gender, sexuality, and normality. I have the ability to transform myself into anything…

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The Problem with Gender-Neutral Fashion

Posted on September 4, 2019
A photo of gender-neutral fashion.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “clothing” as “garments in general.” While the word “clothing” is not inherently a gendered noun, we as a society have declared different types of clothing to be specific to one of two genders/sexes. Clothing such as skirts and dresses have traditionally been associated with women/feminine persons; meanwhile, loose clothing and suiting have been linked to men/masculine persons. Throughout the history of Western civilization, ingrained and rigid gender roles—coupled with sexism—have helped to maintain this status quo.…

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Important Intersections: Dr. Jess Waggoner Teaches First Transgender Studies Course at University of Houston

Posted on August 21, 2019
A photo of Dr. Jess Waggoner.

Growing up in rural Alabama was difficult for University of Houston professor Dr. Jess Waggoner. Yet, despite being surrounded by gendered expectations, they persevered and found ways to express themselves as a young, queer, non-binary person. In particular, singing in church and reading were ways they could be momentarily free. “As a fat, femme, disabled, non-binary scholar with a deep love for glitter, crop-tops, bolo ties, and camp, finding my place in the academy has not always been easy,” says…

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