Gender binary: Difference between revisions

The '''gender binary''' is a model of gender that classifies all people into one of two genders. Under the binary model, gender is seen as a rigid binary option, like one or zero. The gender binary says there can be no more than two genders, with no "shades of grey" between the two. According to gender binary, person can only be one or or the other, not [[Bigender|both]], [[Aporagender|something outside the two]], [[Demigender|something between the two]], or [[Agender|nothing]]. The gender binary, as described, is largely a part of Western culture and thought. Many [[ethnicity and culture|cultures]] give recognition to a slightly or significantly different system of genders. They can have [[gender-variant identities worldwide|more (nonbinary) gender roles]], and flexibility for individuals who don't fit into one role. Western colonialism puts pressure on other cultures to conform to its own form of the gender binary. This form of [[ethnicity and culture#Racism and cultural discrimination|racist]] and [[sexism|sexist]] discrimination is called [[binarism]]. There are individuals whose gender identity doesn't fit within this gender binary; who don't fit strictly into the "female" box or the "male" box. They might identify as [[nonbinary]]. The gender binary makes problems for nonbinary people, oppressing and discriminating against them in ways such as [[Nonbinary erasure|nonbinary erasure]].