History of nonbinary gender: Difference between revisions

[[File:Sekhet hieroglyphs.jpg|thumb|<translate><!--T:11--> The word "sekhet" in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.</translate><ref name="Brustman">Mark Brustman. "The Third Gender in Ancient Egypt." ''"Born Eunuchs" Home Page and Library.'' 1999. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/egypt.htm [https://web.archive.org/web/20230510151854/https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/egypt.htm Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>]]

* Many cultures and ethnic groups have concepts of [[gender-variant identities worldwide|traditional gender-variant roles]], with a history of them going back to antiquity. These gender identities and roles are often analogous to nonbinary identity, as they don't fit into the Western idea of the [[gender binary]] roles. The [[Hijra]] of South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh date back to 400 BCE or 300 CE, where they were mentioned in the ''Kama Sutra.'' The Hijra are feminine eunuchs who consider themselves neither male nor female. The Scythians, who were Eurasian nomadic horseriders, were well-known to other civilizations for honoring gender-variant people as priests and warriors. The Scythians invented the world's earliest known hormone therapy as far back as the 7th century BCE, using licorice root as an antiandrogen,<ref name="enarees kaldera">Raven Kaldera. "Ergi: The Way of the Third." ''Northern-Tradition Shamanism.'' https://web.archive.org/web/20130501152328/http://www.northernshamanism.org/shamanic-techniques/gender-sexuality/ergi-the-way-of-the-third.html</ref> and mare's urine as an oestrogen, much as is used in the modern oestrogen medication, Premarin.<ref name="enarees savage 74">Helen Savage. (2006) "Changing sex? : transsexuality and Christian theology." Doctoral thesis, Durham University. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3364/ [https://web.archive.org/web/20230415224247/http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3364/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Hundreds of pre-colonial Native American cultures recognized various kinds of gender roles (today called by the umbrella term [[Two-Spirit]]) who did not fit into the Western gender binary. The [[māhū]] of Hawaii and Tahiti were also pre-colonial genders outside male and female. As far back as six centuries ago, the Bugis people of Indonesia have recognized five genders, one of which, called [[Bissu]], is a combination of all the genders, even if they are not physically intersex.<ref name=ABC>{{cite news|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation News|first=Farid M|last=Ibrahim|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/indonesia-fifth-gender-might-soon-disappear/10846570|accessdate=27 February 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227045350/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/indonesia-fifth-gender-might-soon-disappear/10846570|archive-date=27 February 2019|title=Homophobia and rising Islamic intolerance push Indonesia's intersex bissu priests to the brink|date=27 February 2019}}</ref> As far back as the 1st century CE, classical Judaism has recognized six genders/sexes, with distinct prohibitions for each.<ref>Robbie Medwed. "More Than Just Male and Female: The Six Genders in Classical Judaism." ''Sojourn'' (blog). June 01, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714011440/http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders</ref>

* The Anglo-Saxon word ''wæpen-wifestre'', or ''wæpned-wifestre'' (Anglo-Saxon, ''wæpen'' "sword," "penis," "male" (or ''wæpned'' "weaponed," "with a penis," "male") + ''wif'' woman, + ''estre'' feminine suffix, thus "woman with a weapon," "woman with a penis," or "man woman") was defined in an eleventh-century glossary (Antwerp Plantin-Moretus 32) as meaning "hermaphrodite." The counterpart of this word, ''wæpned-mann,'' simply meant "a person armed with a sword" or "male person."<ref>Dana Oswald, ''Monsters, Gender and Sexuality in Medieval English Literature.'' Rochester, NY: D.S. Brewer, 2010. p. 93.</ref><ref name="ClarkMedieval">David Clark. ''Between medieval men: Male friendship and desire in early medieval English literature.'' Oxford University Press, 2009. P. 63-65.</ref> ''Wæpen-wifestre'' is known to be a synonym for "scrat" (intersex).<ref>''Catholicon Anglicum: An English-Latin Word-book, dated 1483, volume 30.'' Accessed via Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=I7wKAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22W%C3%A6pen-wifestre%22&pg=PA325#v=onepage&q=%22W%C3%A6pen-wifestre%22&f=false [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084019/https://books.google.com/books?id=I7wKAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22W%C3%A6pen-wifestre%22&pg=PA325 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Another synonym given for ''wæpen-wifestre'' is ''bæddel,'' an which also means intersex, but also feminine men, from which the word "bad" is thought to be derived, due to its use as a slur.<ref>"bad (adj.)" ''Online Etymology Dictionary.'' https://www.etymonline.com/word/bad [https://web.archive.org/web/20230320040139/https://www.etymonline.com/word/bad Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> The related word ''bæddling'' was used in eleventh-century laws for men who had sex with men in a receptive role.<ref name="ClarkMedieval" /> Additional meanings of ''wæpen-wifestre'' are possible. When ''wæpen-wifestre'' is read as "woman with a penis," it could describe a feminine man, a man who has sex with men, or a transgender woman. When read as "woman with a sword," it could refer to a warrior woman. When read as "man woman," it could mean not only an intersex person, but also people who transgressed the gender binary that seems to have been the rule in Anglo-Saxon England, as far as is known from limited literature from that era. From this range of meanings that the word potentially covers, it's possible that ''wæpen-wifestre'' may have been a general category for intersex, queer, and gender-variant people in Britain, during the time that was contemporary to Beowulf.

* A blog post by the Merriam Webster dictionary editors says, "In the 17th century, English laws concerning inheritance sometimes referred to people who didn’t fit a gender binary using the pronoun ''it'', which, while dehumanizing, was conceived of as being the most grammatically fit answer to gendered pronouns around then."<ref>“Words We’re Watching: Singular 'They:' Though singular 'they' is old, 'they' as a nonbinary pronoun is new—and useful.” ''Merriam Webster.'' https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/singular-nonbinary-they Captured November 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230618001603/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/singular-nonbinary-they Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> This is an example of people being considered legally outside of male and female. ''Editors at this wiki would appreciate more information and sources about the laws in question, their dates, and what categories of people they referred to. (Unborn children? Intersex people? People who didn't conform to gender norms?)''

* "[[Singular they]]" had already been the standard [[English neutral pronouns|gender-neutral pronoun in English]] for hundreds of years. However, in 1745, prescriptive grammarians began to say that it was no longer acceptable. Their reasoning was that neutral pronouns don't exist in Latin, which was thought to be a better language, so English shouldn't use them, either. They instead began to recommend using "[[English neutral pronouns#He|he]]" as a gender-neutral pronoun.<ref>Maria Bustillos, "Our desperate, 250-year-long search for a gender-neutral pronoun." January 6, 2011. [http://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun http://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230603104253/https://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> This started the dispute over the problem of acceptable gender-neutral pronouns in English, which has carried on for centuries now.

* [[Simon Ganneau]] (1806 - 1851) was a sculptor and Parisian prophet. He wore a combination of feminine and masculine signifiers: a beard, a working man's blouse, and a woman's mantle. He called himself by the title "the Mapah," which was a combination of the words ''mater'' (mother) and ''pater'' (father). He created a mystical religion he called Evadaisme, meaning "Eve-Adam-ism." This taught that the next phase of human development would be androgyny, coming from the femininity of Mary-Eve marrying the masculinity of Christ-Adam. Evadaisme condemned sexist traditions, such as taking the surname of one's father and not one's mother. Though the Mapah was poor, he was well-educated, and spoke eloquently. He preached to working-class men and sex workers.<ref>Shawn P. Wilbur. "Notes on Simon Ganneau (the Mapah) and Evadaisme." July 14, 2019. https://www.libertarian-labyrinth.org/utopian-and-scientific/notes-on-simon-ganneau-the-mapah-and-evadisme/ [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://www.libertarian-labyrinth.org/utopian-and-scientific/notes-on-simon-ganneau-the-mapah-and-evadisme/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Androgyne_Evadam_(Mapah,_1838).jpg [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Androgyne_Evadam_(Mapah,_1838).jpg Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> The Mapah taught Éliphas Lévi (1810 – 1875), inspiring the latter to become interested in the occult. Lévi then become the best-known occultist of the nineteenth century. Through Lévi, the occult practice of Western ceremonial magic owes much of its origins to the Mapah.<ref>https://www.grupopensamento.com.br/produto/dogma-e-ritual-da-alta-magia-nova-edicao-5550 [https://web.archive.org/web/20220628184755/https://www.grupopensamento.com.br/produto/dogma-e-ritual-da-alta-magia-nova-edicao-5550 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>Christopher McIntosh, ''Éliphas Lévi and the French Occult Revival'', 1972.</ref>  

* Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895) developed a theory in which men who are attracted to men and women who are attracted to women are thus because they are members of a third sex, a mixture of both male and female, and with the psyche or essence of the "opposite" sex, even though their bodies look like cis-gender male and female bodies. The terms "homosexual," "bisexual," and "heterosexual" didn't exist yet, so he coined terms for them all. The overall phenomenon he called [[Uranismus]] (in the original German, ''Urningtum''), gay men were uranians (German ''urnings''), lesbians were uraniads (German ''urningin'', as ''-in'' is the feminine suffix), whereas heterosexuals were ''Dionings'', so bisexual men were ''uranodionings,'' and so on, all of which were distinct from ''zwitter'' (intersex). Ulrichs based this naming system on "Plato's ''Symposium'', where two different kinds of love [...are] ruled by two different goddesses of love-- Aphrodite, daughter of Uranus, and Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus and Dione. The second Aphrodite rules those who love the opposite sex." <ref>''We are everywhere: A historical sourcebook of gay and lesbian politics.'' P. 61. https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65#v=onepage&q=urning&f=false [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Ulrichs argued that their condition was as natural and healthy as that of what we now call heterosexual people, and he started the movement fighting for their equal legal rights to express their love "between consenting adults, with the free consent of both parties," in his words from 1870, and that they should not be pathologized nor criminalized for doing so.<ref name="UlrichsAraxes">Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, "Araxes: Appeal for the liberation of the urning's nature from penal law." 1870. Excerpt reprinted in: ''We are everywhere: A historical sourcebook of gay and lesbian politics.'' P. 63-65. https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65#v=onepage&q=urning&f=false [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>. Although Uranismus was generally addressed in terms of orientation, Ulrichs specifically described various categories of uranians in terms of their gender nonconformity and gender variance. For example, in regard to feminine gay men or queens (who he called ''Weiblings''), Ulrichs wrote in 1879, <blockquote>"The Weibling is a total mixture of male and female, in which the female element is even predominant, a thoroughly hermaphroditically organized being. Despite his male sexual organs, he is more woman than man. He is a woman with male sexual organs. He is a neutral sex. He is a [[neuter]]. He is the hermaphrodite of the ancients."<ref name="UlrichsArrow">Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, "Critical arrow." 1879. Excerpt reprinted in: ''We are everywhere: A historical sourcebook of gay and lesbian politics.'' P. 64-65. https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65#v=onepage&q=urning&f=false [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://books.google.com/books?id=rDG3xdtDutkC&lpg=PA64&dq=urning&pg=PA65 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref></blockquote>

* Based on Ulrich's work in the 1870s, which were the foundation of Western notions of LGBT people for the next several decades, clinical beliefs around the time of the 1890s "conflat[ed] sex, sexual orientation, and gender expression," thinking of (to use modern words for them) gay, lesbian, transgender, and gender non-conforming people as all having some kind of intersex condition. Such people were said to have "sexual inversion," and were called "inverts."<ref>"What's the history behind the intersex rights movement?" ''Intersex Society of North America.'' http://www.isna.org/faq/history [https://web.archive.org/web/20230603034720/http://www.isna.org/faq/history Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>. Another name used for the same category through the 1890s and 1910s was "the intermediate sex," or the "intermediates," which was not physically intersex, and was understood to be often (though not always) gender nonconforming.<ref>Edward Carpenter. "The intermediate sex." ''Love's Coming-of-Age.'' 1906. Accessed via the archive in ''Sacred Texts'' at  http://www.sacred-texts.com/lgbt/lca/lca09.htm</ref>

* During the 1890s, Paresis Hall in New York City was a place with an active nightlife of LGBT people. In 1895, the autobiographer [[Jennie June]] formed an organization called the Cercle Hermaphroditos, along with other [[androgyne]]s like June's self who frequented Paresis Hall. The purpose of the group was to "to unite for defense against the world's bitter persecution," and to show that it was natural to be an invert (an LGBT person).<ref>Katz, Jonathan Ned. "Transgender Memoir of 1921 Found". ''Humanities and Social Sciences Online''. N.p., 10 October 2010. Web. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref> This is one of the earliest known organizations in the US for LGBT rights.<ref>Gross, Tasha. "LGBTQ History: Cooper Square and Bowery". ''LGBTQ History: Cooper Square and Bowery''. N.p., December 4, 2014. Web. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref> <ref name="OutHistory intro">Out History. "Introduction." ''Earl Lind (Raph Werther - Jennie June): The Riddle of the Underworld, 1921.'' October 11, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2020. https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/earl-lind/intro/intro [https://web.archive.org/web/20230621082140/https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/earl-lind/intro/intro Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref name="Stryker2007">{{Cite web |title=Why the T in LGBT is here to stay |last=Stryker |first=Susan |work=Salon |date=11 October 2007 |access-date=4 July 2020 |url= https://www.salon.com/control/2007/10/11/transgender_2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/https://www.salon.com/control/2007/10/11/transgender_2/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>  

* In 1905, a 61-year-old person named Randolph Milbourne was arrested for publicly wearing women's clothing. Later, Milbourne stated that "While physically I am a man, yet spiritually and intellectually I am neither a man nor a woman".<ref>{{cite news|work=The Spokane Press|date=May 15, 1905 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085947/1905-05-15/ed-1/seq-3/|title=Ohio Man Wears Woman's Garb In Spite Of Courts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084022/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085947/1905-05-15/ed-1/seq-3|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref>

* During the 1910s, German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld created the word "transvestite," which at the time meant many more kinds of transgender and even transsexual people. Hirschfeld opened the first clinic to regularly serve them.<ref>Trans Health editors, “Timeline of gender identity research.” 2002-04-23. http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084025/http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Hirschfeld's Institute of Sex Research had a library of literature about LGBT people, collected from all over Europe, that couldn't be found anywhere else. This started to bring about a revolution in how society understood and accepted LGBT people, and allowing [[children]] to be [[gender nonconformity|gender nonconforming]]. Then, in 1933, the Nazis destroyed it all. This set back LGBT rights for another 40 or so years. The progress wasn't matched again until at least 1990.

* [[Jennie June]] (aforementioned in the 1890s) wrote a trilogy of autobiographies focusing on inversion: ''The Autobiography of an Androgyne'' (published 1918), ''The Female-Impersonators'' (published 1922), and ''The Riddle of the Underworld'' (written 1921, lost, and rediscovered in 2010).<ref name="OutHistory sell">Randall Sell. "Randall Sell: Encountering Earl Lind, Ralph Werther, Jennie June." ''Earl Lind (Raph Werther - Jennie June): The Riddle of the Underworld, 1921.'' Out History. October 11, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2020. https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/earl-lind/intro/intro [https://web.archive.org/web/20230621082140/https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/earl-lind/intro/intro Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> June's goal in writing these books was to help create an accepting environment for young adults who do not adhere to gender and sexual norms, to prevent youth from committing suicide.<ref name="Meyerowitz 2010">Meyerowitz, J. "Thinking Sex With An Androgyne". ''GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies'' 17.1 (2010): 97–105. Web. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref>

* During WWII, the Jewish surrealist artist [[Notable nonbinary people#Claude Cahun|Claude Cahun]] (who described their gender as "neutral")<ref>{{Cite book|title=Disavowals : or cancelled confessions|first=Claude|last=Cahun|date=2008|publisher=The MIT Press|isbn=9780262533034|oclc=922878515}}</ref> with their life-partner Marcel Moore (also a Jewish artist who chose a neutral name) engaged in resistance work and activism against the Nazis during the German occupation of France. In 1944, Cahun and Moore were arrested by the Nazis and sentenced to death, but the sentence was never carried out as the island was liberated from German occupation in 1945.<ref name=":1" >{{Cite journal|last=Andersen|first=Corinne|date=2005|title=Que me veux-tu?/ What do you want of me?: Claude Cahun's Autoportraits and the Process of Gender Identification|url=|journal=Women in French Studies|volume=13|pages=37–50|via=Project MUSE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827211801/http://http:///|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref>

* Although the earliest known ''recorded'' mention of the gender-neutral title [[Mx]] was in a magazine article in 1977,<ref>Practical Androgyny (PractiAndrogyny). May 4, 2015. [https://twitter.com/PractiAndrogyny/status/595329679789260801 https://twitter.com/PractiAndrogyny/status/595329679789260801] [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084026/https://twitter.com/practiandrogyny/status/595329679789260801 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>''The Single Parent'', vol 20. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IgwdAQAAMAAJ&amp;dq=editions%3ALCCNsc83001271&amp;focus=searchwithinvolume&amp;q=Mx https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IgwdAQAAMAAJ&amp;dq=editions%3ALCCNsc83001271&amp;focus=searchwithinvolume&amp;q=Mx]</ref> anecdotes say it was in use as far back as 1965.<ref>Cassian Lotte Lodge (cassolotl). "Mx has been around since the 1960s." November 26, 2014. Blog post. [http://cassolotl.tumblr.com/post/103645470405 http://cassolotl.tumblr.com/post/103645470405] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230519033811/http://cassolotl.tumblr.com/post/103645470405 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>octopus8. November 18, 2014. Comment on news article. [http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/nov/17/rbs-bank-that-likes-to-say-mx#comment-43834815 http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/nov/17/rbs-bank-that-likes-to-say-mx#comment-43834815] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230509012340/https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/nov/17/rbs-bank-that-likes-to-say-mx Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* During the 1970s and 1980s, feminists Casey Miller and Kate Swift were significant influences on encouraging people to take up [[gender neutral language|gender inclusive language]], as an alternative to sexist language that excludes or dehumanizes women. Some of their books on this are ''Words and Women'' (1976) and ''The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing'' (1980). They also encoraged the use of gender neutral pronouns.<ref>Elizabeth Isele, "Casey Miller and Kate Swift: Women who dared to disturb the lexicon." http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/old-WILLA/fall94/h2-isele.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20230528025157/https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/old-WILLA/fall94/h2-isele.html Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Though their work doesn't directly acknowledge the existence of people outside the gender binary, it did help break down societal views of masculine-as-default, and even the extent of the gender binary in language.

* Up until the 1970s, LGBT people of all kinds largely had a sense of being on the same side together. A major rift started in 1979, when [[woman#cisgender women|cisgender woman]] Janice Raymond wrote the book ''Transsexual Empire,'' which outlined her transphobic conspiracy theory which told cisgender women to fear trans women. This started the [[cissexism|trans-exclusionary movement]]. As a result, many [[feminism|feminist]], lesbian, and women-only spaces became hostile to trans women. This dividing issue made it difficult for feminism to develop an understanding of transgender issues in general. In response, the movement of transgender studies began with an essay by trans woman Sandy Stone in 1987.<ref>"History of transgenderism in the United States." ''Wikipedia.'' Retrieved November 29, 2014. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230306213642/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Today, the term TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) means supposed feminists who discriminate against [[woman#transgender women|trans women]].

* A 1978 issue of ''Philadelphia Gay News'' contains an interview with someone who started a [[transfeminine]] [[transition]], lived as a woman for a year and a a half, then ceased taking feminizing hormones. The person, going by the name [[D.J. Beck]] at the time, states in the interview that "[Our culture feels] that one must be male or one must be female. Our society demands that you cannot be both, you cannot be in between, you cannot be flexible." and "As much as I felt uncomfortable as a male, I felt unnatural as a female." The interview concludes with Beck saying, "I learned that I'm something that we haven't put a label on yet. I'm something that I think a lot of men and women will someday be able to accept and admit they are: people of a personal psyche that doesn't have to be male or female. [...] The time is coming when we will quit thinking in terms of he or she, and live in the shades of gray." <ref>{{cite journal|date=October 15, 1978|title=Turning back from a one-way journey|journal=Philadelphia Gay News|last=Cwiek|first=Tim|pages=7, 10, 16 |url=https://voices.revealdigital.org/?a=d&d=JDJAJHJJF19781015.1.10&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------------1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://voices.revealdigital.org/?a=d&d=JDJAJHJJF19781015.1.10&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------------1|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> If Beck was alive today, they may have identified under the nonbinary/genderqueer umbrella.

* In the 1980s, the handbook of psychiatry, the DSM-III, included "Gender Identity Disorder" to diagnose people as transsexual.<ref>Trans Health editors, “Timeline of gender identity research.” 2002-04-23. http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084025/http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> It frames being trans as a strictly pathological mental condition. Getting this diagnosis becomes a necessary step for many trans people to transition. Psychologists during this time believed that a legitimately trans person needed to conform very closely to the [[gender binary]], and even needed to be heterosexual. The psychologists focused on trans women, and isolated them from one another, so they had little community. Meanwhile, trans men got less help from that system, and so they largely left it and formed their own communities.<ref>fakecisgirl, "The Misery Pimps: The People Who Impede Trans Liberation." October 7, 2013. ''Fake Cis Girl'' (personal blog). [https://fakecisgirl.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/the-misery-pimps-the-people-who-impede-trans-liberation/ https://fakecisgirl.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/the-misery-pimps-the-people-who-impede-trans-liberation/] [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://fakecisgirl.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/the-misery-pimps-the-people-who-impede-trans-liberation/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* In 1990, the Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference chose [[Two-Spirit]] as a better English umbrella term for some gender identities unique to Native American cultures, many of which can be considered as outside of the Western gender binary.<ref>"Two-Spirit." ''Wikipedia.'' Retrieved November 29, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirit [https://web.archive.org/web/20230306093314/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirit Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* The 1990 Bisexual Manifesto published in bi zine "Anything That Moves" shows explicit support of nonbinary gender by stating "Do not assume that [[bisexuality]] is binary or duogamous in nature: that we have 'two' sides or that we must be involved simultaneously with both genders to be fulfilled human beings. In fact, don’t assume that there are only two genders."<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Anything That Moves Bisexual Manifesto |author= |work=BiNet USA's Blog |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=15 May 2020 |url= https://binetusa.blogspot.com/2014/01/1990-bi-manifesto.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519201628/http://binetusa.blogspot.com/2014/01/1990-bi-manifesto.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In 1994, [[Kate Bornstein]], who currently identifies as nonbinary,<ref>https://www.slantmagazine.com/house/article/pretty-damn-bowie-kate-bornstein-on-their-broadway-debut-in-straight-white-men [https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230249/https://www.slantmagazine.com/house/article/pretty-damn-bowie-kate-bornstein-on-their-broadway-debut-in-straight-white-men Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> published the book ''Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us,'' about her experience as a transgender person identifying outside of the gender binary.

* In 1998, an article from a transgender community on the Internet, ''[[Sphere]]'', used the words "queergendered" and "polygendered" interchangeably as umbrella terms for everyone whose gender was outside the gender binary, specifying that these included people who were "[[bigender|bi-gendered]], [[agender|non-gendered]], or [[third gender|third-gendered]]," explaining that some faced difficulty in seeking a gender-ambiguous physical transition.<ref>Danica Nuccitelli. "Polygender FAQ." ''Sphere.'' May 26, 1998. http://gender-sphere.0catch.com/polygenderfaq.htm [https://web.archive.org/web/20200204005048/http://gender-sphere.0catch.com/polygenderfaq.htm Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>  

*In August, a user on the Asexual Visibility and Education Network forums took the "demi-" from "demiromantic" and came up with the term "demiguy".<ref>https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/52633-transwhatevers-of-aven/page/20/?tab=comments#comment-1615634 [https://web.archive.org/web/20230622011030/https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/52633-transwhatevers-of-aven/page/20/?tab=comments Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> This concept would eventually catch on and broaden into an array of [[demigender]] labels.

*In December, the US state of Arkansas enacted a policy allowing gender on drivers' licenses and state ID cards to be changed to M, F, or X with "no questions asked, no documentation required". However, this policy received very little attention until 2018.<ref name="Qong">{{Cite web |title=Arkansas Has Been Offering A Nonbinary Gender Option On State IDs For Years |last=Wong |first=Curtis M. |work=HuffPost |date=October 17, 2018 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arkansas-gender-neutral-state-id-option_n_5bc79f75e4b0d38b5874a669|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406012051/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arkansas-gender-neutral-state-id-option_n_5bc79f75e4b0d38b5874a669 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In 2011, Bangladesh started to allow passports to show a gender called "other".<ref name="Macarow2015">{{Cite web |title=These Eleven Countries are Way Ahead of the US on Trans Issues |last=Macarow |first=Aron |work=ATTN: |date=9 February 2015 |access-date=26 April 2021 |url= https://archive.attn.com/stories/868/transgender-passport-status|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/https://archive.attn.com/stories/868/transgender-passport-status |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Hopper2012">{{Cite web |title=Genderless passports 'under review' in Canada |last=Hopper |first=Tristin |work=National Post |date=8 May 2012 |access-date=26 April 2021 |url= https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/genderless-passports-under-review-in-canada}}</ref>

* A newer version of the handbook of psychiatry, the DSM-5, replaces the "gender identity disorder" diagnosis with "[[gender dysphoria]]," to lessen the pathologization of transgender people.<ref>"History of transgenderism in the United States." ''Wikipedia.'' Retrieved November 29, 2014. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230306213642/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transgenderism_in_the_United_States Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* In September 2013, a nonbinary tumblr user by the handle "revolutionator" coins the term "enby" as a short for "nonbinary person" or "NB".<ref name="enby">{{Cite web |title=Queer Etymology: Enby |author= |work=Androgyne of the Archeart |date=16 December 2019 |access-date=13 June 2020 |url= https://blog.sixy.name/2019/12/16/queer-etymology-enby/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084020/https://blog.sixy.name/2019/12/16/queer-etymology-enby/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* On November 4, 2013 in the US, 18-year-old Sasha Fleischman was assaulted for wearing gender nonconforming clothing. Sasha identifies as [[genderqueer]] and [[agender]], and goes by "they" pronouns. When they had fallen asleep on a public bus, a stranger lit Sasha's skirt on fire. Sasha survived, suffering second and third degree burns. In the following weeks, allies showed support by marching along that bus route, tying rainbow ribbons to poles, and writing letters. Several schools sponsored skirt-wearing days. The assailant was sentenced to seven years in juvenile detention.<ref>Dashka Slater, "The Fire on the 57 Bus in Oakland." ''The New York Times Magazine.'' February 1, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/magazine/the-fire-on-the-57-bus-in-oakland.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20230629095950/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/magazine/the-fire-on-the-57-bus-in-oakland.html Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> The nonfiction book ''The 57 Bus'' explores the incident in detail.<ref>Slater, Dashka (October 17, 2017). ''The 57 Bus''. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). ISBN 9780374303235.</ref>

* More than 47,000 people sign a Whitehouse.gov petition asking for USA federal [[Recognition (USA)|recognition]] of nonbinary genders.<ref name="petition2014">{{Cite web |title=More Than 47,000 Petition White House to Recognize Nonbinary Genders |last=Molloy |first=Parker Marie |work=The Advocate |date=20 March 2014 |access-date=10 March 2021 |url= https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/03/20/more-47000-petition-white-house-recognize-nonbinary-genders|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084019/https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/03/20/more-47000-petition-white-house-recognize-nonbinary-genders |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* Nepal began to allow X gender passports.<ref>Clarissa-Jan Lim. "New 'Third Gender' Option on Nepal Passports Finally Protects the Rights of LGBT Community." ''Bustle''. January 8, 2015. http://www.bustle.com/articles/57466-new-third-gender-option-on-nepal-passports-finally-protects-the-rights-of-lgbt-community [https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230411/https://www.bustle.com/articles/57466-new-third-gender-option-on-nepal-passports-finally-protects-the-rights-of-lgbt-community Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* Dictionary.com put in the nonbinary gender words [[agender]], [[bigender]], and [[genderfluid]].<ref>"New words added to Dictionary.com." May 6, 2015. ''Dictionary.com.'' [http://blog.dictionary.com/2015-new-words/ http://blog.dictionary.com/2015-new-words/] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230518081412/http://blog.dictionary.com/2015-new-words/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Meanwhile, the Oxford English Dictionary announced that it might add the title [[Mx]].<ref>Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith, "Gender neutral honorific Mx 'to be included' in the Oxford English Dictionary alongside Mr, Ms and Mrs and Miss." May 3, 2015. ''The Independent''. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gender-neutral-honorific-mx-to-be-included-in-the-oxford-english-dictionary-alongside-mr-ms-and-mrs-and-miss-10222287.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gender-neutral-honorific-mx-to-be-included-in-the-oxford-english-dictionary-alongside-mr-ms-and-mrs-and-miss-10222287.html] [https://web.archive.org/web/20230317113849/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gender-neutral-honorific-mx-to-be-included-in-the-oxford-english-dictionary-alongside-mr-ms-and-mrs-and-miss-10222287.html Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>Mary Papenfuss, "Oxford Dictionary may include gender-neutral honorific 'Mx'." May 5, 2015. ''International Business Times.'' [http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/oxford-dictionary-may-include-gender-neutral-honorific-mx-1499626 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/oxford-dictionary-may-include-gender-neutral-honorific-mx-1499626] [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084021/https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/oxford-dictionary-may-include-gender-neutral-honorific-mx-1499626 Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* One of Irish broadcaster RTE’s best-known journalists, [[Notable nonbinary people#Jonathan Rachel Clynch|Jonathan Rachel Clynch]], came out as genderfluid.<ref>Tom Sykes, "A ‘Gender Fluid’ Journalist Comes Out To Irish Cheers." 2015-09-18. ''Daily Beast.'' http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/18/a-gender-fluid-journalist-comes-out-to-irish-cheers.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/18/a-gender-fluid-journalist-comes-out-to-irish-cheers.html Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>  

* Singer, songwriter, and actor [[Miley Cyrus]] explained she didn't relate to being a girl or a boy.<ref name=cyrusout>{{Cite web |title=Exclusive: Miley Cyrus Launches Anti-Homelessness, Pro-LGBT ‘Happy Hippie Foundation’ |last=Krochmal |first=Shana Naomi |work=out.com |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=October 27, 2020 |url= https://www.out.com/music/2015/5/05/exclusive-miley-cyrus-launches-anti-homelessness-pro-lgbt-happy-hippie-foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230505/https://www.out.com/music/2015/5/05/exclusive-miley-cyrus-launches-anti-homelessness-pro-lgbt-happy-hippie-foundation |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* On January 8, the American Dialect Society voted [[singular they]] as Word of the Year for 2015, with ADS member Ben Zimmer stating "In the past year, new expressions of [[gender identity]] have generated a deal of discussion, and singular ''they'' has become a particularly significant element of that conversation. While many novel gender-neutral pronouns have been proposed, ''they'' has the advantage of already being part of the language." Singular "they" also won in the Most Useful category, beating out other contenders including "mic drop", "microaggression", and "shade" by a wide margin.<ref name="ADSthey">{{Cite web |title=2015 Word of the Year is singular “they” |author= |work=American Dialect Society |date=January 8, 2016 |access-date=October 27, 2020 |url= https://www.americandialect.org/2015-word-of-the-year-is-singular-they|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306073612/http://www.americandialect.org/2015-word-of-the-year-is-singular-they |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In the USA, the states of Oregon and then California began to allow for a nonbinary legal gender, though getting this recognized on identity documents (driver's licenses and passports) is another matter. California began to allow nonbinary driver's licenses.<ref name="OHara">{{Cite web |title=Californian becomes second US citizen granted 'non-binary' gender status |last=O'Hara |first=Mary Emily |work=NBC News |date=26 September 2016 |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/californian-becomes-second-us-citizen-granted-non-binary-gender-status-n654611 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412060213/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/californian-becomes-second-us-citizen-granted-non-binary-gender-status-n654611 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*On the 2016 Australian Census, for the first time people could identify themselves as "male", "female", or "[[other]]". 1300 people selected "other".<ref name="power2017">{{Cite web |title=Being gender non-binary on the Census, dyke is a dirty word and Ramadan fundraising |author=Power, Shannon |work=The Informer |date=28 June 2017 |access-date=15 October 2020 |url= https://joy.org.au/theinformer/2017/06/28/gender-non-binary-census-dyke-dirty-word-ramadan-fundraising/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528054809/https://joy.org.au/theinformer/2017/06/28/gender-non-binary-census-dyke-dirty-word-ramadan-fundraising/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In the USA, California passed the [[2017 Gender Recognition Act]] "to ensure that intersex, transgender, and nonbinary people have state-issued identification documents that provide full legal [[Recognition (USA)|recognition]] of their accurate gender identity."<ref name="Bermudez">{{Cite web |title=California’s Gender Recognition Act and Impact on Employers - Klinedinst |last=Bermudez |first=Nadia P. |work=Klinedinst Attorneys |date=November 8, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2020 |url= https://klinedinstlaw.com/employment-law/california-gender-recognition-act-impact-employers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604104058/https://klinedinstlaw.com/employment-law/california-gender-recognition-act-impact-employers |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="SB179">{{Cite web |title=Fact Sheet: California's Gender Recognition Act (SB 179) |author=Transgender Law Center |work= |date=2018 |access-date=May 14, 2020 |url= https://transgenderlawcenter.org/resources/id/ca-sb179|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406000749/https://transgenderlawcenter.org/resources/id/ca-sb179 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In June 2017, USA's District of Colombia began to offer nonbinary driver's licenses and identification cards.<ref name="Stein">{{Cite web |title=Meet the first person in the country to officially receive a gender-neutral driver's license |last=Stein |first=Perry |work=Washington Post |date=30 June 2017 |access-date=14 April 2020 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/meet-the-first-person-in-the-country-to-officially-receive-a-gender-neutral-drivers-license/2017/06/30/bcb78afc-5d9a-11e7-9fc6-c7ef4bc58d13_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230618/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/meet-the-first-person-in-the-country-to-officially-receive-a-gender-neutral-drivers-license/2017/06/30/bcb78afc-5d9a-11e7-9fc6-c7ef4bc58d13_story.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Activist [[Shige Sakurai]] was the first to receive one of these "X"-marked licenses.<ref name="Norwood">{{Cite web |title=How Governments Are Transitioning Their Gender Policies to Nonbinary |last=Norwood |first=Candice |work=governing.com |date=June 2019 |access-date=29 May 2020 |url= https://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-nonbinary-lgbtq-legislation-regulations.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230623/https://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-nonbinary-lgbtq-legislation-regulations.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Soon after, the state of Oregon also began to issue gender-neutral IDs.<ref name="Stein"/>

* The country of Malta began to offer "X" gender markers on passports and other documents.<ref name="into_Malt">{{Cite web |title=Malta Becomes Latest Country to Allow Non-Binary Option on Passports |author= |work=INTO |date=6 September 2017 |access-date=1 June 2020 |url= https://www.intomore.com/impact/malta-becomes-latest-country-to-allow-nonbinary-option-on-passports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084027/https://www.intomore.com/impact/malta-becomes-latest-country-to-allow-nonbinary-option-on-passports/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* Popular musician Sam Smith came out stating in an interview that "I don't know what the title would be but I feel just as much woman as I am man." <ref name="Besanvalle">{{Cite web |title=Sam Smith on his gender identity: 'I feel just as much woman as I am man' |last=Besanvalle |first=James |work=Gay Star News |date=22 October 2017 |access-date=27 April 2020 |url= https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/sam-smith-i-feel-just-much-woman-i-man/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819171648/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/sam-smith-i-feel-just-much-woman-i-man/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In Germany, a person petitioned the registry office to change the gender on their birth record from "female" to "diverse". In regard to this case, the German Constitutional Court made a judgement suggesting "waiving the mandatory entry of gender in registries, or offering a different option besides male or female", reasoning that "denial of recognition of a non-binary gender identity does endanger the constitutionally protected free personality development."<ref name="tgeu_Join">{{Cite web |title=Joint Statement: Civil Society welcomes ground-breaking German Constitutional Court demand for a new regulation of sex registration |author= |work=TGEU |date=8 November 2017 |access-date=15 November 2020 |url= https://tgeu.org/joint-statement-civil-society-welcomes-ground-breaking-german-constitutional-court-demand-for-a-new-regulation-of-sex-registration/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213094037/https://tgeu.org/joint-statement-civil-society-welcomes-ground-breaking-german-constitutional-court-demand-for-a-new-regulation-of-sex-registration/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In  January, Washington state began to allow "X" gender markers on official documents<ref name="Jackman">{{Cite web |title=Washington to recognise third gender in groundbreaking move |last=Jackman |first=Josh |work=PinkNews |date=5 January 2018 |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/01/05/washington-to-recognise-third-gender-in-groundbreaking-move/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/01/05/washington-to-recognise-third-gender-in-groundbreaking-move/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>, with the law stating that {{quote|"X" means a gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, [[intersex]], [[agender]], [[amalgagender]], [[androgynous]], [[bigender]], [[demigender]], female-to-male, [[genderfluid]], [[genderqueer]], male-to-female, [[neutrois]], [[nonbinary]], [[pangender]], [[third gender|third sex]], [[transgender]], [[transsexual]], [[Two Spirit]], and unspecified.<ref name="washington">{{Cite web |title=WAC 246-490-075: Changing sex designation on a birth certificate. |author= |work=Washington State Legislature |date= |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-490-075|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325195929/https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-490-075|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref>}}

*In September, Merriam-Webster Dictionary added the gender-inclusive term "Latinx".<ref name="Brammer2018">{{Cite web |title=The Gender-Neutral Term 'Latinx' Is Now Officially in the Dictionary |last=Brammer |first=John Paul |work=them. |date=7 September 2018 |access-date=21 June 2020 |url= https://www.them.us/story/latinx-is-officially-in-the-dictionary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325005918/https://www.them.us/story/latinx-is-officially-in-the-dictionary |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In October, New York City passed a law (taking effect January 1, 2019) allowing [[Recognition (USA)|"X" gender markers on birth certificates]], and allows the marker to be changed without medical documentation.<ref name="Ohara2018">{{Cite web |title=New York City Just Passed a Gender-Neutral Birth Certificate Law |last=O'Hara |first=Mary Emily |work=them. |date=10 October 2018 |access-date=21 June 2020 |url= https://www.them.us/story/gender-neutral-birth-certificate-law-nyc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603025723/https://www.them.us/story/gender-neutral-birth-certificate-law-nyc |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In October, the Netherlands issued its first-ever passport with "X" gender designation. This was done for 57-year-old [[Leonne Zeegers]].<ref name="Dutch-X-Passport">{{Cite web |title=First Dutch gender-neutral passport issued |author= |work=BBC News |date=19 October 2018 |access-date=1 October 2020 |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45914813 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302195748/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45914813 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* Washington, D.C. public schools began to offer "nonbinary" as a gender option on school enrollment forms.<ref name="nyti_Some">{{Cite web |title=Some Schools Allow Children to Register With a Gender Option Besides Girl or Boy |author=De La Cruz, Donna |work=nytimes.com |date=November 19, 2018 |access-date=November 12, 2020 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/well/family/some-schools-allow-children-to-register-with-a-gender-option-besides-girl-or-boy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129222716/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/well/family/some-schools-allow-children-to-register-with-a-gender-option-besides-girl-or-boy.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In the USA in February, Kirsten Gillibrand, one of the many Democratic candidates for president, said she endorses the availability of "X" [[gender markers]] for nonbinary people.<ref name="GillibrandX">{{Cite web |title=2020 contender Kirsten Gillibrand backs third gender classification at federal level |last=Erickson |first=Bo |work=CBS News |date=February 16, 2019 |access-date=November 4, 2020 |url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kirsten-gillibrand-2020-democratic-contender-backs-third-gender-classification-at-federal-level/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321160247/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kirsten-gillibrand-2020-democratic-contender-backs-third-gender-classification-at-federal-level/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*Google released 53 new emoji variations with specifically [[gender neutral]] appearance.<ref name="England2019">{{Cite web |title=Google is releasing 53 new gender neutral emojis |last=England |first=Jason |work=Android Central |date=8 May 2019 |access-date=17 June 2020 |url= https://www.androidcentral.com/google-releasing-53-new-gender-neutral-emojis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323235305/https://www.androidcentral.com/google-releasing-53-new-gender-neutral-emojis |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In November, Massachusetts began allowing an X as a nonbinary gender marker on Driver's Licenses and State IDs. <ref name="Massgov">{{Cite web |title=Massachusetts Allows Nonbinary Marker on Licenses, IDs |work=mass.gov|date=November 19, 2019 |access-date=25 January 2021 |url= https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-allows-nonbinary-marker-on-licenses-ids#:~:text=Boston%2C%20MA%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Massachusetts%20Commission,Commission%2C%20and%20follows%20years%20of|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605100731/https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-allows-nonbinary-marker-on-licenses-ids |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*Merriam-Webster declared [[singular they|"they"]] as the top Word of the Year.<ref name="MW2019">{{Cite web |title=Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2019 |author= |work=merriam-webster.com |date=2019 |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year/they|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524171633/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year/they |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*Collins Dictionary added the word "non-binary".<ref name="wale_Coll">{{Cite web |title=Collins Dictionary recognise the word 'non-binary' |last=McGee |first=Sarah |work=WalesOnline |date=7 November 2019 |access-date=27 May 2020 |url= https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/collins-dictionary-recognises-word-non-17212246|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510224913/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/collins-dictionary-recognises-word-non-17212246 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*"[[Genderqueer]]", "[[agender]]", "[[cisgender]]", "[[Misgendering|misgender]]", "[[transphobia]]", and "[[ze/hir|ze]]" are added to the international Scrabble dictionary.<ref name="Kiley">{{Cite web |title=Scrabble Approves 'Genderqueer,' 'Ze,' and Other LGBTQ Terms |last=Kiley |first=Rachel |work=Pride.com |date=6 May 2019 |access-date=17 June 2020 |url= https://www.pride.com/news/2019/5/06/scrabble-approves-genderqueer-ze-and-other-lgbtq-terms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084015/https://www.pride.com/news/2019/5/06/scrabble-approves-genderqueer-ze-and-other-lgbtq-terms |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*Canada's 2019 Census Test (in preparation for the 2021 Census) now includes separate questions about [[Assigned at birth|sex at birth]] and [[gender]], and also allows nonbinary gender answers.<ref>https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/road2021-chemin2021/fs-fi/sex-and-gender.cfm [https://web.archive.org/web/20230130220356/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/road2021-chemin2021/fs-fi/sex-and-gender.cfm Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>

* The American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide was updated to endorse the use of [[singular they]]: "Writers should use the singular 'they' in two main cases: (a) when referring to a generic person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant to the context and (b) when referring to a specific, known person who uses 'they' as their pronoun."<ref name="LeeAPA">{{Cite web |title=Welcome, singular “they” |last=Lee |first=Chelsea |work=APA Style |date=31 October 2019 |access-date=21 June 2020 |url= https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/singular-they|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209234714/https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/singular-they |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In January, American presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren promised that if she is elected, she will have "at least 50% of Cabinet positions filled by women and non binary people."<ref name="Warren">{{Cite web |title=Restoring Integrity and Competence to Government After Trump |last=Warren |first=Elizabeth |work=Medium |date=21 Jan 2020 |access-date=5 June 2020 |url= https://medium.com/@teamwarren/restoring-integrity-and-competence-to-government-after-trump-1fda0e1cc4c5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://medium.com/@teamwarren/restoring-integrity-and-competence-to-government-after-trump-1fda0e1cc4c5 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Urbanski">{{Cite web |title=Elizabeth Warren pledges to fill at least half her Cabinet with women and 'non binary people' |last=Urbanski |first=Dave |work=TheBlaze |date=22 January 2020 |access-date=5 June 2020 |url= https://www.theblaze.com/news/elizabeth-warren-cabinet-women-and-non-binary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/https://www.theblaze.com/news/elizabeth-warren-cabinet-women-and-non-binary |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In February, it was announced that Nepal's 2021 census would have a third gender option.<ref name="Nepalcensus">{{Cite web |title=Nepal to count third gender in population census expanding social benefits to LGBTQ+community |last=Mohamedbhai |first=Tahira |work=Jurist.org |date=6 February 2020 |access-date=10 November 2020 |url= https://www.jurist.org/news/2020/02/nepal-to-count-third-gender-in-population-census-expanding-social-benefits-to-lgbtqcommunity/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://www.jurist.org/news/2020/02/nepal-to-count-third-gender-in-population-census-expanding-social-benefits-to-lgbtqcommunity/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* On February 25, Ro Khanna, a Democratic member of the USA House of Representatives, proposed the Gender Inclusive Passport Act, which would add an "X" option to USA passports.<ref name="Sanders">{{Cite web |title=Proposed Bill Would Add Gender-Neutral Option to U.S. Passports |last=Sanders |first=Wren |work=them. |date=25 February 2020 |access-date=13 June 2020 |url= https://www.them.us/story/gender-neutral-option-us-passports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529080436/https://www.them.us/story/gender-neutral-option-us-passports |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* Marvel Comics' series ''The New Warriors'' introduced a nonbinary superhero named "Snowflake", and received widespread backlash.<ref name="Villarreal">{{Cite web |title=Marvel criticized for first non-binary superhero named “Snowflake” |last=Villarreal |first=Daniel |work=LGBTQ Nation |date=20 March 2020 |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/marvel-criticized-first-non-binary-superhero-named-snowflake/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527115737/https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/marvel-criticized-first-non-binary-superhero-named-snowflake/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In the USA, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed Senate Bill 246 on March 31, allowing for driver's license applicants to mark “male,” “female” or “non-binary” when designating their sex. The bill went into effect July 1.<ref name="VanSlooten">{{Cite web |title=Northam signs Va. non-binary driver’s license bill into law |last=Van Slooten |first=Philip |work=Washington Blade |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/04/07/northam-signs-va-non-binary-drivers-license-bill-into-law/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411034252/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/04/07/northam-signs-va-non-binary-drivers-license-bill-into-law/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In July, a nonbinary New Yorker sued the state in pursuit of an "X" [[gender marker]] on their driver's license. New York currently only allows "M" or "F" gender markers on licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New York state sued over driver’s licenses that limit gender to ‘M’ or ‘F’ |work=syracuse.com |date=July 28, 2020 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |url= https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/07/new-york-state-sued-over-drivers-licenses-that-limit-gender-to-m-or-f.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605163535/https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/07/new-york-state-sued-over-drivers-licenses-that-limit-gender-to-m-or-f.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nonbinary NYU Law Student Sues To Get "X" Gender Option On NY Driver's Licenses |last=Cruz |first=David |work=Gothamist |date=29 July 2020 |access-date=20 October 2020 |url= https://gothamist.com/news/nonbinary-nyu-law-student-sues-get-x-gender-option-ny-drivers-licenses|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603210333/https://gothamist.com/news/nonbinary-nyu-law-student-sues-get-x-gender-option-ny-drivers-licenses |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* The 2020 USA Census made headlines for lack of a nonbinary gender option.<ref name="news_The2">{{Cite web |title=The 2020 Census Is Underway, But Nonbinary And Gender-Nonconforming Respondents Feel Counted Out |last=Schmid |first=Eric |work=St. Louis Public Radio |date=March 17, 2020 |access-date=May 14, 2020 |url= https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/2020-census-underway-nonbinary-and-gender-nonconforming-respondents-feel-counted-out#stream/0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084016/https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/2020-census-underway-nonbinary-and-gender-nonconforming-respondents-feel-counted-out |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Brown">{{Cite web |title=The 2020 Census Fails Nonbinary Folks, But It’s Important To Take Part Anyway |last=Brown |first=Jera |work=Rebellious Magazine |date= |access-date=14 May 2020 |url= https://rebelliousmagazine.com/the-2020-census-fails-nonbinary-folks-but-its-important-to-take-part-anyway/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326021440/https://rebelliousmagazine.com/the-2020-census-fails-nonbinary-folks-but-its-important-to-take-part-anyway/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* In the November 3rd elections, [[Mauree Turner]] was elected to the Oklahoma state legislature, making them the first out nonbinary person elected to any USA state legislature.<ref name="Smith">{{Cite web |title=Mauree Turner is the first nonbinary and first Muslim Oklahoma state lawmaker |last=Smith |first=Kelsie |work=CNN |date=November 5, 2020 |access-date=November 5, 2020 |url= https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/politics/first-nonbinary-and-muslim-oklahoma-lawmaker/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610222519/https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/politics/first-nonbinary-and-muslim-oklahoma-lawmaker/index.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In the US state of North Carolina, December 6 was formally recognized by the legislature as Gender Expansive Parents' Day.<ref name="news_Aday">{{Cite web |title=A day to celebrate all parents, including LGBTQ parents, in NC |last=Vaughan |first=Dawn Baumgartner |work=The News & Observer |date=4 December 2020 |access-date=4 January 2021 |url= https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article247605375.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115202935/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article247605375.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*Early in January, in Iceland, private businesses and government offices alike began to offer "male, female, nonbinary, [[other]], and the option to decline to answer" regarding gender registrations. This was the taking effect of a gender determination law that was passed in June 2019.<ref name="IcelandGrapevine">{{Cite web |title=Nonbinary Gender Registration Finally Opens In Iceland |last=Fontaine |first=Andie Sophia |work=The Reykjavik Grapevine |date=8 January 2021 |access-date=10 January 2021 |url= https://grapevine.is/news/2021/01/08/nonbinary-gender-registration-finally-opens-in-iceland/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529052112/https://grapevine.is/news/2021/01/08/nonbinary-gender-registration-finally-opens-in-iceland/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

*In April, Dictionary.com officially added the word "enby"<ref name="Kinlaw">{{Cite web |title=OPINION: 'Sourdough' finally gets its own entry in online dictionary |last=Kinlaw |first=Bernadette |work=Arkansas Online |date=19 April 2021 |access-date=19 April 2021 |url= https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/apr/19/dictionary-has-added-new-words/?features-style |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213084017/https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/apr/19/dictionary-has-added-new-words/?features-style |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> with the definition "a person whose gender identity is nonbinary, not fitting into the male/female division (often used attributively)."<ref name="dictionary.com">{{Cite web |title=Definition of enby |author= |work=Dictionary.com |date= |access-date=19 April 2021 |url= https://www.dictionary.com/browse/enby|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228194707/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/enby|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref>

*In June, the American Medical Association (AMA) made a public statement recommending that the [[sex marker]] should be removed from the public-facing part of birth certificates. Willie Underwood III, MD said that "Assigning sex using binary variables in the public portion of the birth certificate fails to recognize the medical [[Gender spectrum|spectrum of gender identity]]."<ref name="Frellick">{{Cite web |title=Remove Sex From Public Birth Certificates, AMA Says |last=Frellick |first=Marcia |work=WebMD |date=16 June 2021 |access-date=7 August 2021 |url= https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20210616/remove-sex-from-public-birth-certificates-ama-says|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507051727/https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20210616/remove-sex-from-public-birth-certificates-ama-says |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>

* Also in June, the US Department of State announced that "The Department has begun moving towards adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons" for passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA).<ref name="Blinken">{{Cite web |title=Proposing Changes to the Department's Policies on Gender on U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad |last=Blinken |first=Antony J. |work=United States Department of State |date=30 June 2021 |access-date=26 September 2021 |url= https://www.state.gov/proposing-changes-to-the-departments-policies-on-gender-on-u-s-passports-and-consular-reports-of-birth-abroad/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228031106/https://www.state.gov/proposing-changes-to-the-departments-policies-on-gender-on-u-s-passports-and-consular-reports-of-birth-abroad/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> A government employee stated that the new gender marker would be available by the end of 2021.<ref name="Sanjana">{{Cite web |title=U.S. To Expand Passport Gender Markers For Nonbinary, Intersex Americans |last=Karanth |first=Sanjana |work=HuffPost |date=30 June 2021 |access-date=26 September 2021 |url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/us-passport-gender-markers-nonbinary-intersex-lgbtq_n_60dcd4f2e4b04973e5c1fea9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318004118/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/us-passport-gender-markers-nonbinary-intersex-lgbtq_n_60dcd4f2e4b04973e5c1fea9 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> In late October, an intersex and nonbinary person named [[Dana Zzyym]] was the first to receive one of these X-marked US passports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The U.S. issues the first passport with a nonbinary gender 'X' option |last=Hernandez |first=Joe |work=NPR.org |date=27 October 2021 |access-date=28 October 2021 |url= https://www.npr.org/2021/10/27/1049690803/state-department-first-passport-with-nonbinary-gender-x-option|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411102911/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/27/1049690803/state-department-first-passport-with-nonbinary-gender-x-option |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref>