Discrimination against nonbinary people: Difference between revisions
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The Ministry of Justice chose not to recognize nonbinary genders because it believes they are too few, and it believes that they don't face any discrimination. It didn't give proof of either of these views. It said that nonbinary people are not protected under the Equality Act, which was created to protect other kinds of transgender people. In response, many nonbinary people in the UK voiced their objections to this. ''Beyond the Binary'', a magazine run by nonbinary people, collected responses from 80 nonbinary people about what kinds of discrimination they have faced for being nonbinary, and said of these, | The Ministry of Justice chose not to recognize nonbinary genders because it believes they are too few, and it believes that they don't face any discrimination. It didn't give proof of either of these views. It said that nonbinary people are not protected under the Equality Act, which was created to protect other kinds of transgender people. In response, many nonbinary people in the UK voiced their objections to this. ''Beyond the Binary'', a magazine run by nonbinary people, collected responses from 80 nonbinary people about what kinds of discrimination they have faced for being nonbinary, and said of these, | ||
<blockquote>"There was obvious upset at being written off as a small and unimportant group, especially when there are far more who identify as non-binary in the UK than people realise – though being a minority should not affect what protections marginalised groups are afforded in law. A strong general feeling was that if the government wasn’t aware of specific detriment to non-binary people, they should at least acknowledge the need to fund proper research and seek opinion on a diversity of experiences".<ref>"#SpecificDetriment: what you told us." ''Beyond the Binary''. September 19, 2015. [http://beyondthebinary.co.uk/specificdetriment-what-you-told- | <blockquote>"There was obvious upset at being written off as a small and unimportant group, especially when there are far more who identify as non-binary in the UK than people realise – though being a minority should not affect what protections marginalised groups are afforded in law. A strong general feeling was that if the government wasn’t aware of specific detriment to non-binary people, they should at least acknowledge the need to fund proper research and seek opinion on a diversity of experiences".<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment">"#SpecificDetriment: what you told us." ''Beyond the Binary''. September 19, 2015. [http://beyondthebinary.co.uk/specificdetriment-what-you-told-ushttp://beyondthebinary.co.uk/specificdetriment-what-you-told-us/]</ref></blockquote> | ||
The magazine's survey found the nonbinary respondants unsatisfied with how the Ministry of Justice wasn't taking them seriously, didn't know much about them, and didn't show interest in doing research to become better informed about the issue. | The magazine's survey found the nonbinary respondants unsatisfied with how the Ministry of Justice wasn't taking them seriously, didn't know much about them, and didn't show interest in doing research to become better informed about the issue. | ||
Some of the kinds of discrimination that nonbinary people face for being nonbinary: | Some of the kinds of discrimination that nonbinary people face for being nonbinary: | ||
* Trouble getting health care. Doctors refused to treat them. Some general practitioners say they can't refer nonbinary people to gender identity clinics. Some had no hope that a gender identity clinic would take them seriously as a nonbinary person. Some gender identity clinics made nonbinary people wait longer than binary trans people in order to get transgender related health care. They face problems with making their medical records accurate. Doctors and health professionals call them by the wrong gender (misgendering), even when asked in writing to do otherwise. Hospital wards divided by sex can leave nonbinary patients feel there is no place for them.<ref | * Trouble getting health care. Doctors refused to treat them. Some general practitioners say they can't refer nonbinary people to gender identity clinics. Some had no hope that a gender identity clinic would take them seriously as a nonbinary person. Some gender identity clinics made nonbinary people wait longer than binary trans people in order to get transgender related health care. They face problems with making their medical records accurate. Doctors and health professionals call them by the wrong gender (misgendering), even when asked in writing to do otherwise. Hospital wards divided by sex can leave nonbinary patients feel there is no place for them.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
* Feeling unsafe at work. Accepting being closeted and misgendered, out of fear that coming out as nonbinary at work might mean being mistreated there, or being fired. (Unlike binary trans people, there is no way to be "stealth" as a nonbinary person; you're only either closeted or out.) Self-employed nonbinary people are also concerned about how clients might react if they're openly nonbinary.<ref | * Feeling unsafe at work. Accepting being closeted and misgendered, out of fear that coming out as nonbinary at work might mean being mistreated there, or being fired. (Unlike binary trans people, there is no way to be "stealth" as a nonbinary person; you're only either closeted or out.) Self-employed nonbinary people are also concerned about how clients might react if they're openly nonbinary.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
* In some regions, anti-discrimination laws protect binary trans people, but not nonbinary people. People who were victims of harassment or violence for being nonbinary sometimes find that police and officials refuse to see it as a transphobic hate crime because they aren't what those officials think of as transgender.<ref | * In some regions, anti-discrimination laws protect binary trans people, but not nonbinary people. People who were victims of harassment or violence for being nonbinary sometimes find that police and officials refuse to see it as a transphobic hate crime because they aren't what those officials think of as transgender.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
* Nonbinary people who have an [[androgynous]] [[gender expression]] get turned away from public places that are divided by gender, such as [[clothing]] departments, [[changing rooms]], and [[public toilets]]. This can mean facing harassment or violence from both women's and men's areas. Androgynous people very often suffer street harassment from people speculating about their sex, which can escalate to suffering violence or rape.<ref | * Nonbinary people who have an [[androgynous]] [[gender expression]] get turned away from public places that are divided by gender, such as [[clothing]] departments, [[changing rooms]], and [[public toilets]]. This can mean facing harassment or violence from both women's and men's areas. Androgynous people very often suffer street harassment from people speculating about their sex, which can escalate to suffering violence or rape.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
* Organizations that require members to use identification-- such as libraries, schools, banks, businesses, and so on-- often make nonbinary people struggle with limited options for [[Gender neutral titles|titles]] and gender markers, and how these may not match on all their identity documents, such as passports. Nonbinary people can't use any of these services without misgendering themselves, and sometimes the services refuse to take them in any case.<ref | * Organizations that require members to use identification-- such as libraries, schools, banks, businesses, and so on-- often make nonbinary people struggle with limited options for [[Gender neutral titles|titles]] and gender markers, and how these may not match on all their identity documents, such as passports. Nonbinary people can't use any of these services without misgendering themselves, and sometimes the services refuse to take them in any case.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
* Many regions let binary trans people change their gender markers on their identity documents to M or F, but few allow other options. A nonbinary person who gets a physical transition may find themself stuck with identity documents that don't match their appearance or gender identity. Any situation where they need to use their identity documents means facing officials who treat them with suspicion, make them wait, or refuse to serve them.<ref | * Many regions let binary trans people change their gender markers on their identity documents to M or F, but few allow other options. A nonbinary person who gets a physical transition may find themself stuck with identity documents that don't match their appearance or gender identity. Any situation where they need to use their identity documents means facing officials who treat them with suspicion, make them wait, or refuse to serve them.<ref name="BeyondBinaryDetriment" /> | ||
==Nonbinary erasure== | ==Nonbinary erasure== | ||