This month, the IDEAS Council wants to highlight International Non-Binary People’s Day.
International Non-Binary People’s Day is celebrated annually around the world on July 14 and was first observed in 2012. International Non-Binary People’s Day is an occasion to champion and recognize non-binary members within the LGBTQ+ community. July 14 was chosen because it falls exactly halfway between International Women’s Day (March 8) and International Men’s Day (November 19).
The term non-binary describes someone who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or even falling completely outside these categories. While many in the LGBTQ+ also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. “Non-binary” can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bi-gender, gender-queer or gender-fluid.
The definition of these terms are:
Agender – either not having a gender or being gender neutral
Bi-gender – having aspects of more than one gender, either at different or the same time
Gender-fluid – having a gender identity that changes over time
Gender-queer – this can be used as an umbrella term for non-binary identities or can be used as a gender identity itself
IDEAs Council topics for the fall:
September – Hijri New Year
October – Hispanic Heritage Month
November – National Native American Heritage & Birth of Báb
If any of these topics inspire you to share your story, a friend or loved one’s story, or simply would like to expand on why the topic is important to you, please feel free to reach out to the IDEAs Council at ideascouncil@cmcenergy.com.