LGBTQ+ history lesson Non-Binary edition In recent years, companies around the world are focusing more and more on building nonbinary inclusion into their programming, culture, and policies. While the shifted focus may be a relatively new development, non-binary people aren't “new”. Awareness and visibility of non-binary identities are indeed increasing, and we are always finding new ways to conceptualize and verbalize how we experience gender; however, genders outside the binary have existed throughout human history. Identifying outside the binary is not limited to certain geographies, cultures, or generations. In fact, from about the 15th-19th century, the thought of gender as binary (man/woman) was considerably a Western concept that was forced upon native cultures worldwide through colonization. Today, however, people around the world are creating more space, and sometimes new language, for folks to discover, reclaim and express these identities.
Locating some of the historical touchpoints of nonbinary identities is an important tool for dispelling the myth that nonbinary identities are somehow “new” or a “trend”. It is equally as important to acknowledge currently evolving language, like gender-neutral pronouns because it is to acknowledge that nonbinary people enjoy an upscale, diverse history around the world. Using the subsequent examples, we will see that nonbinary people – like all LGBTQ people – have existed throughout time and in every society, regardless of whether their native language authentically reflected their identities. The following isn't intended to be an exhaustive analysis of nonbinary history, but rather educational examples to create understanding within your workforce and beyond.
2000 - 1800 BCE Sekhet In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, we find three recorded genders. A common belief was that the individuals in the third gender category, Sekhet, were eunuchs, but some scholars now realize that this could be a biased binary interpretation as there is little evidence of castration. These scholars propose that ancient Egyptian culture had three recognized genders during this society: man, woman, and a 3rd gender.
Two-Spirit Though the term “Two-Spirit” was coined in 1990 by Indigenous Peoples as a Pan-Native identity and umbrella term that bridges Indigenous and Western understandings of sexuality and gender, the identity itself goes back much further in time. The term often refers to someone with mixed gender roles found among Indigenous North American cultures, during which the person expresses themselves and performs functions attributed to men and women; however, it can also refer to gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation.
Muxe is a third gender identity. Those identifying as Muxe have been recognized and celebrated as playing an integral role among the Zapotec community in Oaxaca, Mexico since pre-colonial times.
Chibados were their caste in Ndongo society (modern-day Angola) and today would be called the third gender. They often held important spiritual positions and were liberal to marry men. Unfortunately, Portuguese settlers introduced colonial law and practices that effectively eliminated the Chibados from society during much of that period.
The Bugis people of South Sulawesi, Indonesia recognize five genders. Through a Western English-language lens, they would be trans man, trans woman, cis man, cis woman, and gender-transcendent (“Bissu”). Although the identity was pushed to the margins and mostly erased through colonialism, many are reclaiming it today.
Although there was no term at the time to describe nonbinary identities, in Norway in 1781, Jens Andersson, assigned a female at birth, married a woman who later told the authorities that she believed Jens to be a lady. The marriage was annulled, and Andersson was imprisoned and sent to trial. In the trial, Andersson was asked: “Are you a man or a woman?” The recorded answer was: “he thinks he may be both.”