The Fluidity of Me: Navigating Gender and Identity

Ebbing and Flowing: My Journey as a Gender-Fluid Nonbinary Person

Several years ago, I came out as nonbinary (someone whose gender identity doesn't fit into the conventional binary categories of 'male' or 'female').

The nonbinary identity is a beautifully diverse spectrum that includes a multitude of gender expressions and experiences. Each individual is a unique point on that spectrum, and we all contribute to its richness.  

There are many identities under the nonbinary umbrella. This variety is why when someone tells you they "are nonbinary," an excellent question might be, "What does that mean to you?" (instead of making assumptions about who they are based on other nonbinary people you know).

My specific label (for those who want to get technical) is gender-fluid (a person whose gender identity and expression may shift or change over time).

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Gender-fluid people may:

• Experience different genders at different times

• Identify with multiple genders simultaneously

• Feel their gender is a mix of both or neither traditional gender

In my case, I would say "all of the above."

Lyric stands watching a orange and blue sunset, palms out, facing the sky, green tall grass surrounding them.

Though I've known I'm gender-fluid for several years, I've not really sat down and tried to define or explain what that really means to me.

Before I start, it seems important to note that other nonbinary people (especially those who aren't gender-fluid) may have very different experiences from my own. The following is just my personal experience of being nonbinary and gender-fluid.

How do I experience being nonbinary?

To me, being nonbinary means who I am as a person cannot be confined within the traditional gender binary of either man or woman.

My experience is more nuanced than stereotypes, and societal assumptions of who I should be (based on what they believe is in my pants) don't work for me.

Additionally, the fact that I'm gender-fluid has a significant influence on my experience as a nonbinary person because my gender is not pinned to a fixed point. It ebbs and flows.

What is gender-fluid (to me)?

For me, being gender-fluid is like having multiple energies inside me that are pushed and pulled in different directions by different experiences in my life (like the people I'm with, the activities I'm participating in, the music I'm listening to, or how safe I feel).

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I hope this helps,
- Lyric